Leaders are limited by their vision rather than by their abilities. - ROY T. BENNETT.
Vision is simply a foresight. It is a picture you see in your mind. It involves the power of imagination.
Every business or venture ought to have a vision statement. The business dictionary defines a vision statement as an aspirational description of what an organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. It is intended to serve as a clear guide for choosing current and future course of action.
In the same context, individuals should have a vision statement for one`s personal life and career. It will be a guide in making decision on career, business and life. It helps you see what and where you want to be in a short and long term view. It also helps to create means on how to get there.
An alpha is an individual that has vision and is purpose driven. He is highly accustomed to goal setting.
The vision statement helps you to set realistic and attainable goals.
Have a mind picture of yourself showing what you want to achieve and where you want to be in the long and short term. This guides your actions towards attaining it.
These steps will help in coming up and achieving the vision statement`s mandate:
This is the first step as it entails the power of imagination. It paints an answer to the question “who do I want to be?” It entails having a pictorial representation of your future self. That personality you want to be seen as.
Sit and reflect on yourself. Imagine yourself grown old, fulfilled and successful advising a younger generation (for instance, your grandchild) on how to achieve all you have achieved. This step is to help you answer the “HOWs” of being the first picture painted in the first step above.
After the two questions in the previous steps have been well answered, you are good to go. Here you break your life into bits/ steps. Set goals for each step. E.g. (Within the next five years I am set out to achieve this or that.) Set your goal on a short term and long term basis. This should be done in terms of age and years. It will accelerate the upward movement by creating a sense of dedication in you as you do not want to be disappointed by not meeting the goal.
Note: goals should be realistic and attainable.
Pen It Down:
Having done your good work on the above steps write out the results down neatly and use it as a manual to move and act. It is basically your working plan. Note that goals written down are much more likely to be attained and worked upon than imagined ones.
After fulfilling the four steps you can now clearly write a workable and realistic vision statement that you can put to work successfully.