Everywhere you turn today there are businesses, schools and even churches looking seriously at their "mission" in their chosen fields and the "vision" of success they hold. People are also inundated with the "mission" of new products, services, entrepreneurs and politicians. Colleges too are requiring applicants to submit their personal "mission statement" and "vision statement."

It becomes evident that mission and vision statements help guide us in important and everyday decisions whether it is a product, service or institution. Equally important to most is that these statements reflect the character of the person one is dealing with.

"It is about identifying your purpose in the present and your focus for your desired future. It is a worthwhile effort that will help you with defining the "why" of you in a way that your family, college, business or clients can easily understand" writes Don Midgett, author of Mission and Vision Statements: Your Path to a Successful Business Future . "The real pay off is in the freedom that develops because of this clarification. It becomes a powerful tool for success in any chosen use."

As Susan Oslin, owner of MMM Creative, a graphic web and multimedia design firm, said after completing her mission statement, "It was a revelation. When I was done I was bubbling with joy and pride about my business and its direction. I was so excited about what I had accomplished with the process I proceeded to share it with everyone close to me."

Good decision making is another by- product of a well defined personal mission statement and vision statement. An example is this personal firefighter mission statement:

"We meet the fire at its weak points, knocking it out, not giving it a chance. We know the fire and use the knowledge of its behavior patterns to snuff it out. We are tough and do not waste our strength. We plan our tactics and anticipate the fire's moves. We use proven tactics and avoid bad ones. We engage the fire when we know we will prevail over the fire. We do not repeat the mistakes of other encounters."

Leadership and better character definition are the inevitable results:

"Mission and vision statements should be directed not only to the business community but to any human enterprise, public or private, in search of a clearer understanding of the reasons for its existence. Thus Socrates-"The unexamined life is not worth living." says Dr. Curtis Brooks, Professor of Business Ethics, Old Dominion University.