“The ancestor of every action is a thought.”
- Ralph Waldo Enerson
Personal Visioning is about creating a compelling picture of how you would like to see your life. This picture can provide a wonderful resource to draw upon when reacting to a situation or making a decision professionally or personally.
Experts in personal development, such as Covey, Bennis and Senge have demonstrated how vital it is to have your own personal vision. It is advisable that you start this process by yourself. Be honest with what it is that you really want to achieve and write down the answers without having to worry about what others might think. This will give you a ‘clean’ perspective and not one that has been swayed by others.
Senge defines vision as what you want to create of yourself and the world around you. What will your vision include? Some ideas in your personal vision may feel unachievable at first, but if you don’t focus your attention on what you want you never will have things you deserve.
The tool on the left (click to enlarge) will help you shape your personal vision. You can use the 40 questions to get you started if the ideas are not initially flowing. Find a quiet space where you can be alone, somewhere out of the house and office away from distraction.
Once completed, identify TWO things that you will do more of and TWO things you will do less of. Are there any ‘quick wins’ that will add value to your life immediately? What resource/support do you need to make the longer-term plans happen and what will you do about these RIGHT NOW!
From the information you have shared in the above, filter it into a statement that describes how you wish to live your life, what is important to you, what you will achieve in the time you have and what sort of legacy you want to leave behind. This unique personal vision will help you shape your future, because if you don’t, you might find that others will do it for you.
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