Part six of nine (and a half).

All businesses need a business plan, and your writing business is no exception. It doesn’t have to be 80 pages of professionally prepared analysis ready to show angel investors, but it does need to be a simple document you can reference when you’re not sure what to do next. If you don’t have time for that — or don’t feel like doing it — it’s still a good idea to have and follow the most important part of any business plan.

HAVE AND REMEMBER YOUR MISSION STATEMENT

A mission statement is a sentence or two that describes why you do what you do. I talked about these once before, taking time to point out that most “mission statements” you see are just thinly veiled marketing speak of no real significant.

You don’t want marketing speak, because this mission statement is just for you. If it’s a load of malarkey, you’ll know and it won’t do you any good. Your mission statement should reflect exactly why you do what you do, hopefully in words that will keep you doing it even on days when it’s hard.

Here’s mine:

To afford what my family needs and serve my personal values while working from home with abundant time for my wife, children and friends. 

There’s no marketing doublespeak in there. It’s just a list of the key things that motivate me to do what I do. Make enough money. Be a good dad and husband. Have time to pursue my interests.

I love what I do, even the more difficult parts of it, but even I have rough days. When I have those days, I look at my mission statement. I would humbly suggest you do the same.

What’s your mission statement? Tell us about it in the comments below.