Ready to break free from the cycle of doing, doing, doing and unlock your potential for success? It all starts with a vision - a powerful idea for what’s possible. As a busy business owner, it can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations and forget about what truly matters - you. But, with just one hour of intentional thinking each week, you can make a profound impact on your business and personal life. I know this from firsthand experience. When my mentor made me schedule an hour each week just to THINK, it was a game changer for me. As soon as I scheduled time to think about what was possible, the whole world opened up. The key to doing visioning right is to begin with YOU. Ask yourself:
“What do you want?”
If you’re anything like I was, this will be challenging because you’re accustomed to thinking about what the business needs. What does the business need to grow? What do the employees need? What do your clients or patients need? When you first start thinking about what YOU need and want, it can feel a bit selfish. The thing is – getting aligned with what you need and want IS what the business needs. The business needs an owner that is excited about what is possible and committed to doing the heavy lifting to get there. When you get in touch with what you really want, your business becomes exciting again. It’s more interesting and more fun. Here’s an exercise for you to try.
Schedule an hour with yourself to think about where you’d ideally like to be in three years.
Three years is the perfect time frame for visioning. It’s enough time to allow for the work of getting there – so it feels more possible. Yet it’s near enough to be exciting. Think about what’s important to you, what your goals are, and what’s missing right now. Then visualize how it would look and feel to be living your IDEAL life. Imagine that I bump into you at the airport or grocery store 3 years from today. I ask you how you are doing and what you’re up to. You start your answer with “Everything’s amazing!” – then you fill in the details. What are they? Don’t overthink and don’t censor yourself – allow what you really want to emerge.
State what you want in the present tense and let your brain do the hard work of making it happen
When you state your vision in the present tense, you turn on your brain’s Reticular Activating System. This is the part of your brain that looks for ways to fill the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. It’s like when you decide you’re going to buy a specific make and model of car - for example, a red Tesla SUV. All of a sudden, you start seeing red Tesla SUVs everywhere. Because your brain is looking for them. Do the same with your vision. Paint a clear picture of your day-to-day life, with all the details that matter to you. These might include spending time with friends and family, taking care of yourself, going on vacations, feeling engaged, excited, and productive at work. Don’t worry about the logistics of “how” when you’re visualizing – just focus on the result you want. Once you’re clear about what you want, you can ask:
What has to happen in my business for all that to happen for me?
Now that you have a clear vision, it's time to align your business with your personal goals. Once again, don't worry about the "how" - just focus on the "what." What has to happen in your business for you to achieve your personal vision? These might sound like:
- The business grows by 20%
- I have a plan for my exit strategy
- I have a competent and capable team that can look after things when I’m away
- I only do the work I enjoy, everything else has become someone else’s responsibility
- I take weekends off
- My clients are happy
When you are clear about what you want personally and what needs to happen with your business to attain that, you have an aligned vision. Once you nail that, everything else becomes so much easier. All that's left is to figure out the steps and take action.