Note: A longer version of this article appears in Working Mom Magazine
In the last four years, I’ve been in a constant state of re-invention.
One year we sold our house in the city and moved to our dream house on an island – population 3500. The next year my husband and I started a quirky Internet business, which got so much attention we got bought out in less than a year. Then we had our second child and we moved countries. And then I started this website, PR in Your Pajamas. Who knows what’s next?
Some decisions may seem drastic but were consciously planned, and some decisions were more spontaneous but still purposefully aligned with my values. Every year began with a personal vision, which have led to numerous incredible and often unforeseen experiences.
So it seemed fitting as I write this at the beginning of 2010 to help YOU explore and define your personal vision for the coming year.
Your personal vision defines what and who you want to become at a set time in the future. A vision ensures that you stay focused on your plan to achieve your goals, and keeps you on track so that you don’t deviate from the course you’ve set.
Think of your vision as a compass or guiding light to lead you through the storms and rocky terrain you’ll encounter towards your destination.
So, in developing your vision this year, ask yourself:
What do I want?
It may sound like a simple enough question, but it’s one of the toughest to answer. Often we are too busy running on auto pilot to consciously think about what we want. Just remember that success rarely happens by chance, but rather, success happens by design. If you have no plan for your future, then you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.
Do you really want to be living someone else’s life?
Without a vision, you may tend to become an aimless drifter. Someone with no definite goals for the future and no long-term direction. Without direction, you’ll easily be caught up in mundane activities like paying the bills, watching your favorite TV shows, going shopping, and generally going through the daily motions. You’ll be caught up in a stressed and monotonous existence instead of designing your destiny and truly living.
So ask yourself again.
What do I really, really, truly want for myself ?
If I could have the kind of life that would make my heart sing, what would it look like?
At this point your heart may be beating a bit faster. Can you really have that kind of life?
Yes, I believe you can. I’ve done it and I’ve helped a lot of clients lead passionate and fulfilling lives. And it starts by defining what that life could look like.
As an example, here are some parts of my vision and related goals this year:
• Learn to swim and finish a beginner’s triathlon by May
• Manage time more effectively to end my work day when my son comes home from school
• Spend quality time with my husband by planning three weekends away without our children
• Attend at least one in-person conference to further hone my skills or personal growth
• Teach marketing and/or coaching strategies through speaking at 10 – 12 events this year
• Create worldwide joint ventures for my company using the power of social media
Give yourself permission to dream about your ideal life, even if it’s just five to ten minutes a day and ask yourself these questions:
1. What do I want more of in my life?
2. What do I want less of in my life?
3. If money were no object and failure wasn’t possible, what would my career or business be like?
4. What relationships do I need to nurture, or let go of?
5. What is my relationship to money?
6. My secret passion or dream that I never mention because it’s too big to even think about is…
7. What am I most afraid of?
8. What accomplishments or measurable events must occur during my lifetime so that I will consider my life to have been satisfying and well-lived; a life of few or no regrets?
9. What could I do that would bring more joy into my daily life?
10. What am I grateful for?
These questions are just a starting point, so take into account all major aspects of your life – Friends and Family, Fun and Recreation, Career, Money, Health, Personal Growth, Spirituality, Your Husband or Significant Other.
If you like to write, put your thoughts down in a journal. Buy a pretty journal so that you’re inspired to fill its pages. If you’re the creative type, develop a vision board using magazine photos and other cutouts. If it’s easier to talk it out, grab a coffee with your best girlfriend and take turns designing your dream life. Make it fun!
In a future post I’ll be addressing how to set goals so exciting you’ll be jumping out of bed in the morning!
“Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision can change the world.” – Joel Barker
Elena is founder of a technology PR agency that works with startups to billion-dollar companies. She is passionate about helping marketers and small business owners with practical publicity strategies.
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Elena-
I hesitated to read your vision article because I thought it was the same old same old…so to speak. However, after reading thru the first few lines I was drawn in…needless to say I turned the page.
Your insight into developing a vision “statement” is so indepth and reflective. As a result, I am going to use your vision statement as a template for the one I am now going to create for 2010.
Just today I had to make a somewhat painful decision relative to my retail offline business in regards to remaining opening or closing the doors. Opting to close the doors would mean I can pursue an online business and an offline business that does not require the time commitment and overhead necessary for my current retail business.
Granted my retail business has been rewarding in a lot of ways…but on the other hand it does not mesh with my values to have more time to travel and to increase my income by working smarter.
So I want to say thanks for the jumpstart….I can take it from her.
Wishing you a spectacular 2010.
Hi Maria
I’m so glad you continued reading the article and thanks for sharing your thoughts. Often we are caught up living on autopilot that we do not truly think about what we want and what would reflect our values. Your insight and decision about your business not reflecting current values took courage to admit to yourself. Choosing to consciously honor your values can be hard work – but I assure you in the end it will be worth it. I’d love you to keep in touch and let me know how things are going from time to time.
You’ve done such a great job at simplifying the whole process of creating a vision. The hard part for most women is that we rarely think about ourselves in these capacities. Sometimes the answers and the vision aren’t readily apparent which is why it’s so important to continue to revisit this exercise. Thanks for providing such a quick, concise one for all!
Elena,
You have done such a wonderful job explaining how most of us operate 90% of the time. What’s more, you’ve done a fabulous job of giving us not only compelling reasons to STOP doing that, but also the strategy to change. Your words and coaching (and your personal story) make me want to jump up and write out my own answers to those questions right now!
Thanks for your inspiration and wisdom. This is a great post to start the new year with!
