I hope to inspire you to create an annual vision this year. I just turned 50 and for the first time in my life, created a very clear vision for 2021. I review it every day and I am already feeling the results of that commitment in clarity and fulfillment. I know where I am going and am starting to be able to see certain actions I need to take to get there.
If I ask you, “What is your vision?” do have an answer? If you do, is it a clear answer? For most of us a vision is some kind of pipe dream. For most of us, crafting a vision will take some mental work and faith.
Having a vision also requires bold action on the vision creator’s part. It means we have to actually do something challenging to achieve it. Having a vision will let us know, without a doubt, whether we are achieving or failing to achieve. This could be another reason most people don’t have a vision; it allows us to be lackadaisical. It lets us off the hook.
What Can a Vision Do for You?
- First, it allows us to think about what we want to be and where we want to go in life.
- Second, by reviewing it daily or even just once a week, we start to imagine what we have written in our vision and our world starts to change.
- Third, it can inspire us to imagine and create more and more detail as we read it. It evolves over time this way.
Suggestions for Approaching Your Vision
- Write out your vision as simply as you can.
- If you would like some ideas on how to write your vision, read this previous post about creating your One Year Vision. Make sure to start simple. Perhaps it’s only your health and fitness that you have the bandwidth to work on now. Just write that. Here’s an idea to get things started: “It’s 12.31.2021 and I am so grateful for this past year. I feel an amazing sense of peace, joy, and fulfillment washing over me knowing that I lost those last 10kg (22lbs) of body fat. I look great, feel great, and am wearing the same size jeans I wore in high school.” Viola! Apply this simple idea to your particular situation.
- Select 1-3 goals from your Vision to be obtained by the end of the year.
- In the above example, that is a 10kg fat loss goal.
- Set 4 x 12-week Quarters in order to attain it by 12.31.2021.
- If it’s 10kg (22lbs), divide that by 4. That’s 2.5kg (5.5lbs) of fat loss every 12 weeks. That is definitely achievable!
- Since there are 13 weeks in a quarter, on the 13th week you celebrate and take a break from your goal and relax so that you can attack the next 12 weeks with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Why Are Quarterly Goals So Powerful?
- They break down an audacious Annual Goal into 4 smaller, quarterly goals.
- They get us moving on the goal from Jan 1st, because the first quarterly goal is due on March 25th.
- They give us clear mileposts/check-in points to let us know if we are ahead, behind or right on pace with our goal.
- They allow us to break down that Quarterly goal into weekly goals. So in the case of the quarterly goal of 2.5kg (5.5lbs) of fat loss, we divide that by 12 weeks and get a weekly goal of 0.2kg (0.46lbs) . Some goals will require more thought to quantify them, but thinking is good for you:-). And if you need help, email me or send me a message on Facebook and I’ll help you out.
A Quick Share on My Q1 Missions
My Annual Vision is very detailed and is two full pages typed. It takes me about 10 minutes to read through it each day. I read it out loud. It evolves daily and gets re-edited about once a week.
I have set very simple goals based on my vision.
- To complete 1,000 hours of silent meditation 12.31.2021.
- To double our impact and income at Northstar Fitness.
- To hire 1 full-time and 3 part-time staff members to join our Northstar Fitness Team.
- To read my vision every day.
- Meditation is easy. This just breaks down to meditating 2:45 or more per day.
- To double our impact and income, we will scale our business by hiring staff and using technology to automate and systemize our work. Q1 (January 1st to March 25th) the focus is on completing our Northstar Fitness App, getting all systems up and running with the App and then starting to work with clients online.
- We will start hiring our teammates (staff) by Q2 – April 1st to June 23rd.
- Like Meditation, reading my vision is something I will do every day.
I hope this was helpful to you. Again, if you have any feedback or would like some help with your vision and quarterly goals, give me a shout. I am here to empower you!
Aloha,
Bodhi
