When starting a business, one of the first tasks to complete is the company mission statement.
The Mission Statement defines the reason for existence. It lays out the purpose and vision of the organization. It is the beacon, the north star that guides leadership decisions, aligns employees, and defines the value brought to customers.
When a decision point arises or a moment of adversity occurs, the mission statement provides clarity on how to handle the situation. Each decision must align with the mission of the company.
As a company, The Intentional Father's Mission Statement is:
To Encourage and Equip fathers to be present and intentional in their child's life through purposeful thoughts, planned activities, and intentional moments.
Thought
Why don't we have a mission statement for the truly important areas of our life outside of work?
Why not have a mission statement for your marriage? Your personal life? And especially, as a father?
As a father, what is your guiding light? What do you refer to for direction when making difficult decisions? What is your overarching vision of fatherhood? What is your "why"?
Prior to writing this article, I did not have a Fatherhood Mission Statement.
I've had thoughts and a basic understanding that I want to be a "good" dad. For example, as a father, I want to:
Teach my boys right from wrong by making intentional choices and involving them in the process.
Show them how to be kind and loving towards others through my daily, personal interactions.
Guide their hearts towards the Lord by praying out loud and having intentional conversations about my faith.
Instill a solid work ethic by working until the job is done, not when I'm tired.
However, thinking about this now, these are all the "whats" & "hows" I plan to accomplish my mission of fatherhood, but not the "why" itself.
The "what" is: Show them how to be kind and loving towards others.
The "how" is: Treat those I interact with daily with love and kindness whether my children are present or not.
However, without truly understanding your "why" as a father, blinders can unintentionally narrow your view to be focused on only one or two "whats", not truly encompassing your entire Fatherhood Mission.
This idea comes from Simon Sinek's book, Start With Why, where he refers to this concept as the Golden Circle. While the book is focused on business and primarily analyzes the success of Apple versus its competition, the concept can be applied to multiple aspects of life.
Once we shape, form, and believe our "why", we give purpose and understanding to our "whats" and "hows".
So, after much thought, here is my "why", my Fatherhood Mission Statement.
(Note: I have 3 sons, so my mission statement is geared specifically towards them.)
My Fatherhood Mission is to raise Men who serve the Lord, Husbands who honor their wives, and Fathers who embody the love and values they desire for their children.
This is my North Star for Fatherhood.
This is my Why.
From here, my "whats" and "hows" fall into place.
Raise Men who serve the Lord
What: Continually pursue a life that resembles that of Christ.
How: Pray out loud, treat others with love and kindness, serve others, make daily decisions that are pure and just.
Raise Husbands wo honor their wives
What: Model that of a husband who loves his wife as Christ loved the church. (from Ephesians 5:25)
How: Make daily sacrifices of time & effort that prove she is my priority, show her boundless grace and forgiveness, continually pursue her, place her needs before my own.
Raise Fathers who embody the love and values they desire for their children
What: Be the father my children want for their children.
How: Say "I love you" daily, saying "yes" when they ask me to play with them, be present and 100% committed to the time spent with them, be intentional in planning activities or creating joyous moments.
One thing to mention here, is that your "why" is timeless. As your children grow and change however, your "whats" and mostly your "hows" will need to change too.
As my children grow, perhaps my "how" will change from them wanting to play with me, and me saying "yes", to them needing space and me respecting that.
No matter the change though, ensure it still points to your north star, your "why".
Today, I want to challenge you to develop your Fatherhood Mission Statement.
Define your "why" as a father.
Then, think through your "whats" that support your "why" and "how" you will accomplish them.
Be Present. Be Intentional.
- Chad Vrla
If you would like to support The Intentional Father's Mission, we have recently released a few items specifically designed for fathers as continuous reminders to Be Present and Intentional in their children's lives.
