Exercise

Create your own self-image statement that inspires you. It doesn’t have to be the right one and you can change it anytime you want. You can keep your statement for a day, a week, or a year. Do whatever resonates for you. If you think your goal is too ambitious, just allow yourself to take longer to get there. For example, if you aspire to be the CEO of a company and you are working in the mailroom, would it be possible to become CEO in 10 or 20 years? You’ll know when you have the right self-image statement, because it will resonate with you and motivate you.

If you start the day with a self-image statement, how does your day begin to look?

Now that you have started to define a bit of your context, how does your life look? What actions can you take to make your life look differently? How do you start to act? How does your current life fit into that context?

For example, when I experience a setback, I look at it as one of the obstacles on the way to becoming a great leader in life.

Vision and goals

A vision is a clear picture of your life or an organisation at a defined point or period in the future. For example, in five years’ time I will have been promoted to division head; I will be happily married in a nice penthouse in central London. Or, for an organisation, in five years’ time we will be the most visited website in the world.

Goals are specific targets or results you want to achieve. For example, get a promotion by the end of the year with at least a 5% pay rise. Most of us automatically create goals or projects. If you don’t find yourself getting to where you want to be, consider looking at the goals that you are setting and set ones that motivate you.

Summary

• We have looked at how the context of your perspective, beliefs and motivations influences your life and how we can change elements of our context to have a more inspiring life.
• Take some time to do the exercises to examine your world view, your mission, your vision and your goals.