Creating Your Personal Vision
How to have a clear, personal image of your future!
Welcome back! Exciting times ahead. Yes, there is homework! 😲
So far we’ve look at why a Personal Strategic Plan is important. The business world completes them regularly, why not ourselves?
We have also looked at our recent past to (re)prove what we can achieve when we put our minds to a task. If we looked at some of our losses, we probably discovered errors of thinking, judgement and execution we might want to attend to in the future.
In the last email, we talked about Purpose. What is your “Mission on Earth”? The best thing about purpose is you get to choose. Choose wisely!
We also set a six month timeframe to get us on our way to our purpose. Close enough to almost taste it and far enough away to create some habits and commitments. You may have set a different timeframe. All good, you do you.
Today we are exploring our Personal Vision.
This is what you will “look like” at some point in the future. Again, we will choose six months as a close enough target to review and reset as needed. But please choose a timeframe suitable for you.
It’s also where the homework comes in. 😉
To help set the vision, imagine it is six months hence. It is now, based on the publication of this article, 10 November 2023.
Use the following prompts to help you. But know for sure that 10 November 2023, will arrive and you will look back and see how far you have come!
Pro tip! Put it in your calendar! (Review Progress towards Vision)
- Considering your purpose (mission), what things are you doing today (10 November) that is making the mission a success?
- Who do you want want to be in six months? Describe
- How are you spending your days?
- How are your relationships? (review the Life Segments Wheel to consider the answers to these questions)
- How are your priorities (from the Life Segments Wheel) travelling?
- What has changed? (behaviour, beliefs, attitudes, activities)
Write your “current reality” based on these prompts.
If nothing changes, nothing changes.
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another, and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it. — J.M. Barrie, Author of Peter Pan
What story will you able to write when six months has passed?
The solution is your homework!
The Homework
Based on the above, I would like you to write a letter to yourself describing how you achieved your vision. (You can post it in the comments if you like!)
In the letter, be detailed enough so you resonate with it. This will keep you accountable. Place it somewhere you can review it every day, morning and evening preferably. This will burn it into your subconscious so you can recall it anytime you like or need to.
Add it to your note app on your phone and, if the app allows it, pin it to the top for easy access.
- Find yourself off track? Read your letter.
- Doing things you wanted to stop? Read your letter.
Here is an example:
It is 10 November, 2023. I have achieved my vision of earning income from my online writing. I achieved this by a number of factors including: writing every day and promoting my work on social media. I sought feedback from people with a critical eye, not just friends and family. I engaged with people online to support them and seek guidance on ways to improve. I cared less on my inner critic and called him out each time. In fact, I used him to double down on what I was trying to achieve. I now write daily, enjoy the process and it has become part of my routine.
One Last Step
A vision is a picture of the future. As you write your vision, picture yourself in it. Not looking at the vision, be in the vision, from a first person perspective. How comfortable do you feel? Does it generate expectation and excitement? What is around you? Who are you with. What activities are you doing and thinking about?
This is a new world. Enjoy it!
Referring to J. M. Barrie’s quote, which journal will you write? The one that is on autopilot most of the time or the one you want to write?
I am keen to hear your experiences. This is life changing if you allow it to be. Your success in your progress will make my day.
I’m cheering for you! ❤️
Coming up
Next we’re going to be looking at another business tool to help you identify ways to get ahead and areas to address that may hinder your progress.
With that, thanks for reading! I hope you are getting value from this. If you have thoughts or suggestions to improve this please let me know.
If certain aspects aren’t clear, again, flick me an email or write it in the comments. If you have the question, others probably to do as well. 😉
See you Monday! ❤️
Bill
