Without Vision we all drive off the cliff
- Would you drive a car blindfolded up a mountain road?
- Would you plan a wilderness adventure without supplies?
- Would you take an ocean voyage in a row-boat?
Those are a bit extreme examples, but Vision is a vital and mission critical part of life itself. As a small business we have spent time honing a vision for where this little start-up is going and what it would look like. The vision is not only a road map to keep us on target, heading in the direction we need to go. The vision is so much more. It is a target to point to, aim for, and allows for planning to get there.
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Vision is said to be the most important purpose of leadership. It is not the plan, but the goal to shoot for. Vision takes work.
Vision begins with time spent thinking. The solitude of getting away from the day-to-day demands, and dedicating time to think about life, the company or the world. Vision begins with answering questions on the goal for my life, my work, my business. It is something that is a rough draft that continues to grow and change. But it takes work, and refining. It takes thinking time, time away from life to evaluate and plan the next steps to make the vision a reality.
Ever since i sat down and wrote a business plan 8 years ago vision has been on my sights. Annually we do a retrospective look at the year, and how we met, exceeded or fell short of our plan. We have found that the vision is tweaked a bit each year and is a fluid guiding document for how we live our life and practice our business.
So why a quick article on vision? It is both to offer what i have learned to you, and to renew in my mind the knowledge gained through life. Vision is a skill honed over time, that allows you to get better, hit the mark of your objectives more concisely, and define your role in life more specifically. The good news is you are the one to set those goals, determine that purpose and hone that vision.
Practical Questions:
- Do you have a vision for your life? Can you answer the question of what you believe your purpose and goal is in this life?
- If you have a business, have you written down goals, and a plan to achieve them?
- Do you share your vision with others? Do you clearly articulate what you see is the purpose and goal of your life or your company?
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” – Proverbs 29:18a