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How to Develop a Personal Vision

Now it is time to start on your personal vision. To set the right expectations, we must clarify that this is not something you do in just a few minutes. It will take a lot of thought, effort, and emotion on your part. You will be most effective when you use a pen and paper so that you can physically write. The other alternative is to have a tablet you can write on, but the point is that you actually write. The act of writing unlocks a part of your brain that otherwise stays dormant—strangely, typing alone does not unlock it. If you would like some help getting started, a free vision template is available from BYBgoals.com.

So, whether you are using a blank piece of paper, our template, or a tablet, let’s get started.

Follow these three steps to develop a compelling personal vision.

Step 1. Fire Up Your Imagination!

Just as you imagined your dream home in the last chapter, you first need to identify what you want your life to look like so that you can work on making it a reality. Step 1 is about creating your mental reality so you can start working toward making that your physical reality.

Four questions will help fire up your imagination so that you can start thinking about what matters most to you and what the best version of you looks like. These questions will help you get your creative ideas flowing before you start on your vision.

We constantly hear feedback from people who say that these four preliminary questions were vital to helping them think about what to include in their personal visions. Invest as much time as you need to answer these questions fully. It is easy to stay at the surface, but we invite you to go deeper. For some people, this might mean that you spend hours on just these four questions. At a minimum, you should spend no less than 15 minutes; if you spend less, you are likely shortchanging yourself.

Write these four questions on a tablet or a piece of paper and leave plenty of space for your answers:

A. In the next 10 to 20 years, what are some things you want to do and/ or accomplish?

B. Think of any mentors or people who have inspired you (these can be people you know personally or people you know from history). What are the traits, characteristics, and qualities that you admire about each of these people?

C. What would you like to improve in your job, your home, or your community?

D. How do you hope others will look back and describe you 50 years from today, whether you are alive or not?

These four powerful questions help the mind think about what matters most. When you answer them, you will have started to design your home—or the mental reality of the best version of yourself—before starting on your vision.

Each question does its part to get the creative juices flowing. For example, question B asks you to think about mentors or influencers who have inspired you or who have had a positive impact on your life. Here are some answers to this question that we have seen in the past:

They brought out the best in me because they believed in me!

They had an uplifting and positive attitude.

They had a sense of humor, knew how to laugh, and had fun.

They sincerely listened to me when I needed a listening ear.

They had hope and exercised great faith.

They took responsibility for their actions and owned everything that happened to them.

They treated me with kindness and respect.

Can you sense how powerful going through this process is just by reading a few of these answers? Question B often causes a person to say to themselves, “If those are the traits and qualities I admired in others, shouldn’t those be the traits and qualities that I should be focusing on with myself?”

It is the reflective nature of each of the four questions that makes them important to think about before starting on your vision. Armed with your answers to these four questions, you will be ready to start on your actual vision.

Your vision is as much about becoming the ideal version of yourself as it is about accomplishing different things in life. It does not matter whether you are that person now or not; what is important is that you can articulate the type of person you want to become.

Step 2: Identify the Roles That Matter Most to You

We invite you to look at your life through the lens of the different roles that matter most to you. Throughout the day, you wear different hats based on where you are, what you are doing, and who you are with, right? A few examples of roles are personal (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial), parent, your job title, spouse or partner, coach, church member, friend, brother/sister, son/daughter, and so on.

When we think about roles in general, it is often easier to think just about our professional roles. Roles invite us to think about the other areas of our lives that are equally or even more important. Dividing your life into your most important roles helps you maintain balance and think about what you can accomplish or do in each area. Our focus on roles is what makes this book far more than just another one on business or leadership. This holistic approach to leading your life and focusing on your key roles supports the journey toward your best self.

Those of you who use the template found at BYBgoals.com can see how there are specific areas for your vision and goals within each role (see Figure 11). The rows labeled “Role” are places for you to write your most important roles. In Figure 12, you can see how the same process of dividing your life into various roles can be used in a different format. For now, we will focus on the vision within each role. Ignore the areas where it talks about goals; that will be the focus of Chapters 5 and 6.

Several times throughout the book, you will read that your personal role is the most important role because it is you taking care of you first—physically, mentally, emotionally/spiritually, and financially. A person can only share their light when they have light to share. Some people call this self-care. The bottom line is that it does not matter what you call it; the most important thing is that you are able to take care of yourself. When you do, you will be in a much better position to show up in your other roles.

People frequently ask what the right number of roles is for a person to have. Although there is no right or wrong answer to that question, the optimal number of roles is somewhere between five and seven. The number of roles you choose depends on your personality and your circumstances, which leaves you room to experiment with it. Remember, the whole point of roles is to create balance and focus on what matters most. You do not want to have too many roles because you only have so much time and bandwidth. Typically, the five-to-seven range is a good starting point for most people.

