In this recap, we dive deep into figuring out what YOU really want in life. The truth is, most of us wander through life thinking life is happening to us, when in reality, life truly gives us the opportunity to create our destiny, one choice at a time.
PART ONE
Let’s start off by discussing the difference between goals and vision.
Goals are how you achieve your vision. Vision defines who you WANT to be. Vision helps define your goals. Goals are important to your vision, but if they are too specific, they can become a distraction. You have to make certain decisions based off your vision and not always off your goal.
Start with the understanding anything you want to achieve is possible. Then take the step further by modeling after others who have succeeded to help you get there faster.
Why vision is crucial, and how to make the most out of it.
It’s hard to set goals and be purposeful with your time without a vision. Your goals have to be in line with your core values, beliefs, and vision.
A Russian proverb states, “If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either.” Having clarity on which rabbit you are chasing can be powerful. Clarity means being specific and purposeful with your time. Having clarity on your vision will make it easier to say no to things that don’t align with it.
It’s natural for us to want to please everyone around us but the larger your life and empire get, the more you will have to say no in order to have continued success.
Five questions you need to ask yourself before deciding to say yes or no:
- Does this align with my personal values? Be sure you are saying no to things that don’t match with who you are. This is your primary filter.
- Does this align with the goal I have in that specific area of my life? Different areas of life require different goals.
- How will this help me achieve my goal in this area of my life? Each action’s end should get you closer to achieving your area goal.
- Is it worth taking the time for this commitment if a different area in my life will suffer? For example, if you say yes to working late, will it negatively affect your personal family relationships?
- What am I trying to accomplish by committing my time to this? Make sure you have a goal for what you’re trying to achieve in every aspect of your life.
If everything isn’t a positive, then you need to say no. For reference, the Empire Builders say “no” to about 90% of things.
Seven areas to focus on when creating your personal vision:
These come from “The One Thing”.
- Spiritual
- Physical/Health
- Personal
- Key Relationships
- Job
- Business Circle
- Finance Circle
Work on daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goal structures that supports your vision. What habits will you start in each area to achieve your goals and eventually obtain your vision?
Early in your career you may feel like you have to work super hard to be able to take time off. You will quickly learn that by focusing only on business, you allow your relationship goal to suffer even though your business goal is being met. With enough focus and planning, you can have both!
Here are some questions to ask yourself to discover your true desired vision for your life.
- What brings you joy?
- What would you like your relationships to look like?
- What would you most like to accomplish?
- Are you smiling every day?
- What would you like your legacy to be?
- What’s your ideal day like?
- Where do you want to live?
Take what brings you the most happiness and create your vision around it. This will help you distinguish each area goal you want to set for your full vision. If working out with your partner brings you joy, then this translates into building a habit for your health and key relationship goals. Sometimes the strength of your answer is determined by the strength of your question.
PART TWO
Next, let’s talk about how to formulate the vision for your business and why it’s important.
The definition of a vision statement is similar to a mission statement. Vision statements provide a concrete way for the people who work with you to understand the meaning and purpose of your business. A mission statement, on the other hand, describes the who, what, and why of your business.
A vision statement describes the desired long term results of your company’s efforts. Your mission is where you are now and why you exist today. Vision is where you want to be in the future. It’s important to balance vision and action.
When your business is first starting off, you can get lost in the fast pace of day-to-day business. Leaders normally don’t think about a mission or vision statement during this time. Creating something to grow on, then using it as filter to hire helps in having clarity on what you and your team are striving towards. Talented people want to be a part of something big. Also, it’s key to understand that vision can be a work in progress as you expand.
Long-Term Versus Short-Term Vision
Short-term vision needs to be talked about daily. You have to break down the long term goal to show your team that they can make it to the larger vision. Long-term vision should be touched on at least once a month. This has to be initiated by the leader — you cannot delegate vision. This lets your A+ talent know there is more to work towards.
Some key points on vision:
- Goals are tangible, whereas vision is not tangible. If your vision is met, it needs to changed because you’ve only reached a goal. You want something that isn’t able to be achieved, rather constantly worked toward. Vision is decided by the leader, but it is formulated by your team, mentors, and key relationship input.
- Don’t oversell the vision. The end goal is to impact team members lives, not to just get them in the door. Retention of your team members is what matters most. Team members will want to hit their goals and will work for companies that have their personal goals in mind.
- If you ask each team member in your company, what is the vision; would they all be able to write it down correctly?
Questions you can ask to uncover your organizational mission:
- What’s most important to you?
- What’s most important to your team members?
- Why does anyone care about what we do?
- What’s my role in this?
To hear more from these talented Empire Builders, download the Empire Building podcast today through your podcast app or visit https://go.kw.com/empire-building.
