“A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more”. Rosabeth Moss Kanter. This is so true.
Since there are so many quotes and analogies for what a VISION is and what it is for, I would like to focus on three important aspects of this critical skill.
First, think of a time when you had a future event you looked forward to. A vacation, important business trip or event, an important presentation you had to make, a happy event like a wedding or special family gathering. Now think about this; as you prepared for the event, did picturing it clearly help you prepare better? Did picturing what it could be like affect your motivation level? Would having a clearer picture of what it would, or could be, help you in any way make that event better, more enjoyable, more effective, or in any way change the way it would turn out? That is the purpose and benefit of creating a VISION.
Second, The more realistic the VISION, the better and more effective the VISION process will be. Here are two ways to help make the VISION as realistic as you can. The definition of a VISION helps us here: A clear, well-defined picture of a future state, spoken in present tense. Don’t talk about the future state as if it hasn’t happened yet. That makes it something abstract and it is hard to see something as real, if you think of it as abstract. Speak of it as if it is happening right now–present tense. The mind hears it as happening now and believes it is real, and the more real we think something is the more we make it happen. Then we have the acronym S.P.A.C.E. Specific, Present Tense, Action, Color, Emotional Connection. Each VISION you create should have these elements present to make it as real and as inspiring as possible.
The third key aspect of VISIONING to remember is systems thinking. We have 9 areas of our life to create a future for. If you try to create a single comprehensive VISION for your life without taking into account each of these 9 areas, some of them might get lost or minimized in that larger picture. Our recommendation is to create a VISION for each of the 9 areas separately first. Then overlay them on top of each other to see if there are any conflicts or potential challenges between them. Then adjust them each so they harmonize into one beautiful, cohesive picture of what you want your future life to look like and be. Only then can you be truly Intentional about your future.
