Finalize Your Vision and Find a Way to Capture It

Greg Scharlemann — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:35:23 +0000

The past week I focused intently on clarifying MY vision for the 7 categories defined in The Success Principles. I finished four (1, 2, 3 and 4) of the seven categories which hopefully gave you (the reader) an example of how to complete this task. There are three categories that need clarification: relationships, personal goals and contributions to the larger community. I’m not sure sharing my vision for the remaining categories will be beneficial when compared to the first four categories reviewed.

First of all, I know the personal goals of these seven categories are addressed later. I’ve spent time in the past defining details of goals that I hope to accomplish in my life and will update and share those later, but not at this point… just know that they are there and will require more focus than what is asked here. Defining ideal relationships in this setting is pretty awkward and boring for the reader, so let’s skip it. And you can probably imagine what to include in contributions to the larger community… in fact, some of such contributions were in my 30 things.

To get you thinking about your vision for each of these items, some stimulating questions follow:

Relationships

Describe the ideal relationship with your family and friends
What is your relationship like?
Who are your friends?
What is the quality of relationships with your friends?
What do those friendships feel like?
Are they loving, supportive, empowering?
What kinds of things do you do together?

Personal

Describe the personal arena of your life.
Are you going back to school, getting training, attending workshops, seeking therapy for a past hurt or growing spiritually?
Do you meditate or go on spiritual retreats with your church?
Do you want to learn to play an instrument or write your autobiography?
Do you want to run a marathon or take an art class?
Do you want to travel to other countries?

Community

Focus on the community you live in, the community you’ve chosen.
What does it look like when it is operating perfectly?
What kinds of community activities take place there?
What about your charitable work?
What do you do to help others make a difference?
How often do you participate in these activities?
Who are you helping?

Capturing Your Vision

Once you know your vision, how are you capturing it? Where are you documenting your ideal life? What you write down is big, important stuff… at least in your life. Value and treasure it. Don’t simply jot it down on a notebook. Buy a journal and take the time to document it there. Once you clarify your vision, you should review it often. Keep it fresh in your mind and use a tool that is durable for the frequent use it should receive.

I’ve found time to write about my vision on this site, but also capture it in a nice journal I picked up. Not only to I review the items in the journal (almost) daily, I take the journal with me as I go to work or travel. If inspiration hits and I find something to add to my 30 things, my vision or my goals, I don’t have to wait to do it. Value the information you are capturing. It is important. Don’t take it for granted.

book credit: The Success Principles

7 Categories to Help Clarify Your Vision

Greg Scharlemann — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:39:41 +0000

Success Principle 3 (cont.) – Your Vision

The second part to Success Principle 3 is determining your vision. We determined what we wanted earlier with the “I want” lists; clarifying your vision expands on that with detailed descriptions of what the destination looks like. There are seven categories to use to help clarify your vision:

work and career
finances
recreation and free time
health and fitness
relationships
personal goals and
contributions to the larger community

What’s the best way to document these? I set aside an hour several days in a row and visualized where I was going and what I wanted my life to end up looking like. I took notes, capturing the details of my vision. I’ve written a narrative that describes in detail my vision for the seven categories. It would be a long a boring post for me to re-write those visions here, so I won’t do that – at least not all at once. Canfield suggests sharing your vision however. He writes:

You might be afraid that your friend will think your vision is too outlandsih, impossible to achieve, too idealistic, or materialistic. Almost all people have these thoughts when they think about sharing their vision. But the truth is, most people deep down in their hearts, want the very same things you want. Everyone wants financial abundance, a comfortable home, meaningful work they enjoy, good health, time to do things they love, nurturing relationships with their family and friends, and an opportunity to make a difference in the world. But too few of us readily admit it.

Over the weekend I will add my vision for the seven categories on this website. They may come across as materialistic, idealistic, or something else. It may not align with your life’s vision whatsoever. As irrelevant as it may seem to you, it’s a vision, something to inspire you to write your vision for your life.

Once your vision is complete – review it everyday. Keep it active in your conscious and subconscious mind. Help it manifest. How will you know when you have arrived if you don’t know where you are going?

Photo Credit: mind_scratch
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