Vision: The Crown of the Three Business Virtues

In my last post, I talked about the three business virtues: vision, faith and gratitude. Of the three, vision is the crown because without vision, we literally will not have a reason to go forward. We need a clear vision to give us a sense of direction and purpose in our business.

Now, I know that goal setting is a hot topic of discussion at this time of year.  Many of us set goals and make resolutions with the best of intentions and then find ourselves making the same goals and resolutions the following year. We get discouraged and give up or just get distracted. Vision is different.

A vision statement is a mix between a mission statement – that details the what and why of your business, as well as who it serves – and a longer-term goal of where you’d like to see your business in the next five to 10 years.

The benefits of creating a vision statement are many, but here are just a few:

1. It gives you a clear picture of where you want to be and some tangible results you want to see when you get there. Instead of having vague results like “I want to be a millionaire,” or “I want to have a successful practice,” your vision statement gives you a clear target to aim for. And when your target is clear, it’s a lot easier to hit it.
2. Your vision statement is also meant to define your goals to your subconscious mind. When you create a powerful positive statement and work with it on a regular basis, you also put your amazing subconscious mind to work on your behalf – helping you to see previously unnoticed opportunities and inspiring you to take action and create in new ways.
3. A vision statement is meant to inspire and guide you when you run into obstacles that you may not be immediately certain how to overcome. It’s meant to be a prime directive in how you run your business and your life.

 So let me give you an example of what this might look like. The vision of XYZ Massage is to partner with other practitioners and create a healing center and spa that is state of the art and in a beautiful location but also offers its services on a sliding scale and serves as a teaching center for interns and the general public. The spa is a multi-million dollar business that is based on providing excellent service in an attractive environment. Ten years from now, I will be semi-retired and act on the Board of Advisors to help maintain the vision I have created. I’ll be traveling all over the world for business and for pleasure, and donate a large portion of my income to worthy causes.

Now, your vision may not be quite so grand or far-reaching. And if five to 10 years out seems overwhelming, go for something shorter term. The important thing is that your vision should include your “best-case scenario” for your business at least a few years from now, as well as enough practical, tangible information so that you know when you’ve arrived. This includes how much money you see your business making, where you’re located, how many employees and that sort of thing.

Action Steps

Complete the following action steps to help you get the most out of this issue’s Feature Article:

1. Write out the answers to the following questions:
   1. I’m in business because ________________.
   2. My business helps _____________ (what group of people?) do/be/have _____________ (what result?)
   3. My business makes a difference because: ________________
   4. Now imagine that it is five to 10 years in the future and answer the above questions from that vantage point. If that seems too far in the future for you to imagine clearly, try a shorter length of time. Then write out where you’d ideally like your business to be in that time frame. Make it clear, concise, positive and state it in the present tense, as though you’re already there.
   5. Write or type out the answer to question 2 and read it regularly. This is your vision statement. Put it in a place where you’ll see it every day. Make revisions to it on occasion. And as you achieve various aspects of it, be sure to celebrate and acknowledge yourself and update your vision statement again. And if you are ever tempted to doubt yourself, go back and answer question 1 again.

Questions about the Action Steps? Send them here!