Getting Clear On Your Vision
Somebody asked me once how I got so clear on my vision. That question stopped me in my tracks. It had never occurred to me before that all the things I do in a day were unconsciously designed to support the fulfillment of my vision. What’s more: other people were picking up on it!
The not-so-humble truth is, I do know exactly what I want, and every part of my day, every thought and every action, is an intentional step toward that vision. I don’t think the commitment to it is all that groundbreaking — but how I sustain it is. So that’s what I’m going to share with you today: how to clarify your vision and make consistent progress toward it.
Getting clear on your vision (and sustaining it) is primarily a matter of knowing your values and setting goals that align with those values.
So let’s start from the beginning: values. Our values are the core beliefs and principles that guide our behavior, decisions, and actions in life. How we identify them is simply a matter of reflecting on what we consider important, meaningful, and desirable. If you think making money is important and desirable, you probably value security. If you think hiking is important, maybe you value nature or physical health. Knowing our values is imperative because it affects how we engage with the world. If I value health, I’m probably going to skip a night out with friends and save my energy for a hike in the morning instead. Knowing my values makes that decision easy and sets me up for a future that feels fulfilling and aligned with my genuine desires. Personal values are unique to each individual and are shaped by a variety of factors, including upbringing, culture, and experiences, but they are malleable and ever-shifting.
Spend some time now reflecting on what is most important to you and choose 5 values that can guide your decision-making in almost any scenario.
From here, we can craft our goals. When setting goals, we want to ensure that they align with our values. For example, I know that health is a top priority (value) for me, so I can set a goal to spend 20 minutes a day moving my body. If I’m sick, I can adjust that goal to stay in alignment with my value of health so maybe my goal becomes rest, instead. That way, I’m maintaining my value and the renegotiating of my goal feels empowering rather than defeating. Goals that are made in alignment with values are sustainable. Goals that are made arbitrarily are not.
What goals can you set for yourself to ensure you are embodying your values in the world?
Now for the vision. Knowing my values and having goals that align with them makes the process of clarifying my vision seamless. As long as I’m taking value-aligned action towards my goals, I’m constantly progressing towards my vision. I see a future for myself that involves owning a successful business that adds value to my clients and employees, managing a nonprofit that promotes a healthy work-life balance, and being in a constant state of peaceful confidence. The things I have to do to get there are my goals and following through on those goals is a matter of remembering my values.
Take a moment now to consider where your value-aligned goals are leading you. The culmination of these creates your vision. Allow your vision to unfold or reverse engineer it by imagining your dream life and working backward to make sure your goals and values support that.
In understanding our values, we illuminate the path. In setting goals aligned with those values, we take the first step. And in the culmination of these endeavors, we find ourselves standing on the threshold of our own beautifully crafted vision.
