Editor’s Note: This is the third installment in a three-part series examining the importance of having a vision and how to create one for your life and career.
Setting a vision and embracing a practice around expressing your vision can each yield powerful and long-lasting results for your life and your career. Individuals who are vision-centric say they are able to weather unexpected storms, stay clear and focused on a daily basis and accomplish goals with greater ease.
While the benefits of centering your life around a vision are undeniable, doing so isn’t always seamless. What happens when a vision doesn’t magically align? What happens when it seems hard to turn your vision into reality? If these issues or more have presented themselves as you integrate your vision into your life, there are a number of steps you can take to recenter, realign and reimagine your vision.
Step One: Increase Self-Awareness & Get Specific. Increasing your awareness of your emotional and psychological states is a powerful tool to help you understand what is and is not working. I encourage anyone who feels misaligned to analyze what parts of their vision aren’t working. It is all too common for a person to realize something feels off, and assume the entire vision should be abandoned. If you are experiencing friction with your vision, I encourage you to look deeper and get specific. What exactly is not working? What feelings are arising as you attempt to express your vision in the world? It is perfectly acceptable to make adjustments to certain aspects without throwing out your entire vision.
Step Two: Examine Recurring Blocks. On your journey to living a vision-based life, you will inevitably face blocks along the way. The key is to approach blocks with relentless curiosity and a spirit of exploration. For example, if your vision is centered around finding freedom in your work and you set your heart on being an entrepreneur, a block for you might arise when it is time to begin finding clients. In this case, the vision of freedom might still be correct but how it materializes may need to be revisited. Perhaps the vision of freedom can be expressed in a different way, like taking on a new autonomous role within your 9-to-5 or finding opportunities to travel more often. While you express your vision in this modified way, simultaneously work on the blocks uncovered.
Step Three: Broaden Your Perspective. Sometimes you are so close to a vision that it’s impossible to gain clarity and context. After looking inward in the first two steps, look around you. Continuing on with the previous example, the block that you identified is imposter syndrome, and it causes you to question your abilities and if you are on the right path. In select scenarios, external perspectives can be particularly helpful. Are people in your life acknowledging your talents even as you are doubting yourself? Are they highlighting your strengths? What can their perspectives teach you? I like to look at others’ opinions as additional data points. You may find it’s your self-doubt, not your vision, that’s standing in the way.
Step Four: Iterate With Self-Compassion. Because a vision is iterative, it is important that you practice self-compassion. The journey to turn your vision into reality can at times be a hard, inner journey. As you increase your awareness and address any blocks you may find that you’ve grown in certain areas. This growth or different life events have the potential to impact how you see the world, what you value and how you find fulfillment. Over time, it is important to look at your vision and confirm it still holds true emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. If it doesn’t, re-engage in the process to reset your vision with compassion.
Whenever your vision feels out of alignment or is in need of re-examination, I encourage you to be in a state of constant curiosity. Develop this habit and it will serve you greatly over time. As you ask more curiosity-based questions and respond with honesty and specificity, you will gain more insight and clarity in your life.
I hope you enjoyed this series and I wish you well on your journey of creating your vision. If you have any questions along the way connect with me on LinkedIn and send me your questions.
With gratitude.
Marsha