Vision is a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation. It is the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be.
While this core value is extremely important for entrepreneurship, it can also be one that sabotages your success.
When you create a vision so clear you can easily put yourself in the picture, you can become blind to the reality of what you have to do to achieve it. If, in your imagination, you can vividly see, hear, feel, smell and even taste success, then your unconscious mind may believe you have want you desire, and sabotage your conscious efforts to build your business.
Is Your Vision 20/20?
By 20/20 I mean that you have the right balance for this core value. You do this by making it compelling, and knowing that you can achieve it. You want to make it compelling enough that you will be self-motivated to do whatever you need to do to realise your goals. And you don’t want to make it so overwhelming that you feel you don’t have the resources to put in the hard work to make it happen.
For example, if you have the massive goal of being the best in the world, but there is only you as you start out, with limited finances, time and energy, then you will quickly give up because it is an unrealistic vision. However, if your vision is to be the best in your local market, then this is quite different.
Quiz: Is Your Vision Clear, Compelling, and Realistic?
This quiz is self-grading, so there is no score to add up, or measure yourself by. Get a pen and your journal, and spend time thinking about and writing answers to the questions below. Allow an hour to complete the exercise. It will be time well spent.
The questions:
- Describe your vision – how it looks, sounds, feels, maybe even smells and tastes.
- Is your vision a movie, or a still picture?
- Is it in colour, or black and white?
- Is it 3D, or 2D?
- If a movie, is there a soundtrack?
- How bright or dark is the movie?
- Where is it located in your mind – close to you, or far away?
- How big or small is your vision?
- Is it compelling and manageable, or is it overwhelming?
- Where is the picture or movie screen located? Close to you, or far away? Or are you in the middle of it?
- How clear is the picture?
- Is it so crystal clear that you feel like you have already achieved it?
- Or is it so fuzzy that you can’t see any details, and lack motivation to even draw up a plan?
- How will any changes you make along the way affect your outcomes?
- Is there enough clarity that you can move forward in small steps, and make necessary changes along the way?
The size of your vision is important. Too big, and you will be overwhelmed with everything you have to do. Too small, and it won’t challenge you enough.
If it’s too big, work backwards from achieving it, to where you are now. Chunk it down into manageable steps or stages.
For instance, if you want to be the best in the world, then it is best to start out on a smaller scale. Instead of the world, think about how you will rule your region. If that is still too big, chunk it down to your country. Too big? Chunk down to your state or province? Still too big? Take it down to your city or town. If you live in a city of millions, you may need to chunk it down even further.
Reflect on Your Vision
Take time now to reflect on the vision you have for your entrepreneurship success. Ask yourself if it is realistic for you? If it’s not, then revise it, chunk it down, and take the next manageable step towards achieving it.