Now that you’ve considered some of your roles, write down the roles that matter most to you. Leave some space either below or next to your role so that you can write your vision in that space. For now, this is a draft, so do not worry about whether it is perfect or not. It is more important to simply start.

Figure 11. Visions and goals template

Figure 12. Visions and goals in a different format

Step 3: Write Your Vision for Each Role

Keep in mind your answers to the questions from Step 1. The reason you started with those questions was to get your mind thinking about what matters most to you. Now take some of your thoughts and ideas from those four thought-provoking questions and come up with your vision in each role.

Ask yourself, What represents the best version of me in this role? If you can aspire to be the best manager, parent, partner, sales rep, and so on, what will that look like by role? Again, first develop the mental reality of what your best looks like in each role so that you can then create the physical reality.

It is important to clarify the difference between a vision and goals. Think of the vision as the end destination—it is the absolute best version of you in that role, there is an emotional feel to it, and it guides your behavior and decision-making. The annual goals come later and become the specific milestones toward making your vision a reality. You’ll find it much easier to come up with goals when you do so in the context of your vision. So, when you develop your vision, it does not need to be specific or measurable—that comes with the goals. The most important part of your vision is that it drives your behavior and creates alignment for your actions in that role.

When developing your vision, it is also essential that you use empowering words, such as I am or I will, rather than weaker words such as someday, I hope, or to be. Sense the difference between saying I am a transformational leader who leads from the front versus I hope to be a better leader. When you write your vision and goals, words matter!

If you are like us, then you appreciate examples because they often generate new ideas. Read the following examples of a personal vision by role, some personal and some professional, to get a better sense of what others have done:

Personal: I choose to live a balanced, healthy lifestyle, and I am in great physical shape. I maintain a high level of spirituality. I am financially free with no debt or financial obligations to anyone.

Spouse: I am a kind and caring spouse who always helps my husband/ wife/partner feel like a 10! I am totally faithful in thought and action and constantly strive to compliment him/her, serve him/her, and be the husband/wife/partner of his/her dreams.

Friend: I surround myself with people who make me want to be a better person and who care about my success. I am a loyal, committed friend who is happy about the success of others. I create meaningful friendships and genuinely want to help, lift, and inspire when possible.

Parent: I am an example in thought and deed of what a kind and caring person looks like. I am the type of person I want my daughters/sons to marry. I am present with my children and continuously develop great memories with them. I invest the time and energy to help them see their potential, bring out their best, and make a difference in the world.

Sales Manager: I am a transformational leader who knows the stories of and invests in each team member. I set the tone so that each member of our team is inspired to give their best, and I am always focused on developing the mindset and skillset of each team member. I am the type of leader my team would still want to follow without the title!

Again, your vision is something that should create alignment and direction in a specific role. Intuitively, you will be able to look at your vision for each role and know whether you are in alignment with it. If so, great. If not, then it is your responsibility to take action to get your life in harmony with your vision.

Let us look at the spouse example in more detail. Rob’s actual vision in the role of husband is, “I am a kind and caring husband who always helps Tonya feel like a 10. I am totally faithful in thought and action, and I constantly strive to compliment her, serve her, and be the husband of her dreams.” Is that how it always goes in their relationship? Of course not. But Rob knows when his actions and words are out of alignment with that vision. When he has said or done something that is out of alignment, it is his responsibility to fix it and get back to the vision. That vision also drives his goals and weekly actions from pre-week planning. The whole point is that Rob’s vision in the role of husband gives him a direction for his actions, and it is meaningful to him. That is what you should be able to say about your vision for each of your roles.

From a professional standpoint, wouldn’t you want people on your team whose personal vision aligns with the team vision? Also, wouldn’t you want people on your team whose personal vision aligns with what they are doing in their role? In our experience, if an employee’s vision is out of alignment with the company vision or their role in the company, they will be a mediocre contributor or performer at best. Conversely, high performers and high achievers often find that their personal vision aligns with the company vision and their role. For this reason, everyone who goes through the Do What Matters Most training develops a vision for their professional role or job title.

You can imagine how aligning Elon Musk’s vision is, as the founder of SpaceX, when he says, “We are going to colonize Mars.” Elon may not be perfect, but his type of vision creates alignment and motivation. You can use the same thought process for each of your roles. In other words, you can develop a statement that aligns your behavior and actions to your best self in that role.

