4 Questions to Craft Your Vision
I have a question for you today. Do you know where you’re going? Not just today, but in life?!
Have you built a solid foundation for the core of your being?
A foundation that helps you navigate life’s challenges, and motivates you to work towards your goals every single day? I’m talking about a vision. A glimpse into the future that you want to create for yourself. At first pass, it might seem impractical or like wishful thinking, but I can tell you from my personal experience and from the individuals that I have coached through this very process that developing a definite vision for you life sets the stage for your success. You need to always be looking toward the identity and life you want now – not what you used to want.
Have you ever spent a sleepless night riddled with anxiety about where your life is going, and how you’re going to change the trajectory you’re currently traveling?
I know that I have. Several years ago, when my husband and I first moved back to the Midwest, we only had half a vision formed. We knew that we wanted out of the rat race, we knew that we wanted to be closer to family, and we wanted to move away from our current problems and challenges, but that’s all we knew.
We acted before we set our vision both as individuals or together and it took us over four years to get back on track. And before we did, we both ended up in jobs we never wanted and it felt like we took one step forward and about three steps back.
In some ways, this crushed us. It weakened our confidence and the belief that we’d always had in ourselves to live the life that we desired. We felt that a drastic change was needed.
So, getting back to basics, we outlined a vision to change our lives, but this time we did it thoroughly and we did it together. It wasn’t easy to confront the reality that we had taken ourselves hugely off course, but with a precise vision, we both found new confidence. I had something tangible to work toward and more specific objectives through which I could filter all of my decisions.
A precise vision will give you the confidence to make complicated decisions, it will keep you focused and dedicated even when things get difficult.
And when you inevitably encounter these obstacles, it’s your vision that helps you see the light at the end of the tunnel and approach it with perspective.
But without a vision, without the goals and action steps, you lack the clarity to see this future you. You aren’t equipped with the compass that points you due North. And the navigation system that comes with developing a vision for your life will help you avoid the frustration that comes from poor decision-making.
With your vision in mind, I’d like you to consider the following questions to craft the life you crave.
Grab a pen and paper, and write down your answers to these questions.
#1 Consider the person that you want to be. What characteristics define the future you or define the person you aspire to be?
- Think about how you want to be perceived by the most important people in your life, as well as those that you work and interact with daily.
- What kind of impact do you wish to have on those around you?
#2 Consider your relationships, with your spouse or your future spouse if you’re still looking, with your kids if you have them, and with your friends and family.
- What do these relationships look and feel like when you are at your best?
- For example, are you engaged, present, and joyful?
- Do you have high energy?
- Are you happy and motivated?
#3 Consider the kind of work that you want to be doing.
- Do you want to pursue a different roll within the current organization that you work in? Or perhaps for you a career change is in order.
- Only you know what kind of work is included in the life that you desire, but give this some careful and thorough thought.
- What do you want to be spending your days doing?
#4 Consider the details. Get specific.
- Describe in detail your ideal, yet average day. You’ve covered your character, your relationships, your work, and now add in some of the small things.
- Where are you living?
- What would you like to do more in your free time or for your self-care routines. Maybe you desire to learn something new or simply to get back to the hobbies you once enjoyed.
- What are the things in your life that keep the spark alive and motivate you to continue to live and revisit your vision?
This vision isn’t going to be created out of thin air.
It’s going to take you some time and energy and you likely won’t reach your final version today.
So, I suggest that you revisit this vision several times in the coming weeks and once you’re pleased with what you come up with, read it every morning.
That’s the secret, thats how you get ‘unstuck’!
Natalie Peterson is the creator of The Stamina Protocol™, Stamina to Care and Fuel & Fit – Habits for Life. She helps successful people and organizations battle the symptoms of burnout. Instead they gain the ability to take back their time, double their energy, and increase focus so they can finally be more successful at work and not arrive home stressed out with nothing left in the tank.
Natalie has 13 years’ experience in organizational development and human skills training. Natalie holds a Master Trainer Certification in Situational Leadership® , The Leader’s Protocol® , The Service Protocol® , Forte Communication, and is a Marshall Goldsmith Certified Executive Coach.
Natalie has traveled all over the United States and Latin America implementing leadership curriculum’s into organizations, across every industry, from healthcare, to retail, and global call centers. She has a Master’s in Exercise Physiology, a certification as a Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, Precision Nutrition Level 1 & a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification.
She can be reached at natalie@donbrown.org
