If you only do one thing today in order to get making progress toward advancing your business, you can do it this: Take a moment to think about what your ideal future could be. What does success for your business be like? More customers? More revenue? Expanding on a local national, or regional scale? This may seem simple however, it is vital to move your business forward.
Skeptical?
Think about how a lack of vision was portrayed in the tale of distance swimmer Florence Chadwick, who wanted to be one of the very first women to cross through the Catalina Channel in 1952. On the day she went for her swimming the water was extremely cold, and the fog thick. The swimmer started her swim with determination however, at more than 15 hours into the attempt she requested to be transferred onto an inflatable boat. Even though her trainer had advised her over and over that she was on the shoreline and advised her to stay focused however, she fell victim to the freezing conditions and was rescued from the water. As her body began warm, she realized she was only half a mile away just a half mile from her home on the California coast!
She was quoted by a reporter as saying “I don’t want to make excuses, but if I could have seen the shoreline, I would have made it.”
I’ve observed that a lot of people give up just short of their goal when their thinking is impeded due to a lack of vision. Without vision, businesses are disorganized unproductive, ineffective, and full of anxiety. Without vision, people leave. If they don’t have vision, the people are dead.
What Vision Is Not
You might think, “Hey, I don’t have the time to sit around and imagine something that may not even happen. I need to get down to business.” The conventional thinkers prefer to get the details straight before taking a break from “pie in the sky” thoughts, and then drifting off to an ethereal cloud.
Vision is, however, one of the most important abilities of an efficient leader. It is the quality that makes a successful leader distinctive. Without a rousing, inspiring vision, planning will be reduced to an uninspired list of tasks. Vision provides the motivation behind the actions you take.
How can I harness the power of vision into action?
If you’re eager to explore the potential of vision can do to your company, I’ve laid out five action steps to follow below. Follow these steps step-by-step and you’ll be well on the path to harnessing potential of your eyes.
Step #1 – Start and Keep an Ongoing Dream List
The dream lists is a list of dreams you’ve always wished to achieve… every thing you’ve ever wanted to be, dreamed to possess, or desired to accomplish. I’ve kept a wish list that is updated every year since 1979. Many might consider this an unnecessary task however I’ve discovered from this process that we draw to ourselves what we want to achieve for our own lives. What we observe is what we receive.
Step #2 – Write a Vision Statement
The declaration must be in paragraph form and shouldn’t exceed than one page. It should be written 5 to 10 years in the future, and written in the present in the present tense. Write down a detailed outline of your ideal future, as if already have it. Be realist, but take care that you don’t limit yourself to your options. This should be a description of your soul and heart.
Step #3 – Set Annual Goals
Your goals for the year, not more than three or five, should help you get closer to your goal and your goals must always be based on your the vision. Every year, review your goal list and establish specific goals, which you can measure and you are able to achieve this year. Every goal must be clear and measurable, achievable and realistic. It should also be tangible and should include a deadline to achieve it.
Step #4 – Review Your Vision Statement
Re-evaluate your vision statement every year and make any necessary changes. Your evaluation should be about how compelling your vision is, not about whether it’s realistic. Vision is not about reality. It’s all about using your imagination to envision the ideal scenario for your future. The vision that inspires you then influences your everyday actions and behavior.
Step #5 – Share Your Vision Statement
If you have a mentor, discuss your goal statement and ask them to keep your accountable. Results management and accountability are among the most powerful motivators I’ve ever encountered. Many people are scared of accountability due to the fact that it requires commitment, but it is a commitment that puts the truth of your vision on the front.
It is the power of ideas that keeps an successful leader on the path to an ambitious vision for tomorrow rather than being confined to the comfort zone of security now. Your business won’t grow or alter in the absence of a plan for to see it grow. Expectations will certainly yield a result that is in line with your expectations, so you should expect big things!
Are you wondering what happened to our dear friend, Florence Chadwick? After a couple of months of her failed attempt, she attempted to swim in the Catalina Channel. She made sure that it was clear since she learned that she had to be able to visualize her goals. Not only was she one of the women to have swam in the Catalina Channel, she also beat the record for men in two hours!
