By Debbie Allen

Personal development is the single most important thing you can do to improve your business or career. There is no faster way to make more money while you improve your business skills--and it will ultimately reflect your success or your failure.

If you are going to be part of a best-of-the-best organization, you need to make sure that you have a personal laser-sharp focus. This will allow you to make a purposeful and significant contribution to building a higher level of success. A personal mission statement is also extremely helpful in establishing and maintaining this focus in your personal life.

Many business owners and managers have taken the time to create organizational mission statements. But few have gone through this process on a personal level. If you are one of the many who have not created a personal mission statement, now is the time to do so.

5 suggestions on how to write a personal mission statement:

1. Set aside some undisturbed time to think through and write your statement. Take some extended time away from the distractions of home and office to reflect on where you are and how you desire to invest your life in the context of work, family, friends and your community. It is important to address all these areas of your life and to balance each. True success comes only when you have a balanced lifestyle of success, family, friends, true happiness and personal health. To become a highly successful leader, you must achieve this overall balance in your life.

2. Question yourself to identify your main purpose. What do you believe your sole purpose on this earth is? How will you achieve that by applying the right principles that determine how you live your life? How will you empower vision for yourself and others? What mentors do you admire, and what attributes does that person possess that you wish to obtain? What principles can you learn from other successful business people that you most benefit from within your own business? Your depth of thinking ? not speed ? is key to a strong focus. You don?t have to actually write a statement at the beginning, simply answer the questions and you will begin to observe patterns and priorities in your life. By the time you have completed the questions, you should have discovered the essential elements of your life necessary to write your personal mission statement.

3. Collect your thoughts and implement your action plan. What are five goals you are committed to achieving in your business in the next year? In the next five years? In the next ten years? What specific actions do you need to take in the next year to achieve your one-year mission for your business? To achieve your five-year mission? To achieve your ten-year mission? Now, take a close look at your action plan, sole purpose, empowering vision and the right principles. Begin to write out your personal mission statement for your business. Then do the same for your family, friends and community. You personal mission statement may be short, but easy enough to clearly define and understand.

4. Enjoy the process and include others in your mission. Work on your mission statement and then gather the input of others to help you refine your ideas. Your business statement should also involve your team?s input to crystallize your mission and its outcome affected by all.

5. Keep your mission statement available and visible at all times. You will continue to grow and change and your personal mission statement should grow and change along with you. Review and continue to plan with your mission in mind. Best-of-the-best leaders are marked by their clear sense of mission and strong vision. As a leader, taking the time to create a clear focus for your personal and professional life is the biggest gift you can give to yourself and your continued success.

Five Ways to Continue Your Personal Development:

1. Listen to motivational programs.
You can turn your commute time into life-long learning time. This is an incredible opportunity to help you stay focused, motivated and to help you advance your growth.

2. Attend seminars often.
Attendance at educational seminars focused toward your goals virtually guarantees your personal and professional development. Experts in your field will help you to stay on track, keep you inspired and offer you new insights, strategies and ideas. Stay after the event to meet the speaker in person, and ask questions that can help move you toward your goals.

3. Network like crazy.
Meet people everywhere you go, and try to introduce yourself to at least three new people at every function you attend. Think of ways you can joint venture, send them business opportunities and build alliances with them. Arrive early at events and position yourself where you can meet the most people. Practice purposeful communications with specific objectives for every event you attend.

4. Offer your expertise as a public speaker.
Public speaking is one of the biggest fears, but it can be easily overcome with a little practice. Public speaking requires research and contemplation, two activities that are easily converted into professional development. There are always opportunities to share your business knowledge at Rotary Clubs, Chamber of Commerce and other business functions. This is an excellent way to build your expertise and awareness within your business community.

Toastmasters International is a personal development organization to help you become a better speaker and leader. Toastmasters host thousands of meetings all over the world. I highly recommend this for personal and professional growth. View their website to learn more at https://www.Toastmasters.org.

5. Develop innovative thinking.
Most people know how to play a game that requires players to think only one move in advance. Many people manage their career in this manner, rarely investing in the future. Highly successful people, on the other hand, think five moves in advance. Forward-thinking people are much more likely to arrange training, and thus capitalize on their investment.

Debbie Allen is one of the world's leading authorities on sales and marketing. She is the author of five books including Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters and Skyrocketing Sales. Debbie has helped thousands attract customers like crazy with her innovative, no-cost marketing strategies and secrets to sales success. Sign up for her FREE 6-week e-Course Business Success Secrets Revealed ($97 value) and take the online business card quiz to rate you marketing online now at www.DebbieAllen.com

Social networking icons by komodomedia.com.