Your mission and vision doesn't have to be dumb!  Most people roll their eyes at the first glimpse of a mission/vision statement.  And rightfully so…  Companies, small and big, in all parts of the world are plagued with ridiculous, long-winded, strings of clever buzzwords stripped of any meaning as mission statements.  But the fact remains; having a clearly defined mission and vision can significantly increase your chances of success.  And that's why it's worth your time to create a mission that inspires and a vision that drives success.  So let's look at how to create great mission and vision statements.

The first thing I want to address is that the terms mission and vision tend to be used interchangeably, when, in fact, they are very different and serve very different purposes (many consultants can't even get this right which is why most of the information on how to write a mission statement you'll find online is just plain wrong).  So, what's the difference?  A mission statement is a one sentence (or less) that describes the purpose of your adventure business.  A vision statement, on the other hand, is a description of what your adventure business is going to look like in the future.  In other words, your mission is what you do best everyday whereas your vision is what the future looks like because you do that mission so exceedingly well.  So, for example:

Everyday Google does: "organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful" (mission).

And if Google does exceedingly well, at some point in the future,  it will: "develop a perfect search engine" (vision).

Why is it so important to have a mission & vision?

Because it defines your business at the most basic level.  It is the essence of who you are as a company.  Your mission and vision provide clarity, focus and direction to what you really are trying to accomplish.  It is the foundation of your adventure business and dictates everything that you are, want to become, and stand for.  Not having a mission means you don't know why your adventure business exists.  Not having a vision means you have no idea what it can become.  And having a dumb and poorly defined mission and vision is you being clueless and proudly broadcasting it!

So, now that we are clear on that, we're going to create great mission and vision statements:

Mission & Vision :: Part 2 :: How to create a great mission statement

Mission & Vision :: Part 3 :: How to create a great vision statement

Adventure Business Development 101 Series

1.  Mission & Vision: You're doing it all wrong!

2.  How to create a mission statement that inspires

3.  How to create a vision statement that drives success

4.  The power of core values

5.  The difference between goals and objectives

6.  How to set goals and achieve them

7.  How to develop the very best strategies to succeed

8.  How to get shit done like a serial achiever