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Casting a Vision: Begin with the End in Mind

Written by: Todd Linaman

Article Overview: When you look at your hopes and dreams for the future – where you want to be at some defined point in time – what do you see? Is the road pretty clear before you or is the fog too thick? Of course, no one has the power to fully predict their future, but those who cast a vision and do whatever it takes to achieve it have a better chance of predictable success and satisfaction as they look back from the vantage point of old age.

Casting a Vision: Begin with the End in Mind

When you look at your hopes and dreams for the future – where you want to be at some defined point in time – what do you see? Is the road pretty clear before you or is the fog too thick? Of course, no one has the power to fully predict their future, but those who cast a vision and do whatever it takes to achieve it have a better chance of predictable success and satisfaction as they look back from the vantage point of old age.

Casting a vision for your life simply means to decide what you ultimately want to do, have, and accomplish in life. Many people today know what they don’t want in life, but they can’t fully identify what they do want. Moreover, even if they knew what they wanted they too often couldn’t identify how to get there. Some of the questions you will want to answer for yourself as you develop a vision for your own life will include:

1. What do I want to achieve in my personal relationships with my friends, family and spouse?
2. What do I want to accomplish professionally?
3. How do I want to make a difference in my community?
4. Where do I want to live?
5. What kind of home do I desire to live in?
6. Where do I want to spend my vacations?
7. What special interests do I want to develop?
8. What do I want my financial picture to look like?
9. What kind of shape do I want to be in physically?
10. And, how can I develop my life spiritually?

Having a vision involves knowing your desired destination as well as having a road map and compass to help you reach it.

So jot down the questions above and feel free to add any others that come to your mind. Write as many things as you can think of that define what you want in these areas of your life. The next step will be to divide each category into three columns: What am I currently doing to make this a reality? What am I doing to delay or prevent this from happening? And, What can I do to accomplish this?

Yes, that’s a tough assignment, but living a satisfying life is a worthwhile goal. If you decide in advance where you want to end up, you’ll be able to know where to start.

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Article Tags: better chance, compass, fog, friends family, hopes and dreams, jot down, many things, personal relationships, point in time, road map, satisfaction, shape, special interests, vacations, vantage point



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