“All successful people men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” – Brian Tracy, author and speaker
The GPS tool has become a near-standard part of long trips. My parents have even given their GPS tool a nickname. Whether you have your GPS on a phone or in a car unit, GPS has replaced the traditional map as the way to help you know where you are going.
Last week, I wrote about how your core purpose (Add link here!!!!!) provides the “why” for your business success. Once you know why you are in business, you can then determine where you are going. Your vision is the first time you begin to think of where you want your business to go in the future. Vision is the GPS for your business, because you identify the end point of your journey over the next several years.
Unlike core purpose, vision changes over time. If you ask long-time Apple employees, I am sure you would hear that the company did not expect to become one of the world’s great consumer products companies. When Apple started, Steve Jobs and his team had a vision to create a simple-to-use and attractive personal computer. As Jobs ran different businesses and returned to Apple, his vision for the company had changed. Apple became a company that focused on creating simple-to-use and gorgeous products to let people enjoy their lives wherever they were. The iPod, iPhone, and iPad soon followed.
How far should you set your vision? I suggest creating two separate visions. The first vision to create is one looking one to three years in the future. This vision will help you identify what your business can become by executing the rest of your business plan. This vision will help you consider long-term trends and the projects and actions you can take to develop over a long period of time. This is where you can dream big and think about the big ideas and goals you want to consider for creating a great business. My friend and branding coach Jimi Gibson taught me that a shorter-term vision is also extremely important for focusing your actions over the next 90 days. For example, my 90-day vision is to create one new class and begin working with two new business coaching clients. A long-term vision is great, but you must also have a vision for what you should accomplish in the next several months. You will focus your efforts and establish short-term priorities with this short-term vision.
Set your business GPS with the right vision, and you start walking the path to success.
What is your vision for the next three months and the next three years? Share your thoughts below!
