Know your Vision
If we want to be productive, we must start by knowing our objective
Hello Reader,
If I want to be productive, I have to start with my vision.
My vision is my target, my endpoint, my objective, my direction. If I don’t have a clear idea of what I am working towards, then the tasks I am doing are aimless. They are just a way of filling up time and being busy. If I know my vision, on the other hand, I can determine what tasks are most relevant and important to that objective. This allows me to be productive and get things done that directly contribute to the desired outcome.
Imagine you are building your house. What would happen if you didn’t have a clear vision of the finished product? Absolutely, it could still come out as an exceptional masterpiece of creative delight. Every part of the process, however, would require thinking. You have laid an amazing foundation, but where are you going to put the piping for the bathroom and the kitchen? Where do you want to place the windows to maximise the light? What’s the flow of the house going to feel like? It would not be productive or efficient, but a slow, chaotic hodgepodge of steps.
Knowing the vision gives us the capacity to be as effective as we can be in building whatever it is we are building; be that a house, a business, or our lives.
How to Know your Vision?
Dream
I recognise all of our minds will approach the creation of a vision in different ways. Personally, I love spending some time just daydreaming of the possibilities. I find I dream best on walks or before falling asleep - letting my mind wander, imagining what could be, and tasting potential. Creating this space to explore what could be is usually where I start the process of knowing my vision.
Reflect
Intentional reflection helps me refine my dream into more of a realistic vision. I ask myself purposeful questions:
What does success look like in this situation? [Yes, the most classic question ;)]
I can be proud of myself if I have done X, Y, Z ...
What do I want to learn from this experience?
I imagine I am being interviewed in two years, what would we talk about ...
I do my best to make the vision as tangible as I can.
Vision Template For Startups
The template below is a tool we can use to help articulate the vision of our businesses. You don’t have to stick to the template word for word, but I find it helps me simplify the process.
Note: I have also seen vision statements with a money objective, client objective, competition objective, so feel free to adapt this in whichever format is most relevant to you.
Knowing our Vision is the foundation of being productive because it provides the focus and direction to ensure we are accomplishing the right tasks. If you are struggling at all or want to chat anything through, feel free to reach out and get in touch.
Happy Doing
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