Why (and how) to write your values, objectives, and mission statement:

Every person should write out: • Their core values and principles • Their core objectives • Their priorities / mission statement These create the compass for your life. Why is this important?

Going through life without anything to orient around is foolish to me. Why would you get in a car and drive around without having a destination? Because the world is becoming less religious, people have less guidance on how to live their lives. Let me be clear:

You can say what you want about organized religion. I have a lot of criticism of it myself. But its texts can provide a clear moral compass, values, and systems which can be used as a basis for how to live your life. As we move away from that, people are becoming lost.

That is why a lot of smart people turn to things like philosophy to guide their path. Though those things are accessible, many people do not know about them. But there's another option: Create your own compass. Write out your own values, objectives, and mission statement.

Get grounded in them. Orient yourself around them every day. I look at mine at least once a day, especially when I have to make a big decision, and ask myself: "Is this decision aligned with my life compass?"

Here's how to create your compass: Write out the things you care about and find joy in. Mix and match those among your values and objectives. Your mission statement is written last, after you have your values and objectives oriented.

This sounds simple... because it is. Some things in life come down to just sitting down and fucking doing it. All you need is to grab a pen and paper, sit down, and start writing. Check out this example of how I did it so you can try it yourself:

My core values: • Calm mind, fit body, and a house full of love • Love, joy, and gratitude • Quiet mind and loving heart With a focus on: • Honesty • Long term thinking with compound interest • Peer relationships And then from that...

My core objectives: (with the idea to focus on health, love, and mission) • Inner (mind) and Outer (body) peace • Freedom (to do what I want, when I want) • Challenge (intellectual) Those help me clearly define...

My mission statement: I strive for: • A happy family • A meaningful and evolving romantic relationship • To connect people and be at peace in my social life while occasionally staying up past my bedtime • To build things with cool people that make people healthier at scale

Having this defined statement of my priorities serves to: • Help me make difficult decisions • Clarify the day-to-day actions I should be focused on • Remind me of my long-term vision when I feel like I have gotten off track

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