I have started reading "The Power of a Positive Mom", by Karol Ladd in hopes to feel better as a mother and learn how to help my children more. In the 2nd chapter she talks of writing a mission statement, a statement of purpose.
This is from the chapter :
"We think the most important thing is the thing that's screaming the loudest for our attention. As a result we zoom through life as if it were a sprint race instead of slowing down and relishing it as a meaningful journey"
"Is our objective to be the mom who accomplished the most when we come to the end of the race in life? In the rush to get ahead and get things done, are we taking time to love and enjoy the people God has placed in our care? What is our goal in life supposed to be?"
She then goes on and gives a sample 'mission statement' and leaves blanks for you to fill in.
(I am cutting out the beginning and editing it just a bit to get the guts of it. It is a Christian book, and I want others to feel comfortable answering if they choose to)
"I believe I was created with unique gifts, talents, and abilities that can be used to bless and enrich my family and the people around me.
My strengths include ______________________________________
I recognize that I also have weaknesses that I will try to minimize or overcome with help.
I believe my purpose in life is to ______________________________
My hope for my family is ____________________________________"
She listed 3 reasons for writing this out:
1. When we know where we are going, we can take the right roads to get there. Without direction we tend to wander aimlessly, doing everything that comes along as society pulls us in many different directions.
2. A mission statement helps us reflect on what truly matters most in the race of life and helps us to pace ourselves for the long run.
3. Keeps us focused in a positive direction, helping us live with a clear purpose. "The secret of success is constancy in purpose". With this written reminder of our beliefs, hopes and dreams, we are better able to focus our strengths towards our life goals and keep our attention off our weaknesses.
I was having a hard time filling in the blanks for myself. this is what I came up with:
"I believe I was created with unique gifts, talents, and abilities that can be used to bless and enrich my family and the people around me.
My strengths include
giving everyone a fair chance, overlooking the bad to see the good This was the hardest part for me to fill out, I am still unhappy with my answer
I recognize that I also have weaknesses that I will try to minimize or overcome with help.
I have very little patience, I feel like I anger quickly, I yell/curse alot when angry (trying not to hit something). I could go on forever with this one 
I believe my purpose in life is to
teach my children to love themselves and others, to be fair and open-minded, to embrace the differences in people, and to be independent
My hope for my family is
to be happy, treat others with respect, learn as much about themselves and others"
I plan on re-reading this chapter and seeing if I can create a better mission statement. I thought it would be interesting to read what other parents thought about this, and maybe some of you can type your statements here too.