When was the last time you allowed yourself to dream about the future? I’m not talking about your desire for a new car, although, that can certainly be included in your dream. I’m talking about your vision for the future. What do you want your life to look like? How do you want to show up in the world? How will you feel, emotionally and physically? What will you be doing? Who will share in your vision? For children, it’s easy to dream about the future. Creativity is encouraged. Life experiences are just beginning. The pressures of adulthood have not materialized. For adults, taking time to dream may seem frivolous. You may have grown up in a household that instilled a strong work ethic. To achieve anything in life, you must work hard for many years. If you’re lucky, you can retire with a decent salary that will enable you to live modestly the rest of your life. I grew up in one of those households. For all intents and purposes, it was a good way to grow up. It gave me an appreciation for hard work, and that it’s possible to be successful. What was lacking was a strong visualization of the future.
For visualization to be effective, it must be followed by actions. Actions without visualization are empty goals. You may make some progress, but you’re limited to your activity, not what’s possible. Before I give you an example, let’s discuss what vision means.
By definition, a vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. When you have a strong vision, you have a crystal clear picture of what your future looks like. You may not know how you’re going to get there, but you believe that your future is possible. In order for a vision to come to fruition, you must have specific goals that drive your actions. Think of your “why” as your purpose for achieving your vision.
For many individuals, limiting beliefs make it difficult to formulate a strong vision. Let’s use the desire to lose weight as an example. You may have a strong desire to lose weight but have never been successful losing weight and keeping it off. Your limiting belief may be, “I can’t lose weight.” Another example might be the struggle to get out of debt. The limiting belief could be, “I will never get out of debt.” In actuality, neither limiting belief is the actual truth. Just because you haven’t been successful losing weight or getting out of debt doesn’t mean that you’re incapable of doing either. What’s needed is a strong vision of what your life will look like when you’ve lost the weight or gotten out of debt. How will you feel, both physically and emotionally? What will you be able to do? How will others react to you? How will you show up in the world? When I work with clients we spend time developing a clear vision. We do this through meditative visualization exercises. Another way to develop a crystal clear vision is by creating a Vision board. Debbi Sluys, with Dare to Declare, is a Vision board expert. She not only conducts Vision board workshops, she has a Dare to Declare Academy that teaches coaches how to become Certified Dare to Declare Vision Board Facilitators. To learn more, go to https://Dare2Declare.com.
Once you’ve formulated your vision, you can focus on the goals/action steps that will turn your vision into reality. Breaking down your goals into bite size pieces will make them manageable and prevent burnout. Get an accountability partner to keep you focused. Refer to your vision often for inspiration.
Let me ask you again, when is the last time you allowed yourself to dream of the future? Do you have a crystal clear vision of what you want your life to be? I would love to hear from you! Reach out to me at info@lisahammett.com or text me at 214-725-7650. I’d love to help you turn your vision into reality!
