Write your vision

A vision needs to be written so that you and anyone else who is to be impacted by it can see it. A vision takes time to be accomplished but if you passionately work towards its achievement you will achieve it.

“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry,” Habakkuk 2 v 2/3.

The time you are writing your personal vision statement is the time to be creative, to be ambitious and to have some fun, but a time of getting serious with your life. The process is time-consuming and requires a lot of reflection on the most significant events or ideas that have impacted on your life and how they have done so.
You need to take time to drill down on the essence of your life, reflecting on who you are, what you believe in, and for what you desire your legacy to be. Only after many hours of introspection can you begin to formulate a vision statement.

When you start the process you should dream big. You don’t need to worry about practicality during this time of dreaming for what initially looks impossible could be achieved down the road with the right team, right resources and right technologies.

Your personal vision statement reflects your uniqueness and must speak to you about the person you are and the person you are becoming. Coming up with a personal vision does not mean your life changes overnight, but it will change in the future.

As you draw up your vision statement make sure you answer three questions related to your purpose (what is your life about), your values (what do you stand for), and the actions you need to take to manifest your purpose and your values.

Stephen Covey said: “Creating a personal vision/mission statement will be, without question, one of the most powerful and significant things you will ever do to take leadership of your life.”
In it you will identify the most important roles, relationships, and things in your life — who you want to be, what you want to do, to whom and what you want to give your life, the principles you want to anchor your life to, the legacy you want to leave.

All the goals and decisions you will make in the future will be based upon it. It’s like deciding first which wall you want to lean your ladder of life against, and then beginning to climb. It will be a compass – a strong source of guidance amid the stormy seas and pressing, pulling currents of your life.”
Writing your vision is very critical in determining who you will be. It helps in guiding your life.
Your personal vision should create a compelling image of an achievable future.

It should be rooted in your past, but addressing the future, and dealing with today’s realities. The future is some time from this moment forward, but not so far away that’s it’s out of reach.
The vision should be inspiring to you and the people whose commitment you need. Your story of the future should be engaging; it should capture the heart of those who hear about it and forces them to pay attention and develop the desire to be a part of it.

It should be very clear and challenging. It should be clear on what your future looks like – what’s the image of your future is. A well-crafted vision should be described in concrete terms that are easy to visualize and remember.

The story of your future should be challenging, but it must be achievable, too. If it were not achievable, you would have little motivation to even bother trying.
Lastly it should stress flexibility in execution, but should stand the test of time in a turbulent world.
A vision is an essential means for focusing attention on what matters most; what you want to accomplish in your life and what kind of person/leader you wish to be. A useful vision has to represent who you are and what you stand for. It inspires you, to act, to make constructive changes towards a future you want to see.

l Stewart Jakarasi is a business and financial strategist and a lecturer in business strategy (ACCA P3), advanced performance management (P5) and entrepreneurship.
He is the Managing Consultant of Shekina Consulting (Pty) Ltd and provides advisory and guidance on leadership, strategy and execution, corporate governance, preparation of business plans, tender documents and on how to build and sustain high-performing organisations.
For assistance in implementing some of the concepts discussed in these articles please contact him on the following contacts: sjakarasi@gmail.com, call on +266 58881062 or WhatsApp +266 62110062 .