Having a vision is extremely important, it’s the difference between being the creator and author of your life, vs being a leaf tossed around in the wind of random external random circumstances.
What makes a great vision?
- Specific – this also makes it more real. A fuzzy or vague vision has less power because it’s not real. Also you can then know when it’s realised.
- Clear – clarity is similar to specific, but it’s more about your perspective rather than the vision itself and how clearly you can see it. Making it more concise, and seeing the vision clearly in your mind. This is also about how you see it, and how it’s communicated to others, if you need to.
- Purpose – bigger than yourself. It’s not necessary, but if the purpose includes other people then it can attract more power.
- Why? A powerful reason is also something that’s needed, for if things become challenging.
- Authentic – it’s something that you genuinely want, rather than, because it’s something someone else wants.
- Positive – almost goes without saying that you should have a positive vision.
- Emotional – it’s tied to emotions that give it more power. If you want something logically but not emotionally, it might not be as motivating as if you want something with every fibre of your being, and it musters up feelings of excitement, love, joy etc.,
- Possible – almost every vision is possible, but for a vision to work it needs to match with your ability to realise. Just like shooting an arrow, you often can’t know your range until you try. You also might find it easier to break a vision down into smaller parts at the start, but a bigger vision might have more gravity, and some visions just can’t be broken down. If you’re building a building, you’d better have the vision in mind before you start rather than making it up as you go.
- It leads to growth and is outside your current level. While it’s necessary to be possible, at the same time, it should be something that is outside what you’ve done before. A vision of running a marathon is much more powerful than going to the kitchen, because it’s something new that pushes you to grow. (Although it would involve the multiple trips to the kitchen to eat right in training, having daily visions of going to the kitchen is a waste of your energy because it’s so easy. )
- Durability – something that you will continue to visualise until it’s realised. I think this is more a question of the above factors, rather than something separate. If the above factors are not right, changing visions everyday or having many different visions means you won’t accomplish it.