Here are a few more examples to help you generate additional ideas:

Personal: I am organized and in control of my time. I dive into new experiences with enthusiasm. I am always learning new and exciting things to keep me invigorated. I am grounded, focused, and deeply connected with my inner self.

Artist: I bring color and beauty to the world by creating paintings that spark joy in others. I learn skills and techniques that I then pass on to others. I spread joy through my paintings.

Student: I am a dedicated student who stays on top of homework and assignments. I continue to learn and grow through experiences in and out of the classroom.

And here are a few professional examples for various roles:

CEO: I lead by example and set the tone for our organization. I help my team stay aligned, focused, and motivated to be the industry leader in the lead generation software industry. I commit the time and resources necessary to develop the people, create a high-performance culture, and align the strategy.

Manager: I am a great manager who contributes to an outstanding team. I am a key player who always brings energy, enthusiasm, and a no-quit attitude to the team. I uplift the people that I work with and help them to become their best.

Sales Rep: I do whatever it takes to ethically and legally close the deal. I have a no-quit attitude when I’m smiling and dialing. I strive to serve the customer and over-deliver in everything I do. I’m a team player because we ultimately win as a team.

Independent Consultant: I am an empowered and collaborative leader who is passionate about working with others and helping them become successful leaders. I am a leader who drives diversity and believes in the power of diverse thinking for better decision-making.

Founder: I will build a 50+ million-dollar company and become a leader in the data center industry. I am a leader who leads with integrity, innovation, vision, and collaboration. I only surround myself with people who have a strong work ethic, contribute to the team, and strive to make our company a better place.

Warehouse Manager: Safety and quality are my highest priority. I am the type of leader who clearly communicates expectations and leads the safest, most efficient warehouse operations in the industry. I am engaged with my employees and continuously seek to improve our operations with perfection as the standard.

Hopefully, these examples will help you get started. It is vital to articulate your mental reality so that you can go to work creating the physical reality. Remember, the vision is the destination, and the goals (which come later) are the milestones to achieve the vision.

If you are in a position to do so, we invite you to pause here and invest whatever time is necessary to develop a draft of your vision. In the beginning, the most important thing is to simply write. Choose the roles that matter most to you, get your thoughts on paper, and get down the first draft of your vision. Then, you can sit back, read it, see how you feel, and decide whether it is your final vision or if you might need to make some adjustments.

After you get some initial thoughts on paper, or you get a rough draft of your written vision, you can run it through a litmus test. Once it passes the litmus test, odds are you have a great vision that creates alignment in your different roles.

The Litmus Test

A common question people ask after spending time working on their vision is How do I know that I have finished?

If you are like most people, the vision can be challenging because you are articulating the direction for who you are and what type of legacy you want to leave (by role). The ultimate litmus test is to ask yourself two simple questions: First, Does my vision give me direction in each role? Second, Is it meaningful to me? If you can answer yes to both of these questions, you are off to a great start!

Your vision does not need to capture everything; it just needs to capture what matters most to you. In addition to these two fundamental questions, here are some additional questions you can ask to ensure you covered what matters most in your vision. If you have already started writing down your vision, review your draft, and see if these introspective questions spark any additional ideas:

Does it describe my physical shape, fitness, and desired health?

Does it describe how I manage my money and my desired finances?

Does it describe my emotional strength?

Does it describe how I respond to anger, stress, or chaos?

Does it describe how I treat others (my spouse, children, and coworkers)?

Does it describe how I learn and gain knowledge?

Does it describe what kind of listener and communicator I am?

Does it describe my outlook on life?

Does it excite me?

Does it describe my honesty and integrity—especially in the moment of choice?

Does it describe how I take responsibility for my actions?

Does it describe how I live in peace and balance?

Does it describe what I do in the face of adversity, setbacks, and failure?

Does it describe my faith?

Does it describe my work ethic?

Does it describe a state of being that moves me from where I am today?

When you read your vision and agree that it gives you direction and is meaningful to you, you have a vision! When you can satisfactorily answer most of the questions in the preceding list, your vision has passed the litmus test, and you are in a very elite percentage of people. When you get to this point, you will have done what only 2 percent of people have done!

You should feel a sense of accomplishment, as well as a clear sense of purpose and direction. If you feel a little uncomfortable or even a little nervous, that is perfectly normal and is generally a good feeling. A personal vision can evoke a wide range of emotions because of how personal it is. The reason it is normal to feel both excitement and unease is that you are now like the elastic band example from Chapter 1—you are stretching yourself.

We invite you to go to your calendar right now and block off an hour or so to focus on developing and finalizing your vision. Ideally, you will do this within the next two weeks while it is fresh in your mind.

To help with accountability, you can write in the planned completion date here:

I will finish my personal vision by ___________________ (date).

