Where do you see yourself in a few years? Assuming you now know how to get started with your short-term goals, with a little bit of time on your side where do you want to go next?

Think about this for a moment:

• In 1–5 years you can achieve most major goals. You could find the right person, fall in love, get married, have kids, get divorced and still have a year or two left over.
• In 1–5 years you could learn a skill, start a company, build your business, sell it and start all over again.
• In 1–5 years you could find a passion, campaign for change, influence society and make a permanent difference.
• Or in 1–5 years you could still be doing the same old things, day in day out.

You choose.

It’s worth thinking about not only what you want but how committed you are to getting it.

Happy to read the books? Tick

Happy to write a plan? Tick

Happy to do the hard work? Ouch!

When I first started to read books on creating vision and achieving goals I noticed they all had certain common themes. Know what you want, write it down and create a visual image. Then keep the goal close by, looking at it every day. That’s all brilliant advice.

The bit that many missed out was the rollercoaster ride of effort, disappointments, joy and setbacks that would happen along the way. I knew setbacks would happen; I’d read hundreds of stories, met dozens of people who all told me the same thing. It was only when it happened that I realised how hard it would be.

Ups and downs

When I set a goal of starting my own company, it was easy. Actually making it happen came out of the blue when I had a serious values clash with my old boss. So, in October 1998 I started my business. This was going to be easy. One of my best contacts said they would give me two days’ work a week to get me started. I was moving back to my home turf and I knew I would be successful.

I wrote my 5-year goals, which included writing a book, creating a two-day course, developing the company name as a well-known brand, presenting to a group of 1000 people, driving a Mercedes and having a successful business with a fantastic team led by my wife and I.

How it actually turned out

Year 1

The company that promised me the two days’ work a week let me down; as did all the other people who had promised me contracts. I lost my car and was driving a friend’s old Subaru with no brakes. Due to a lack of interest I cancelled my first two-day course.

Year 2

My wife left me. I launched my two-day course with seven people in the audience (only three had paid). I couldn’t afford to pay myself, never mind a team. Had to change the name of the company due to legal reasons – there goes the brand.

Year 3

Presented to a group of 1200 people and went down a storm – ego on overdrive! Thought, this is it! The phone will be red hot. Six months later – and as a result of speaking to 1200 people – I had picked up NO new work. My ego was well and truly burst. Now 20 people on the two-day course. Get a PA – she saves my life!

Year 4

Started to employ more staff as the business grew. Realised I’d employed too many staff and all the money that was coming in with growth was going out (only twice as fast). Bought my first (used) Mercedes (but couldn’t afford to run it!).

Year 5

I was persuaded to join another group of training companies who promised to help me achieve my goal of positively influencing 1,000,000 lives much faster. It was three years before I got out of what turned out to be the worst business deal ever. Still, there was some brilliant news – I began dating my ex-wife.

So, that was the first 5 years of Michael Heppell Ltd. How many times do you think I was tempted to throw in the towel? Guess again, but this time higher.

So, what kept me, and the millions of other people who’ve had (or have) a 5-year vision, going?

The written goal – even though it wasn’t going to my plan I knew in my heart of hearts I was going to get the right outcome. On the way to this right outcome, I now knew I’d had 5 years of training, 5 years of character building and 5 years of ensuring I was equipped for what was going to happen over the next 18 months.

During the next year and a half, I wrote a best-selling book, spoke to groups of 1000 over 30 times, bought a new Mercedes (which I could now afford – just), sold out my 2-day ‘How to Be Brilliant’ course and, more importantly, remarried Christine – who now runs our business.

Final thoughts

When you create your medium-term vision, build in opportunities to be flexible. Be aware of and be prepared for some serious knocks and remember that persistence in the face of adversity is key to achieving your goals.