Forming Your Vision
Warwick Fairfax
February 8, 2019
Finding Your Vision
Vision is a picture of a preferred future reality. It may seem almost impossible to achieve, but that is not a deterrent. You may not have a clear picture of what you want your vision to be or where you want to take your life, but you often have an idea, a thought. It calls out to you, compels you, and fills you with a passion unlike any you’ve felt before. I like to compare it to an impressionist painting more so than a photo. You can see colors and shapes, even if they are not well defined. You have a sense of what you want your life to look like and what your purpose should be. It’s exciting — propelling you forward with every thought.
The question many people will have is how you find your vision. Vision may come out of a crucible experience you have had. It’s often the most challenging and painful experiences in life that move people into finding their vision. Look at all the things you don’t like and want to change. Look at all the things you enjoy that you want to continue to serve. Out of all of those things, which are you really passionate about?
Forming Your Vision
So how do you form a vision that is so compelling, that you are so passionate about? I like to think that the best-formed visions live at the intersection of your deep-seated beliefs and your aptitude. It starts with being grounded in your fundamental beliefs. A vision that will go the distance must fulfill a higher purpose — something that you believe will make the world a better place. Circumstances such as crucible experiences often provide fertile ground for understanding who you really are and what innate gifts and abilities you have. Creating a vision for yourself that fully aligns with who you are sets the foundation for you to live and lead with uncompromised authenticity.
In an earlier blog post, I spoke of Walt Disney. He had a vision of a different kind of cartoon, cartoons like Snow White that would be full feature-length movies that would tell a compelling story. It helped that Walt Disney was an animator that could inspire others with the vision he wanted to achieve.
Vision can sometimes seem hard to define. But a vision that is anchored in who you are and what you believe, defined and refined by circumstances such as crucible experiences and fueled by a higher purpose, will become clear and grow over time. Walt Disney did not necessarily have a vision of everything he would achieve, but he was fascinated with animated cartoons and the ability to tell stories. He knew that there was promise there, he believed in what his vision was, and so he began the journey of turning it into a reality.
What we learn from Walt Disney is that vision may change, evolve, and grow into something greater or different than you originally intended, but this is alright. The important thing is to start. Begin with what you feel needs to change, perhaps as a result of a crucible experience, then take one step at a time. The vision will become more defined over time. Trust your instincts and trust the process as your vision begins to slowly evolve and take shape.
Making It Stick
Seeing your vision take hold and grow in clarity is not easy — it may take years. Inevitably there will be challenges and setbacks. So how do you keep going and persevere? It is critical that you have a support team that believes in you and your vision, people who are with you no matter what. It could be family members, or it could be the team that you are going to build the vision with. If the vision is all about you, you will probably find it hard to attract people to help you or be part of your vision.
To have staying power, you also have to believe in what you are doing. Always remember why you started this journey and why it’s important to you that you see it through. Don’t let fear or doubt hold you back. A vision that will go the distance must fulfill a higher purpose, something that you believe will make the world a better place. This will always help compel you and your team forward.
There’s no better time than now to begin your journey to finding your vision, forming it, and giving it the necessary ingredients to make it become a reality.
What dream do you have that you would like to become reality? Get out your paintbrush and start painting. Brush stroke by brush stroke, you will fill in your vision and bring it to life in ways you could never imagine.
Reflection
What do you really care about?
Next Steps
- Write down what you believe must change. It may be from a crucible experience. It will be something that you believe will fulfill a higher purpose and will help others.
- Write down the names of the core team that will help make your vision a reality.
- Write down the first step you will take on the journey to making your vision come true.
