As a pre-assignment to Project Simplicity, Tsh of Simplemom.net proposed that we each work on a family purpose statement. Having already begun her book Organized Simplicity, I was familiar with the concept, but I kind of figured it was a step I could skip. But wanting to give this project a chance I plowed forward using suggested questions in the book to try and formulate a statement.
What adjectives describe your home? What are your families’ top priorities? How would you describe how you would like to see your home in 20 year? Etc. It was a little overwhelming and a tad abstract, but eventually I was able to come up with something that I thought worked. Then I discussed it with my husband. It had been an exhausting Saturday of errands and he wasn’t terribly receptive but he listened. His first response was dislike for the phrase “family purpose statement.” It sounded too formal, too much like a corporation business plan. But I tried to explain it as a set of priorities or standards that allow us to simplify our lives by deciding if items or activities support those priorities. So we compromised by calling it our highest family priorities.
This is what we came up with.
Our home should be a place of peace and contentment. We value quality family time, creativity, simplicity and faith.
This is perhaps simpler than ideal, but it works for us. I don’t know that I’m ready to paint it on a plate or hang it on my wall, but it’s a start. I look forward to continuing on with this project and see where it takes me.
Thanks for posting this! I’d never heard of Simplemom or Project Simplicity but I like the sound of it! I think I’ll join in too – yikes, it starts today! Guess I’ll get busy purpose-statement-thinking while the little one naps.