I'm using the #essays tag to start writing a series of posts on thoughts, insights and stories from a long tech career. I hope you share yours too
A Time For Self-Assessment!
Codeland Conf is happening this week (starting tomorrow!!) and I am excited. If you have not been to this conference before, I hugely recommend it. It's free to attend and its online and #codenewbie friendly
It also happens in July - a perfect time for introspection!
We are halfway through 2020 and the timing was right to revisit something that has weighed on my mind lately: a personal mission statement
What is a personal mission statement?
According to Wikipedia:
The purpose of a mission statement is to communicate the organization's purpose and direction to its employees, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders. A mission statement also creates a sense of identity for its employees
But how does this apply to our personal and professional journey?
In her fantastic thesis on managing representation in a digital world Danah Boyd talks about faceted identity. We are multi-faceted human beings and oftentimes (particularly on social media) we are often seen through the lens of a single facet, leading to conflicts or misconceptions that fail to see and understand the whole person and their journey.
We need a way to unify & control our identity and representation.
A personal mission statement can do that. Think of yourself as a "startup" with a purpose, a brand, resources (your skills) and a growing customer base (people you engage with). And get started!
How do I write a mission statement?
There is no right or wrong way in my opinion.
This career advice post (on Indeed) had 30 examples to provide inspiration. I also liked their definition of personal mission statement:
A personal mission statement is a statement that defines your values, who you are on how you define success
Here is mine. I pinned it to my Twitter profile (and I recommend you do the same for yours)
Discussion
So if you are starting your coding journey this year - or if you have been coding for years - I want you to take a minute and think about this question:
"What is my personal mission statement?"
Share your statements in the comments, and if you post them on Twitter do tag me (@nitya) and I would love to read and amplify them!
Top comments (5)
My mission statement is to empower as many people as I can in my life through technology, creating an impact that could outlast me. Long way to go! :)
That resonates with me so much - and it is an excellent mission statement for someone starting off on the road to advocacy!
Thank you! That motivates me even more to chase my passion.
Btw, was trying to DM you here but seems like I can't. Probably your DM is closed only to people you follow.
Check your dev chat sessions. 🎉
I never knew I needed one! Thank you