Do you have a Personal Vision Statement?

The first section of your Imagine More Plan is your Personal Vision Statement. This is where you outline who you are and what your purpose is.  Don’t worry about how formal and structured it sounds. It can and should be very simple and straightforward.  This process will help you take much of what you have already written and boil it down to just a couple thoughts of emphasis.

1. Identify words that work for you.

Remember the notes you made while reading the earlier section.  Read through them one more time to refresh yourself. Start by making a list of all the words or phrases that come to mind as inspiring or energizing to you.  Think about where you’ve been, who you are, and what you see yourself becoming.  Take as much space and time as you need.  It’s important to capture as many thoughts as possible in an all-inclusive list.  Many of these will be the basic building blocks of your plan’s foundation.

2.  Refine your list.

Now review the list you just made and pick out the ten words or phrases that most resonate with you.  Use a blank sheet of paper to assemble your words into meaningful assertions about the future.  Some people like to just start writing.  Others prefer to use mind maps or other brainstorming techniques.

3.  Craft your vision statement.

Typically, your Personal Vision Statement will include two paragraphs.  One starts with “I am,” and the second starts with “My purpose is . . .”  Or, you can really let the creative juices flow and write your vision as a poem, short story, or combination of words and pictures. Most famously, Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, encouraged all of her consultants to create a “Dream Board” of their ideal lives and hang it near their desks, on their bathroom mirrors, or on the refrigerator. For many people, this visual representation is more powerful than words.

It’s important to note that you’re preparing your Vision Statement for where you are currently.  You will likely revisit this activity and revise your vision many times in the near future, particularly as you begin to experience major changes in your life.  Let your writing reflect exactly where you are right now; don’t worry whether it will work a year from now.  When you’ve got it right, you should feel an internal “Aha” each time you read it out loud.

The first time I can remember doing something like this, I think I was about ten years old.  For a school assignment, we made a folder with a current picture and information about ourselves on the left, and then our dreams on the right. I can still picture it in my mind. On the left, I was in a pink shirt, blue jeans, and my pink and baby blue fold down Converse shoes. I loved those shoes! On the right, I wrote that I would become a coach and a lawyer, that I would drive a Jeep and live in the mountains.

It took me twenty years to realize that I had it pretty close to right the first time. I’m back to wearing funny shoes. I have a ten year old Jeep with big tires, and I spend a lot of time outdoors. (I did learn that I’m not very fond of cold weather, so I’ve traded the mountains for the beach, but my love of being in nature is still there.) And my sister is the lawyer, while I turned out to be the accountant. Most importantly, I’ve rediscovered my passion for coaching. Looking back, it was there all along. It was always what I did on the side: coaching high school girls basketball in the summer, teaching the CPA review course, mentoring several young people that crossed my path, writing and presenting technology and leadership courses for a non-profit, and homeschooling my daughter.

For a long time, I always focused on what I “should” enjoy when I did exercises like this.  I thought about what others might think and the perceived financial implications.  Until I honestly completed this exercise with a focus on where I actually find joy, I didn’t let myself consider my true calling as an option. But when I saw the words and phrases I used to describe myself and thought about how I would spend my days if money weren’t a factor, my purpose jumped off the page at me.

I’ve never felt anything as rewarding as seeing a life changing concept or how to use a new technology tool “click” in someone’s head. Helping others get the most out of their lives energizes me. I know it is what I was put on this Earth to do. Share. Teach. Inspire. That is my life’s purpose.

What’s yours?