Having a vision is the first step of being able to transform your life. With one, you’ve got a good idea of who you want to be in the future, without one, you’re potentially wasting years of your life wandering aimlessly.
Luckily, this page contains the best ideas & top research on how to think and create a vision. We will break down the science between your mind and making a vision that matters. Whether you’re looking for your life’s purpose or need a clearer direction in life, this page should cover everything you need to know.
I. Personal Philosophy: Don’t Explain Your Philosophy
II. Setting a Vision: Vision without execution is fantasy. Execution without vision is pointless.
III. Signal vs. Noise: Noise is what you say. Signal is what they remember.
IV: Your Hero’s Journey: Great Acts Are Made Up Of Small Deeds
I. Personal Philosophy: Don’t Explain Your Philosophy
First things first. Try asking yourself “do I have a personal philosophy?”. It’s very likely that you do, you just may not be able to articulate it quite yet. We all have a personal philosophy or a way we think about ourselves that gives us some clarity and direction through our daily lives.
What Is A Personal Philosophy?
What is a personal philosophy exactly? Experts define personal philosophy as the set of guiding principles we live by. It influences everything from the words that we say, the decisions we make, and the actions we take.
You might want to think of a personal philosophy as a filter to all of your thoughts and actions. This helps bring alignment between your unconscious thoughts and conscious actions to lead you towards a path of success.
Don’t Explain Your Philosophy
If you think back in history, many of the most memorable characters all had one thing in common. They knew exactly what they stood for. They would talk their talk, and they would walk their walk. Having alignment between their thoughts and actions is the process of self-discovery. Your personal philosophy is just that. It’s the process of self-discovery and figuring out who you are, what you stand for, and being able to articulate it to others & yourself most of all.
Your philosophy first and foremost should feel right to you. No one else has to understand nor resonate with it. It you. It’s your intrinsic philosophy that exists inside you, you just need to discover it first.
Embodying Your Personal Philosophy
Once you can articulate your personal philosophy, your next major step is to live by it. This is hard work and you have to do that work. The true test of knowing if you can embody your philosophy is being able to articulate it without any preparation. If somebody were to ask you “who are you”, you’d be able to clearly express who you are and what you stand for in clear words. This isn’t an easy thing to do, so we’re going to work on that today.
Less is more, start with 25-30 words and refine it until it feels right. Write it down and read it out loud repeatedly. Does it sound right? If you were to go to a significant other, sibling, best friend, or parent, would they agree with what you’ve written?
Now ask yourself why. If there is no clear why that describes your philosophy, start with why instead. Continue to ask yourself, why is this my philosophy? Write that down instead. After you’ve done this a few times, you should have a clear philosophy that you can articulate to anyone who asks.
II. Setting a Vision: Vision without execution is fantasy. Execution without vision is pointless.
Setting a vision is important. A vision without execution is fantasy, and execution without vision is pointless. Being intentional about where we’re going before we get started, adding meaning behind why we’re doing it, and creating a vision are all ways to make meaningful progress toward your goals and future identity.
Knowing Where You’re Going Before You Start
Most people don’t know why they’re doing what they’re doing. They imitate others, go with the flow, and follow paths that aren’t their own. If your personal philosophy acts as a compass, your vision is the destination. How do you imagine a future that has not yet arrived? What does success look like to you? What are you working towards today?
Your vision is a projection of yourself into the future. It’s an idea that you aim for throughout your life. Who do you want to become? What do you want to do with your time on earth?
Finding Meaning
There is a difference between what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Your vision acts as the why you’re doing something. Your goals on the other hand act as the what you’re doing & complement your vision well.
Reaching a goal does not necessarily result in meaning. You can get the promotion, have the dream house, marry the love of your life and still not have the sense of meaning that you’ve longed for.
Crafting a Vision
When you create a vision, you are asking yourself the question of what is possible in life. Your vision should be stimulating, ambitious, and potentially overwhelming. You should break it down into different aspects of your life such as family, work, friends, and more. Imagine the future and navigate through it by writing it down & saying it out loud. You want to get as clear as possible with your vision. Using imagery such as a vision board can help activate your vision and make it more real.
III. Signal vs. Noise: Noise is what you say. Signal is what they remember.
To produce signal, you must mute noise. Noise in your life is what you say, but signal in your life is what others remember. The signal might be obvious to you, but amazing to others. Reduce the noise in your life by saying no to everything that doesn’t excite you and beware of advice that takes the power of making a decision away from your philosophy.
Hell Yeah or No
If there’s one thing you should take away from this article on vision, that is to say yes to less, say no to more. There’s less time to do what ultimately excites us. Once you can get in the habit of saying no to almost everything, you are empowering the next time you say yes to excite you. So say no to almost everything that doesn’t excite you and when things that do excite you come your way, commit fully to them.
What Excites You
Let your compass guide you. Whatever excites you, you should go do it. Whatever drains you, you should stop doing it. There is nothing worth losing your excitement over. Whether that is pleasing others, following another’s dream, or just trying to feel accepted in life. Don’t bother with energy-sucking people, jobs, or activities. Do bother with energy-emitting friends, work, and fun.
Beware of Advice
Everyone has advice to give, but rarely does advice help unless we’re actively seeking it. When we are actively seeking advice, we have to beware why we’re seeking it in the first place. We might want to validate that our decision is more correct than others, or that we want somebody else to decide for us. Use advice as a means to listen and get feedback, but ultimately only you know what do.
IV: Your Hero’s Journey: Great Acts Are Made Up Of Small Deeds
You’ve heard the classic story where the main character ventures out to get what they need, faces conflict, and triumphs over adversity. Your journey is no different. Your journey will consist of three great acts, each consisting of small deeds.
Departing The Norm
Before your journey can start, you must depart the norm. This is the discovery of a new world of endless possibilities and a challenge to the status quo. People will challenge you. They will find ways to keep you in your ordinary world. There’s more to life than identifying as normal. Go beyond.
Act of Initiation
As you approach unknown territory into a new special world, you’ll set forth into various trials and challenges to overcome. In the face of adversity, this is how you are initiated into your new normal. You’ve made a decision to go forth past your ordinary world to create a new world for yourself. There’s plenty of adventure & mentors along the way to help guide you along your journey until you’ve reached the reward.
Triumphant Return
While you’re on your journey back to your ordinary world, you’ll realize that there is one last obstacle to face. This is your final battle to which everything you’ve learned & the skills you’ve developed up until this point are put to the last test. If you can overcome your final battle, you’ll return to your ordinary world a transformed person.