Proverbs 29:18 reminds us “where there is no vision, the people perish”
Vision is defined as “the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom”
What is your ‘vision” for your life? your family? your career? your business?
You probably spend a lot of time imagining these things, but where is your focus? Is it on worry and anxiety, thus not on making success your reality? How often do you think about an upcoming event and imagine the worst possible outcome? If your self-talk tends to revolve around potential failures or anxious ‘what ifs?” – increasing your level of negative self-talk – then you might be ready for a new “perspective” toward visualizing.
It is time to accentuate the positive and welcome success into your life!
- Know what you want
Professional sports players use this technique to improve their performance and achieve their goals. They visualize scoring that goal or winning their race. Imagine a pole vaulter looking at the vault and thinking, ‘oh man, that’s high, I’ll never do it.’ They have immediately set themselves up for failure. Did your mind just go to a time in your life when you said that about something you wanted to do? Know what you want, be clear about it, and vision yourself soaring over that pole. - Be Clear About Your Goal
Clairfying your goals lies in the details. Visualize yourself achieving, even surpassing your goal. Let’s continue with the pole vaulter example, and say that person wants to clear six feet. Visualizing six feet isn’t enough. They have to imagine six and a half, maybe even seven.
With that thought in mind, let’s apply this to a career. Instead of a new job, visualize a promotion, visualize being the Manager, Region Advisor, even CEO. See yourself winning that prize. Visualize your personal best and see yourself achieving it. Think big and ask yourself, “What would my life look like when I achieve my goal?” And notice I said ‘when’ not ‘if’.
- Feel Your Success
Once you have changed your perspective and clarified what you want, focus your attention on what success feels like. Take note of the emotions that come up for you as you explore the possibilities and imagine yourself living that life of success. Begin to journal these feelings. This will allow you to make yourself consciously aware of them.
- Plan to Succeed
It is important to remember that success doesn’t come overnight or all at once. It’s up to you to start making your successful life begin by taking the baby steps needed to build your success. Consider starting each day with a plan of three things you can do – no, that you WILL do – to move you closer to achieving your dreams. Remember, you cannot cross the finish line without first stepping over the starting line - Don’t give up
Lasting success takes time and effort. Successful people accept this and are persistent. (Persistent is defined as continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition) That ‘overnight success’ you see coming to the surface, has actually spent years developing their skills, expanding their knowledge, and working hard toward a goal. Yes, you will have setbacks, make mistakes, and be presented with plenty of challenges on the way. By having a purpose and a clear vision, you’ll make it. Keep your eyes on the prize and don’t give up. In a race, everyone runs, but only one gets the prize. So run to win. (1 Cor 9:24)
Change your Perspective; explore the Possibilities; see the new Pathways available to you; then Proceed toward the realization of your vision.