“We overestimate what we can do in a year, and we underestimate what we can do in a lifetime”
I credit that quote to Tony Robbins, but I know Bill Gates also says something to that sentiment.
But really take a moment to think about that. Do you find this applicable at all?
Here’s what I consider to be the world's rarest commodity.
Vision.
I’m talking about what you see as the big picture in your business and your life; the grand scheme. Vision is the container that creates the game you play and the level of results you will achieve. It is the guide that will give you the integrity, direction, and purpose. Vision determines what you do and more importantly, what you don’t do. It is the key to avoid distraction and embrace your highest level of production. There are plenty of ways to make money, but only one way to have a game changing impact worthy of your best. A compelling vision that lives in hearts, rather than merely spelled out and framed on a wall, is intertwined inseparably with realizing your ultimate legacy.
We have plenty of activity in the world. We have plenty of busyness in business. But what is missing for most entrepreneurs is the type of vision that uplifts, inspires and moves customers and employees. In today’s world, people rush into action without enough time for reflection and thinking. The epidemic has become trading time for money, giving up living for today in the hope of a better future, and working hard before determining what work is worth your life and compelling enough to last a lifetime.
We’re trained from the time we are young that hard work is the answer. But hard work with the wrong vision will lead to limited results or even worse, bankruptcy. Hard work without vision will be like a treadmill where the faster you run, the more exhausted you become, without advancing your purpose, even if there is profit along the way. This profit is going to be lower than what could become by choosing to create a compelling vision.
Our society doesn’t emphasize vision. Our colleges talk about careers over creation, doing rather than innovating, and memorizing rather than building.
Part of the reason vision is neglected is due to the level of stress and scarcity from student loans, the acquisition of a home, car, or other material items that we have been taught bring us status and happiness. Vision gets neglected if we look to earn money as fast as we can to fulfill these desires as quickly as possible. Vision in its very nature does not satisfy what we want to have in the moment. Vision requires creating a future that is yet to exist and may take time to come to fruition.
Two things that are often confused with vision are goals and objectives.
Goals and objectives are also principles of future-thinking, but in a much more short-term way. Both are tools to use throughout your life to accomplish your vision, but are different than vision. Goals are targets you likely already know how to reach or have the existing resources to accomplish. An objective is within your reach. You can see right now how to achieve your goals, even if they are a stretch.
Not vision.
Vision is something that is outside of your reach; your existing resources will not allow you to actually achieve it. It is important to know and remember that if you have a vision without goals or objectives, your vision just a delusion.
There is a difference between good stress and bad stress. Bad stress is worry. It’s inaction. It’s sitting with your thoughts and not doing anything about them. This becomes a major barrier for those who are trying to outline goals and objectives that progress them towards their overall vision.
Positive stress, on the other hand, will keep enough pressure in a positive manner to propel you ahead, it can be a catalyst to progress. This kind of stress is only present when you are needing motivation and discipline to accomplish tasks at hand, and complete goals. Positive stress doesn’t stick around forever. It can be creating clarity, accountability or sharing what you are up to with the world. A compelling vision will create positive stress.
If your vision ever begins to create scarcity or worry, change the way you think about your vision’s time frame.
First, let’s look at your goals and objectives. They have time frames that are designed to be more compact and tight. I like to break them down into three month, one year, and three year segments. If you get past three years, you’re too far outside of accountability, predictability, and too far outside of things you have direct control over because of the long time frame.
Revisit your own objective model at least every year and possibly each quarter. Come up with 3 to 5 initiatives on the path towards your overall vision.
Those objectives will end up helping you with confidence, capabilities and even cash.
In the book “Zigzag Principle” by Rich Christiansen, he talks about the risk of sprinting towards your vision. He shows how most of the time you’ll run out of steam, energy, and cash. Instead, he says to zig zag your way there. It’s about pacing. It’s about scalability. Goals and objectives are the steps in the right direction, but ultimately your vision should be beyond current capability.
You can have a major vision. In that first year, you might not feel like you’re doing a lot to get there, but what you’ve been doing is laying the foundation. So don’t judge your vision based upon the first year- it’s defeating and deflating. Break it into increments. Move along the trail by setting those objectives and completing them consistently.