Lara Galloway
The Mom Biz Coach
http://www.mombizcoach.com
This is incredibly sage advice. Thank you for sharing it, Elena. Reading this article really made me open my eyes and realize that I spend far too much time reacting to the things that seem to “come at” me, and virtually no time at all on figuring out what direction I’m going.
These questions really made me think. They also made me wonder who’s been “driving the bus” lately. Time to get back in the driver’s seat.. this article really helped push me in the right direction!
Hi Karin, you are right, developing a vision takes time and it evolves as well. I revisit every quarter just to make sure my goals are aligning with my overall vision. I’m glad you found it helpful!
Elena thanks for a great guide on how to create your visions for 2010. I think mom entrepreneurs tend to take for granted just how important goal setting is and what an effective driver for your business it can be. Thanks for taking time to detail out a great method for completing this important task.
Hi Elena,
Great post, thanks for sharing your vision. I loved hearing about your personal goals too. I have been also thinking about some of the questions that you asked, particularly my relationship to money for the past several months and it’s really been life changing for me. I’d love to see a post of yours on what you’ve discovered about the topic.
Elena,
What a powerfully energizing post! You truly captured how powerful our lives can be WHEN we are living fully alive – pursuing our values and goals, instead of living life “floating” around looking for the next best thing to come along. I think that when we do this – we live fully. We live authentically. We live passionately. And confidently. And THAT’S what I believe can impact the people we serve with our businesses – and for me, the ones I want to impact even more, my daughter (and any other children we end up having). In 2010, we’ll have choices to make everyday – and those choices will create the legacy for our next generation – and that is one dang powerful way to keep ourselves and our choices in check. Thanks so much for this post!
This is really the best guide I have come across related to creating a personal vision. I would say this is a great starting point for anyone looking to articulate the vision they want for their life and their future. Thank you!
Connie Chan
@conniechan8
Hi Kelly, that’s a great idea, I’d love to explore the money issue further in a future post. Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks everyone for your support on this post – I am committed to playing a bigger game this year, not only helping my clients get amazing publicity for their business, but helping them create a marketing AND a life blueprint they love by making sure every choice they make, every step they take is aligned with a personal vision.
Hi Elena! This is beautifully written and plain as brown toast to anyone who is not used to setting themselves up for the year ahead. I have been setting ‘goals’ for some time now but have come to realise that they are often disjointed and pulling me in different directions. So I love your idea of a personal vision…in my mind, that encompasses the goals but also makes sure your thinking lines them up from the outset so that you have a better chance of making them happen as you move towards your vision throughout the year. Thank you and let’s share notes in December
Oh, by the way, me and money have totally fallen out! I, for one, am amazed that bookshops aren’t flooded with books about our relationship with the stuff…it can be so much more challenging and toxic than our relationships with people.
Thank you Elena for this fabulous push to dig deep and develop my true vision for 2010.
Thanks Rachel, one of the other things I do besides lay out my vision and goals in all areas of my life is to come up with an overall “theme” for the year. My theme for this year is STEPPING OUT and BE INTENTIONAL.
In the past it has been themes like SELF CARE or LEARNING or COMMUNITY. I often use it as a filter in making decisions on a day to day basis.
As for money, yes that is a great topic and is often one of our biggest driving forces, and cause of so much heart ache.
these are so great. i am off to print them and sit and fill them out. lots of thinking required. I just jumped into something totally new and i am excited to think ‘big’ thanks for sharing.
Hi Elena!
Terrific blog post. A lot of people start out the new year with resolutions that are bound to fail and then they are disappointed. They would do well to read your blog. I personally have chosen a theme: To put the 10 in 2010. That is a call to action for me to seek excellence in all that I do, rather than focussing on a couple of areas (resolutions). I will check in on myself regularly to make sure I am not being drug down by the negativity of others and forge ahead by focusing on positive, inspiring and like-minded people. If my year is a nine at the end, that will be fine.
Fantastic post Elena! I bookmarked it to make sure I don’t lose it. Definitely a post that I want to reread in the future.
This year I am going for a more peaceful, less stressful life. I need to spend more time and energy focused on my family and my own health.
Elena,
I love how you listed some of your own goals as examples. Your goals are very well-defined with numbers and amounts that are trackable. I think many times people set goals, but they forget to set the numbers and amounts that go along with those goals. It’s important to have set numbers to track and measure your progress and to know when a goal has actually been achieved.
It’s also important to celebrate progress along the way. Celebrating achievements helps to build our self-esteem and increases our momentum to keep going and working towards the next goal and the next goal.
Thank you for such a great post. I look forward to reading more of them in the future.
Kim
Oooh… such juicy questions!
And I love the Joel Barker quote. So important to get out of the everyday firehose of to-dos and commitments and step back and do this higher-level thinking. Thanks for sharing such great ideas— time to grab my notepad and start asking myself some big questions!
Elena,
Great tips and questions on creating a vision for 2010! Sharing your personal thoughts & ideas really helps ground the thoughts and ideas.
Thanks, Emma-Louise
.-= Emma-Louise Elsey´s last blog ..Don’t be a Statistic – Set Resolutions that Work! =-.
Thanks for your post Elena, I have been working on this too. For myself some of my goals include:
-Reading one parenting and one business book each month.
-Working in time chunks while my kids are in school or sleeping.
-Bringing more focus to my business and making things more systematic.
Heather, have you read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell? It’s a fantastic read about what makes someone successful – and it’s not what you think! There’s also a section that is very interesting as a parent, and he uses successful people like Bill Gates as an example. I think it is a parenting and business book in one – so you just get to read one book and save time, ha ha!
I’ve also focused myself in time chunks and have already noticed a big difference in what I am achieving.
Thanks for stopping by!
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