Once you pass the litmus test and finalize your vision, we invite you to print it and put it in a place where you will see it often (at least weekly as part of your pre-week planning). For those of you who use the Becoming Your Best planner, you can put it in the front of the planner under the Vision tab. The point is to keep it in front of you—otherwise, out of sight, out of mind.

For those who want to take it up a notch, we also invite you to memorize your vision by role. You will find that in the process of memorizing your vision, it will get deeply ingrained into your mind and heart. Imagine how great that will feel to have such a powerful internal compass!

Once you have finalized your vision, you can continue to build on this habit of staying centered on your vision. Some people find it helpful to create a vision board. A vision board is an excellent complement to your written vision. To create a vision board, simply put up pictures on a board that represent your vision. You can put your vision board in your closet, hallway, garage, office, or anywhere you will see it often.

Another way to build on your written vision is to develop a lifetime bucket list. Create a list of things you would like to do during your life. If you are in a relationship, both people can do this individually and then come together to compare lists and look for overlaps and make those a higher priority. Your bucket list can be part of your vision board or collocated with your written vision.

Both the vision board and bucket list are simple ways to continue building on your written vision. They give you added focus, direction, and energy.

However, the most important part of this process is to start developing your written personal vision by role. After all, the art is in the start. An old saying from an unknown author says, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” So, we invite you to start today.

Congratulations on getting to this point. The fact that you are here is a big deal!

The Life-Changing Impact of Your Personal Vision

It is interesting to hear stories from people about how their vision affected their focus and productivity, both in the workplace and in their personal lives. You might also like to see what others have written about their experiences while you consider your personal vision. Consider these testaments to the process:

“Obstacles only become visible when we lose sight of the goal.” This quote is one of my favorites and embodies the importance of a personal vision to me. Not only is my vision important, but it also drives me from my very core. My personal vision gives my life purpose, direction, and focus. It is sometimes easy to lose sight of the vision, to forget “what you care about,” or get lost in the monotony of life. When this happens, I notice that I am not as happy or fulfilled; however, as soon as I recognize this, I go back to my vision to see how my actions align with my vision. Many times, I’ve slipped up, and it is not aligned, but just that realization is powerful because I can make course corrections to get back in line. My vision has changed my life. It’s what gives me drive and purpose.

—ANNE S. P.

I recite my vision from memory almost every morning, and it really fires me up and ignites a deep passion within me to truly bring out my best to meet the day’s challenges.
My vision still brings a smile to my face and gives me a sense of purpose and drive that leaves me feeling full at the end of each day when I reflect upon it.

—MICHAEL L.

For me, my personal vision allows me to have greater happiness and peace instead of sadness, pain, confusion, or despair.
What I learned recently was, I could re-write my personal vision. This re-write still had the core elements from the previous vision. However, because of many experiences and challenges, the re-writing of my personal vision has brought more happiness and allowed me to take on additional tasks and challenges with greater calm and peace. Having a personal and professional vision makes all the difference as I continue my journey in life. My personal vision is the foundation of doing what matters most each day.

—JULIE R.

Having a personal vision for the key roles in my life has had a powerful impact because these statements help me remember the kind of person I’m ultimately trying to become. Between having a busy work schedule, a family of eight, and other responsibilities, my weeks get hectic, and it is easy to lose focus. But when I sit down and review my personal vision, for each role, as part of my pre-week planning, it centers me again on what I’m ultimately trying to accomplish in life. My personal vision has had a huge impact on the outcome of my life because it helps me to identify what really matters most. I strive to stay focused on my vision, overcome obstacles, and to “lift” myself and others to a better place as a result.

—JEFF D.

My personal vision is my guiding star, my compass, and a standard from which I live my life. It is the measuring rod for self-reflection and the foundation for all decisions.
My son even put it visually into a coat of arms that reflects that vision . . . it is who I am.

—DAVID C. P.

Wrap Up

Your personal vision is the seed of your legacy, your internal compass, and ultimately, who you want to be and what you want to do in each role. In the end, whatever story we tell ourselves, whatever mental picture we paint, that will become our reality!

James Allen, a British writer and poet, wisely said, “The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart, this you will build your life by, and this you will become.”¹⁸

The act of writing your vision is a powerful process, so we invite you to put in the time and effort to start and finish it. It will be helpful if you actually block out time in your calendar to work on it until it is finished. For those of you in managerial roles, we then invite you to help your team start on their written personal visions. If you have children, and they are willing, you can help them develop their personal vision as well.

Once you have a draft of your personal vision, it is time to move on. The next two chapters focus on how to grow the seed and make your vision a reality through roles and goals!