Vision for the future

What do you want?‍

This is a deceptively simple question that is often difficult to answer. Most of us find it easier to articulate what we don’t want because exploring what we do want, for ourselves and our lives, requires exploration of our deepest desires, dreams, hopes, and aspirations. For many this exploration can feel raw, risky, overwhelming, unfamiliar, and a waste of time.

A life of fulfillment, balance, happiness, and success doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by design. You can’t grow toward the life you want if you don’t know the direction you are headed and if you don’t align your actions with your vision. 

A vision is a powerful tool designed by your authentic self. It sets an intention for yourself about what you want, where you want to be, and who you want to become. It helps to frame and keep your eye on what you desire most for your life, guiding you in the face of life’s challenges to act and make choices aligned with your purpose, values, and the person you are becoming. 

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines vision as “an idea or mental image of something. The ability to imagine how something could develop in the future and to plan in a suitable way.”

Some of you may be reading this thinking, I don't know what the vision is for my life. You may not know what job you want or how you want your romantic relationship to look a year from now. That’s okay. If you are reading this because you are at a crossroads in your life, feeling stuck or directionless, you are not alone. 

From experience, a vision is something that emerges as you deepen your self-awareness and spend time reflecting. When I started on my personal growth journey, I didn’t have a vision for my future, I just wanted to feel better. Instead of worrying about a lack of vision, I decided to start by getting to know myself and creating space for my authentic self to emerge. It was only once I started to understand my values and build my self-worth that I was able to describe what I wanted and, more importantly, what I deserved.

Give time and space for your vision to emerge, and don’t force the process. Everyone’s journey is unique and unfolds in different ways.

Whether creating a vision is the first step on your journey or further down the road, a vision should generate feelings that inspire and excite you, as well as feelings such as anxiety and trepidation. It should lead to an “oh hell'' moment. If pursuing your vision doesn't feel like a big gulp, you know, when half of you want to run and the other half wants to dive all in, it may mean that you are not stretching yourself out of your comfort zone. You are playing it safe. You need that spark of longing, adrenaline, desire, and a healthy dose of fear otherwise you will stay stuck in the design phase with no motivation to move to the practical application of your vision.
When creating a vision, give yourself permission to dream and be creative. Spend some time reflecting on what you want for your life, the values you want to adopt, the identities you want to shed or step into, and your purpose. 

When you imagine the person, you want to become, how does this version of you feel? Physically, emotionally, energetically? How do you behave? What relationships do you commit to in honour of your vision? What values do you hold? 

Knowing this will help you discover the possibilities of what you want for yourself. Think about what you want. Not what you think you should want, or what someone else wants for you.

In my experience working with clients, when their vision starts to emerge so do feelings of discomfort, and fear as their inner critics realise that they have to commit to taking action, outside of their comfort zone, if they want to achieve their aspirations. Planning for the practical application of your vision is an effective strategy to move past these feelings and ignite a spark of clarity, hope, and longing. 

Try this...

Identify the area of your life that you want to change.
1. How do you want this area of your life to be different from how it is now?
2. Why does this matter to you?
3. What mindset and behaviours will you need to adopt and what changes will you need to make to bring about this change? 

To unleash your greatness, you will have to let go of the person you once were and the person you thought you had to be. Embracing your vision and becoming the version of yourself that you want to be requires you to continuously edit your limiting beliefs, update and expand your identity, and embrace who you are. 

Every choice you make about who you spend time with, how you spend your time, and the habits you create is a vote for the person you wish to become and the life you are growing towards.

It's okay to feel differently. It's okay to want something different. It's okay to become someone new. 

Don’t be afraid to give up a good life to achieve a great one.