“All meaning and lasting change starts first in your imagination then works its way out.” Albert Einstein
“Imagination is stronger than knowledge – myth is more potent than history – dreams are more powerful than facts.” Robert Fulghum
America’s “Star Spangled Banner” was inspired by a vision that Frances Scott Key had after a British attack on Ft. McHenry. In the morning light he saw the American flag still flying. That sight inspired a sense of hope, and encouraged strength and persistence. Similarly, “America the Beautiful” was inspired by the view of the Colorado plains from the summit of Pikes Peak. From the top of that lofty peak it really does seem that you can see the entire nation!
It isn’t just writers who benefit from an inspiring vision. We can all do amazing things and persist in the face of adversity with the right vision. In honor of the 4th of July celebrations here in the U.S., and knowing that the foundation of this nation is the vision of a few independent, forward-thinking individuals, today’s Spark is about having a vision.
What is your vision for your life? What is the difference you would like to make in the world? How do you want to express yourself? Who do you want to be, and who do you want in your life?
For many years, my vision of my life was to make money doing something relatively enjoyable so that I could have a nice lifestyle. And that’s exactly what happened. It wasn’t really fulfilling, but it conformed to my vision very well! Several years ago, while I was still working at my corporate job and studying to become a coach, I did an exercise called “My Ideal Day” from Barbara Sher’s book Wishcraft. I wrote down a vision of going through the most wonderful day imaginable. The exercise asks you to describe the vision in as much detail as possible. My description was so far-fetched at the time that I felt silly writing down the details. My ideal day included flexibility, fun, a variety of tasks; in short, the complete opposite of the life I was living! Shortly after that I lost track of the piece of paper with the written exercise. However, about a year later, from my home office where I had begun to work, I realized I was living my Ideal Day! How did that happen?! It’s the power of vision.
What are the benefits of developing a vision for your life?
A vision is the first step in the creation process. I’m convinced that writing my ideal day was the first and most important step in creating the reality.
Having a vision, a big picture of your future, helps you overcome the short-term challenges and distractions that life always throws at you.
Creating a vision encourages you to imagine something bigger and more inspiring than what currently exists.
Focusing on a vision (the “what” of your future) distracts you from getting lost in how to make it happen. With a powerful-enough “what,” you will always figure out the “how.”
If I have convinced you of the importance of having a vision, the next question is how to do it. There are dozens of books and articles about the “best” way to create your vision. My advice: just start! From my own experience, the best thing was to just give myself permission to imagine having a life that would truly make me happy. And I can’t overstate the importance of writing it down! Make it okay to just start writing without needing to make it perfect, or feeling like you will have to live with it forever. Keep a child-like view of this activity. It’s absolutely fine to write one vision as an author living a secluded life one day, and the founder of a non-profit for a meaningful cause the next day. Kids are great about “trying on” different possibilities. We could take a tip from their example! The real key is to understand, by whatever means necessary, what will make you happy and fulfilled.
Another key element of successfully creating a vision for yourself is to avoid looking at how you’ll create the life you imagine. Too often I hear a client say, “I would love to do that!” and then immediately say, “but I can’t make a living at it.” At the moment I created my vision, I had no idea how to even begin. But once my mind had that exciting possibility anchored in it, the rest just became day-to-day choices. And finally, once you have an idea of your vision, find someone to support you unconditionally in that vision. You’ll have moments of doubt and distraction, and there’s nothing like having someone remind you, gently and lovingly, of what you know is your best future.
When it comes to imagining your wonderful, ideal future, “oh say, can you see?”
Here are some tips for creating the vision for your life:
Make the experience light and fun for yourself. Be in a great, positive state of mind (because that’s how you want to live the rest of your life, right?!)
Separate yourself as much as possible, both mentally and physically, from your current life conditions while imagining your future. You don’t want to be limited by today’s situation.
Be open to “trying on” new ideas, and not limit yourself to only the “practical” choices.
Give yourself permission to imagine the things that will make you happy and fulfilled.
Write down your vision(s) and (unlike me!) keep it in front of you as a reminder.
When creating your vision, focus on what you want, not on how. Trust that once you know what you want, how to make it happen will be revealed.
Find someone to support you unconditionally in your new vision. This means they believe in you and your vision, they encourage your actions, and they hold that vision for you even when you get discouraged.
