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Living
Boldly® e-Zine Archives
Your
Vision for Living Boldly: Road Map for Your Life
January 13, 2003
In this column, you have
often heard me refer to the importance of having a Vision, but I still
sometimes get questions about this from readers or clients wondering
WHY it is so important.
"Why can't I just set a goal and work toward it? Why do I need to take the
extra time and effort to create this Vision? What's the big deal about having a
Vision?"
The simple answer is to think of your Vision as your
"Roadmap for your Life", one to which you will refer whenever you are planning
a new life journey or setting off in a new direction. If you were to plan a
vacation trip to visit a new place for the very first time, wouldn't you be
likely to consult a map to make sure you're headed in the right direction?
Wouldn't you use the map to know where to turn, where to stop, where to rest,
and what to see along the way?
Without a road map on your journey,
you'll certainly end up somewhere, but probably not where you wanted to go in
the first place. This is how most people live much of their lives - they're
moving, and often moving pretty fast, but with no clear direction, no focus,
and no MAP. Then they complain about how they don't like where they've ended
up, without realizing they never planned it very well in the first place!
Have you been trying to reach a certain goal but no matter how hard you
try, the goal seems to elude you? Did you simply set the goal, or did you start
with a broader Vision first? Oftentimes, when we set goals, the goals are
things we have plucked out of thin air because "it sounded like a good idea at
the time", or "it was something I thought I
should be doing", or
even worse, "it's something someone ELSE thought I should be doing" - but the
goals in question aren't connected to a bigger picture, to a broader Vision.
When our goals aren't clearly related to the big picture, it can mean that they
are "shoulds" rather than dreams to which we are firmly committed. Without the
Vision, our goals can also get sidelined or pushed back on our priority list,
because we don't have something grander in mind to sustain our motivation.
If you are having difficulty reaching a goal in your life - whether it's
losing 50 lbs. or getting that promotion at work or meeting that special
someone or doubling the profitability of your business - then ask yourself
"What is my VISION and how does this goal fit in? DOES it really fit in at
all?"
For example, why
do you want to lose
that 50 lbs? Is it because you think you should or because someone else is
bugging you about your weight? Or is it because you have a higher life Vision
where, if you were leaner and healthier, you would have more energy to devote
to accomplishing your life purpose? Why do you
really want that
promotion at work? Is it because you simply want a raise in salary or the
ego-boost of a new job title, or is it because you feel like you have something
truly valuable that you can contribute to the organization if you were to have
more responsibility via the promotion, and it would give you a lot of personal
satisfaction to be able to make that contribution?
Before struggling
another moment with those hard-to-reach goals, take some time and focus on your
Vision first. Ask yourself what you really want, as well as what you really
DON'T want. Ask yourself what is really important to you, and what you stand
for. Put it all down on paper: you can create a Vision that is a single
sentence or paragraph that sums it all up in a meaningful way for you; or you
can write a detailed Vision with details galore; or you can even make an
artistic project out of it, clipping pictures and phrases from magazines and
making them into a collage with posterboard. Whatever method you choose, get it
down on paper, then sign it and date it as a sign of your commitment to
creating it.
With your written Vision, you now have a practical and
inspiring tool for motivating yourself, making big decisions (is this in
alignment with my Vision, or not?), and as a foundation for creating a working
strategy and action plan.
Tips for creating a more compelling Vision:
--
Let yourself dream, and dream BIGGER than you ever have before.
-- You
might decide to focus your Vision on one specific area of your life, or on your
entire life as a whole, breaking the Vision down into specific areas like:
Health and Self-Care; Fun and Adventure; Career and Business; Money and
Prosperity; Family and Friends; Love and Romance; Spirituality; Home and
Environment; or any categories you choose.
-- It might be tempting to get
caught up in all the reasons why achieving your Vision feels difficult or
impossible, or to worry about how you will actually DO what you're dreaming
about. Don't give in to this temptation - for now, the HOW doesn't matter, just
give yourself permission to be immersed in the excitement and passion of the
dream.
-- How will you know when your Vision is done? Only you can answer
that - you'll know it's done when it FEELS right to you. You don't have to
share it with anyone or show it to anyone unless you want to, so don't worry
about what it would look like or sound like to anyone else but you. You're the
only one who needs to see it and approve of it. You don't need anyone else's
permission to want what you want or to dream what you're dreaming!
--
Don't forget: put it on paper, sign it and date it - it's like making a
contract with yourself!
For permission to
reprint this article, please contact
me.
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