Five Steps to Help you Create a Vision

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Sunset in Beijing

If you don’t have a vision for your life or your business, begin to do these things to help you create and cast a vision. Vision doesn’t come from the outside in. It comes from the inside out. Vision is a stem of what is important to you.

1. Meditate. Think about the values that are important to you. What values do you want to be known for? If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. Think of such things that are pure, lovely, or that make you happy, that are different than others, of good report, that inspire you and others. How can you be of service to others?

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.-Philippians 4:8

Allow all thoughts to come first. Don’t hold back. But then start to cast off the things that are too out there.

The empires of the future are empires of the mind-Winston Churchill.

2. Write those core values that keep resurfacing, that keep coming to the top of your mind. Let the Holy Spirit draw out the gold in the depth of your heart. These are the values that are truly important to you. Reflective Questions: Ask yourself the following foundational questions for your business or even for your life; to have better insight in writing your vision statement. This can be during your meditative stage or your dialogue point.

  • What is your organization’s purpose? Why are you here?

  • What are your core values? Remember no more than 3 core values. Others can stem from these, but there should be no more than 3 core values.

  • Why are your products/services important? Why do people need them? Want them?

  • As a company, how do you want to make a difference in the world? Why do you matter?

3. Dialogue with close friends, family, mentors, and advisors about the direction of these core concepts. Don’t surround yourself or talk with “yes-men” who will go along with whatever you say. Make sure you are meeting and dialoguing with true Godly mentors who will share with you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear. These people can and should influence your vision. Eventually, you will want to talk with stakeholders, investors, and other top-tier leaders; so dialoging with these close mentors first will prepare you for speaking with these important investors.

The other thing dialoguing does is when you begin to speak it out loud. When you hear yourself say it, it will become more real to you. Your life flows from the belief you have in your heart and that belief will blossom when you speak it out.

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.-Proverbs 4:3

“You have to be able to articulate your priorities very effectively... over and over and over again.” -Bob Iger, Disney CEO

4. Focus. Narrow down your values and concepts to three core, or pillar values that will build your company vision. Any more than three and your vision becomes saggy and bloated or it will go into too many directions. Focus, will keep your vision clear and uninhibited.

5. Act. You won’t know your true self until you are forced or force yourself to act on your principles or your vision. What will or do you truly believe in? If you won’t act on it then do you truly have a vision for it? Do you truly believe in it?

“Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
― Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration of Independence

Helen Keller was both death and blind. She could have been a victim but she worked tirelessly to make something of herself. She achieved her BA degree and went on to author 12 books, and worked for the American Foundation for the blind. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Legion of Honor award. Though she was blind and death, she had great vision.

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision”-Helen Keller.