Personal vision. Inspiring productivity and performance

Regardless of how passionate somebody is about their personal development, they will have heard of the importance of setting goals. Goal setting is one of most important aspects of successful living. In truth, anybody can set goals but simply setting goals is not going to make you successful. Those goals need to help bring your personal vision to life. Your personal vision is a clear vision of the life you want to lead.  A personal vision is not just important for goal setting; it is also vitally important for personal productivity. Just like setting goals; anybody can be busy and get a lot done. However, unless you are busy with activities that will help you realise your personal vision; you are simply being a busy fool.

Creating a personal vision

There are many different ways to visualise and to create your personal vision. The purpose of this post is to help you identify the information that you need in order to create a powerful personal vision.  Your personal vision is a vision of how your life will be once you have created the life that you truly desire. So think of that time as you think about the following

1. Your financial position

Money is important. It funds the lifestyle that you want to live. You may not have a lot of money at first and, if this is the case, remember that most things can be achieved on a budget. It may take longer and, a little more effort but you can do it. However, you will eventually want to live your best life with the minimum effort. To do this, you will need to have sufficient money. For your personal vision, it is important to know the following:

• How much money will you need to live your best life?
• What will your annual income be?
• What income sources will you have?
• What will your net worth be?
• What will your cash flow look like?

2. Your job/career

Your job is not only your main source of income, it is perhaps the greatest vehicle that you will have for living your purpose. It is also somewhere that you will be able to make great friends and take on great challenges. When creating your personal vision, you will need to think about the following aspects of your career:

• What do you want to work at?
• How will it help you to fulfil your purpose?
• What size is the organisation?
• Are you self-employed, a manager, an employee etc.?
• What type of customers do you serve?
• What is your income from this job?

3. Where you live

Many people never put any thought into the kind of place they would like to live. These people tend to take the first job they get, buy the first house they can afford and then get stuck in a rut for the rest of their lives. With the introduction of low cost travel, this no longer has to be the case. For example, if you are an EU citizen, you can live in one of over 25 countries which offer a wide variety of different lifestyles.

The place that you choose to live can bring great joy to your life simply by offering you vistas and opportunities that you might not get elsewhere. For your personal vision, you may know exactly where you want to live but if you don’t, think about the following:

• What type of climate will it have?
• Is it a village, town, small city, large city etc.
• Is it near the mountains, the sea, the countryside etc.?
• What type of facilities will it offer?
• What type of activities can you enjoy?
• Will you use public transport, an airport etc.?

4. Your home

You will spend a great deal of time in your home so, it is well worth the effort to determine the type of home that you will live in, e.g.

• Will you rent or own?
• How many rooms and how many of each type e.g. bedrooms, bathrooms?
• What type of furniture and decor will there be?
• Outdoor facilities e.g. Garden, barbeque area
• Will you be hosting parties?
• House or apartment?

5. Health

Without good health, it will be difficult for you to enjoy your best life. Your personal vision should include a description/statement of your health, e.g.:

• How long would like to live?
• What will your health be like?
• What healthy hobbies will you partake in?
• Will you train regularly – aerobic and anaerobic training?
• What will your diet be like?

6. Friends , family and recreation

A great deal of our happiness in life comes from the people we spend time with and the activities that we partake in. A great personal life does not just happen by accident. I recently mentioned to a fellow businessman that we spend a great deal of time planning our business activities but very little planning our personal lives.  For your personal vision, consider the following:

• What type of relationships would you like with your family?
• What type of people do you respect and want as friends?
• What do you expect from your friends?
• The hobbies and interests that you are passionate about?
• The type of vacation that you enjoy?
• What types of challenges would you like to take on – run a marathon, learn to play an instrument, raise money for a charitable cause?

7. Personal development and contribution

If you want to achieve more from your life, you will need to grow as a person. A large part of the results which you are currently achieving are due to the knowledge and skills that you possess.  If you want more, you need to grow as a person, both in terms of what you learn for yourself and what you contribute to others. Things to consider for your personal vision include:

• What skills would you like to develop?
• What knowledge would you like to gain?
• What are your spiritual beliefs and values?
• Are there any spiritual practices you wish to do e.g. meditation?
• What causes are important to you?
• How would you like to contribute to these causes?
• What experiences would you like e.g. travel, living abroad, organising an event.

Turn your vision into goals and,  your goals into reality with the Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting. If you want to create your ideal life; you need to know what your ideal life would look like. To do this, you need to create a powerful personal vision for your life. Take time each day to visual this life and, your motivation and desire will begin to grow. Once you are clear on your vision, it is time to set goals that will help to bring that vision to reality. A strong personal vision is not just important for goal setting, it is absolutely essential for living a productive life. There is little point in getting a lot done if the things that you get done do not help you to bring your personal vision to life. The majority of actions that you perform each day should serve your personal vision and your purpose. It is this consistency of action which separates the hard workers and the successful people.