If ever there was a year to identify a personal vision – 2020 was it. 2020 vision – Perfect! Then something happened about 60 days into the year and boom – every aspect of life was turned upside-down. For many, this seemed to result in any vision identified for the year being thrown out the window. However – that simply indicated the “vision” – wasn’t really a vision at all. A true vision is created for times JUST LIKE THIS. Whether you’re one of those who did invest the time to identify your personal vision heading into 2020 OR you decided you weren’t quite ready, we’ll talk about why that vision matters more than ever during a time like this and what our next steps can be going forward. We’ll cover all that and more right here on the YouTube Coaching Channel in less than 10 seconds!
Vision. If you’ve hung around with us here on the YouTube Coaching Channel or over at the Catalyst Health, Wellness & Performance Coaching podcast for long, you’re familiar with the concept and value of a personal vision. It’s natural to think that in a year where the entire world seems to have gone sideways, such an exercise was a nonsensical waste of time. Nothing could be further from the truth, as a well-developed vision can be your northern star, shining brightest when times are dark.
We’ll talk about where to go from here, but first let’s briefly summarize the vision process for those who may be new to it. A personal vision is not a goal. It’s not a resolution. It’s a vision of the future you – the person you are becoming. Goals are the “what. With a vision, we go beyond the “what” to the “who.” WHO do we venture to become this year as we grow as an individual?
Unlike the setting of goals, specific circumstances do NOT influence the vision. Goals? Sure. Vision? Nope. If I set a goal to run a marathon but then break my ankle, the goal must be adjusted – sometimes significantly. If I focus in on a vision of becoming an active individual, a broken ankle doesn’t change that vision – it simply changes the way in which that vision proceeds.
The way each of us approach a vision is different. We’ll link to the podcast episode on how to develop your vision below if you’re interested in setting that in motion. As a result, my personal vision for 2020 is of little or no value to anyone else because it’s a PERSONAL vision. Keeping that in mind, I’ll pull one element of my 2020 vision – which you can see here – as an example to potentially help get your mental juices flowing. Keep in mind that while I prefer to create a picture like this for my vision, you don’t have to. Yours might be a phrase or a single image or even a word. Don’t let those details distract you here. This is simply an example.
If you’d like us to do a future video digging into more of the details of a sample vision, please comment below. But for now, let’s just look at just one specific element of my 2020 vision to see the role it’s playing in this seemingly upside-down world going on around us right now. Right there in the center, you see a sphere with a plus sign. That represents a vision of more effectively contributing a positive impact on those within my sphere of influence.
Then, 2 months later, the worldwide pandemic hit. Did that mean that vision was sunk? Tossed out the window? Not at all. In fact, staying focused on the vision resulted in opening up my eyes to potential ways in which to live out that vision – THROUGH the changing circumstances! Even when everything around us might change, the vision remains constant. Yes – the “How” and “What” involved in bringing that vision into reality might change, but the WHO remains.
Does this help clarify how valuable the personal vision can be? If you did take the time to identify your 2020 vision, now might be a great time to pull it out and renew your commitment to the process. If this is all new to you, maybe this is a great time to start with something simple on which to focus the remainder of the year. I’d love to hear more about some of the core elements of your vision in the comments section below if you’re willing to share.
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This is Dr. Bradford Cooper of the Catalyst Coaching Institute signing out. Thanks for joining us and I’ll look forward to speaking with you soon on another feature here on the YouTube Coaching Channel or over at the Catalyst Health, Wellness & Performance coaching podcast.
