Maybe you’re feeling unfulfilled in your work and life, or you’ve actually achieved all your goals, or you might have lived your life one day at a time taking life as it comes, and you’re wondering…“Is this all there is?”
Experts and successful people alike support the idea that with a vision in mind, you are more likely to succeed far beyond what you could otherwise achieve without a clear vision.
Think of creating a compelling vision that includes your whole life as mapping a path to your personal and professional dreams. Crafting an integrated vision will allow you to understand how you want all areas of your life to work together.
But the reality is that if you don’t develop your unique vision, you’ll allow other people and circumstances influence the course of your life.
The importance of having both a long- and short-term vision
Raise your hand if you hate that very typical job interview question “where do you see yourself in 5 years?”… in my opinion, it’s somewhat of an outdated concept for the fast-paced world we live in. Jobs and demands of workplaces are changing at an ever-increasing speed, so who knows what career we will want to pursue in five years.
On the flip side, I believe it’s important to also have a long-term vision for your whole life that embodies your deepest desires and ambitions and gives us a sense of purpose. Because it shows us a mental picture of what the future can hold that guides us and makes us want to grow and improve.
Having a long- and a short-term vision for your whole life will help you make the right choices and decisions that are both relevant in the moment and keep you on track for your ultimate goals.
The more inspiring and detailed your vision, the more it will motivate you and prevent you from giving up when the going gets tough.
And, remember: there is no “Right Dream”.
Your vision may be running a successful business where you are able to impact millions or it might be to live simply. So ask yourself, “why do you want this?” and “how will achieving it make you feel?”
The important thing is that it’s in sync with your heart, otherwise achieving it won’t matter.
And don’t worry nothing is set in stone. As you grow and evolve, your vision might also change and evolve with you.
Strategy comes last
Often people make the mistake to jump straight ahead to the how and move into problem-solving mode (“How will I ensure this all works out? What if things don’t go as planned? Will I regret it?” etc.)
You don’t need to know the how just yet when you’re in visioning mode. Once you have a clear vision, you will attract the right strategy and goals to create the life and career you want.
Beware of the gremlins
Creating a compelling vision can be intimidating because as soon as you identify something truly exciting that you want to pursue, your fear might rise up telling you “you’re not good enough” and “you’re doomed to fail – so why bother?”
Your first impulse might be to leave it be and forget about the dreams you have for your life. But, in reality, those fears are a good sign as they signal you that you are approaching something really good to challenge you and show you that you are stretching yourself.
Don’t let yourself operate on the fear of a potential negative outcome. Instead, focus on what positive outcomes will motivate you into action and sustain you through any tough times along the way.
A man tells his grandson “We all have two wolves fighting inside of us: good and evil, or joy and fear”. When asked which one lives, the man answers “The one we feed”. – A Cherokee legend
Decide which one you’ll feed.
Make sure you take that time to create an inspiring vision that is in sync with your heart’s desires, makes you feel excited and shows you where you are headed so you can take strategic action to reach your goals and bring your dreams to life.
And, don’t worry – the vision you’re creating isn’t set in stone, you can always adjust at any time.
Originally published at www.susanneschwameis.com