It all starts with having a vision

Another cardinal rule is to always create a vision before you take important actions. Visions are different than goals. A goal is a specific, time-bound, measurable result: lose 20 pounds in 3 months, increase customer satisfaction by 20% in 2011. A vision describes the end benefit or desired outcome that occurs once you have achieved your goals. What is your vision for how well your business product or service performs or is perceived by your target customers? Exactly how great do you expect to look and/or feel after you've lost those 20 pounds?

A well-crafted vision becomes your true north: the clearer you can be about your destination, the better chance you have of actually getting there. A vision acts as a touchstone to help choose between possible courses of action. It is a benchmark against which you can measure your progress. And most importantly, a vision is so personally evocative and desirable that it keeps you motivated when nothing else will.

To create a vision, write or speak a best case scenario for the desired outcome. Write it from your heart instead of your head, even if it’s a vision for a new job or business. Write something that resonates completely with the truth of who you are, what you value and what you are ready to create. For many clients this is the hardest step. Yet once they write their vision they are often shocked by the many ways in which unforeseen circumstances deliver welcome opportunities, support and guidance. A powerful vision invites that reality into your life.

Here is an example from a recent client who desperately wanted to create a new job for herself. She had been doing all the right things for months with no success. After listening to my audio CD she wrote the following in her journal:

"I noticed since I was a teenager that if I really wanted something and stayed focused on it, that I'd get my wish. These CD's answered why. I was co-creating with the universe, only then I didn't know it. (And back then I didn't carry a bag filled with negativity either, as I do now.) I had forgotten how I could create miracles in my life, such as the birth of my son, helping my mother to save her house from an alcoholic husband and gain a second chance at life, and being able to find a temporary job when I had only $8 left in my checking account.

I realize I haven’t really created a specific vision for the job I want. I hate the job I am in and I’ve just been trying to find any job so I could get out of there. I never stopped to think about what kind of job I would love. So here is a vision for my perfect job:

My Vision: I have a rewarding position affiliated with the healthcare industry that pays well and does not require a long commute. I work as a financial manager in the medical industry, and my pay is 15% more than I’m making now. I’d love a great work environment (people who are smart, helpful, and supportive) that is close to my son’s school and football practice, and I’d like to start by December 2010."

Within a month of writing her vision a former work colleague called my client to say her company was looking for a financial manager and she wondered if my client was interested. The position was in the Medical Devices Industry, very close to home, at a higher level of pay. Every interview went beautifully and she was offered the job. Then she unexpectedly got a paid week off from her current job before starting the new one. In her words, "Writing a vision WORKS. I am so grateful!”

More than you know, your every thought, word and action reflects who you are in the world and what you expect (or don’t expect) to create. A vision helps to consistently and powerfully focus your thoughts, words and actions on exactly what you are ready to create. Always write a vision before you take action!

Click on the following link to learn more about the LIVE like YOU MEAN it! peak performance training. Or visit LinkedIn to learn more about my marketing and project management services: Power Source Now, LLC .

Best Regards,

Beverly