Creating your vision

Have you ever thought about what it is that you want to achieve in life? What legacy do you want to leave behind? What it is that you were born to achieve? What it is that you are so passionate about that if you do it you will rock your world and the world of other people? All these questions find an answer in a personal vision statement. Do you have one? If you do, I want to acknowledge you for that! If you don't I want to encourage you to start building it.

Nowadays a strong organization has corporate values, a mission statement, and a vision statement. They all describe what the organization is all about, what it stands for and what can you expect from it. They might be called with other fancy names, like philosophy or commitment, but if they are strong and trustworthy, they may the organization look fancy and attractive in the eyes of employees and consumers. Have you ever been proud of being a member or a consumer of an organization? The feeling is great. But even greater is the feeling of pursuing your own vision. Here is a strategy how to start building it.

Build a picture of your ideal future

Think in a long-term perspective - 5 years or even 10 years. Imagine your ideal self that lives a flawless and fulfilling life. Look in the details. How do you feel? What do you do? What do you work? How working feels life? What results are you delivering? What type of organization you work for? How many people work with you? What function are you involved in? What is your family? What do you do together? How do you have fun? Who are your friends? What is relationship with them? Think not only of the practical circumstances, but also on your needs, feelings and behavior.

Start envisioning

Now that you have this future picture of yourself, start reflecting on what is it that really matters to you. Some other questions to help you in this process are: What do you want to achieve and how do you want to achieve it? What are you committed to do in your life? What will make your life fulfilling? What do you stand for? When you give answers to these questions, you will start seeing in your words your vision. Try to sum it up with a statement.
My vision is to...
If you are not that good with putting into words your thoughts and feelings, here is a nice resource for building you vision, developed by Franklin Covey. Check it out, it might help. 

Build a plan for pursuing your vision

Don't let your vision state on paper or in Word. Start living it now.

• Think of what needs to happen in order for you to achieve your vision. What knowledge, skills, resources, and support you need?
• Design your own individual development plan that would address these areas.
• Come up with at least three steps that you can take right now and that would move you closer to you achieving your vision.
• Act on these steps.
• Celebrate your early wins.

 And most importantly - enjoy this journey!