The German philosopher, Goethe, had the answer to this when he said, “The important thing in life is to have a great aim and possess the aptitude and the perseverance to attain it.”
The first time I meet a new client it is always an introductory to make sure that we are a good ‘fit’ and will be able to work together. The next session always begins with setting goals. No matter whether the client is looking to get more clients for their business, wanting to change career or increase their confidence, this will always be the first step.
I also know that a lot of people struggle with this. They struggle to come up with a vision of what they want for themselves or their business and they procrastinate and put off trying to determine what their goal is. Many don’t even see the point in it (this is one of the reasons that Jane Stephenson and I have collaborated to write ‘Your Future – A Practical Guide to Action’ which is currently being published).
Not having a goal or a vision is a bit like getting into your car and just driving with no map and no idea of where you are going. Guaranteed you will end up somewhere but will it really be where you want to be? And how will you manage to convince the others in the car that they should go along with you? (Ok so if I am to be honest, occasionally I do find it fun to just get in the car and drive. It can be a bit of an adventure but it is not the way to try and run a profitable business!)
If you want your business to succeed, you need to know exactly what position it is in now and then create a vision or goal of where you want your business to be – you must be prepared to spend time doing this if you want to succeed. The next step is to clearly communicate this vision (I will take you through these 2 steps in more detail in Part 2). This gives you and your employees direction and focus so you know what you are working towards and this in turn will create the drive and passion needed to achieve your goals and make your business a success.
A great article I read recently said that ‘a good vision gives an organization both direction and the inspiration to pursue it’. And no matter what size your business is, I couldn’t agree more!
For me the whole article can be summed up with the following quote:
‘… the very act of having the aim in large measure provides the aptitude and perseverance needed to achieve it. Vision does this because it taps deeply seated emotions. It stirs people, kindles their passion and propels them forward. Vision provides the crucial performance motive beyond the survival instinct’.
Click on the link to read the rest of the article: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705366518/The-power-of-vision-provides-organizations-with-direction-inspiration.html?pg=1
