“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going because you might not get there.”
– Yogi Berra
Previously, I outlined why goals work, how reviewing past victories can put you in the right frame of mind for creating healthy goals, and why knowing your priorities in life – your True North – will enhance the strength of the goals you set. We then reviewed The Balance Wheel to help identify what’s needed to achieve a well-rounded life.
This post will outline the visualization process that I recommend everyone go through to get started.
As we sat on the plane headed to Las Vegas with plans to visit the Grand Canyon, Reka and reviewed our previous goals, family True North statement, and The Balance Wheel. We were off to have a little adventure, celebrate an amazing life and 2017, and build a plan for 2018.
When we concluded the review, we began conversing about visualization of what a great 2018 would look like. I had a friend who likes to use the phrase “What would success look like?” We’ve found this to be of immense value. Our goal became to visualize doing this same process next year. When we’re doing this (in roughly a year), we’ll look back with amazement and excitement with what we’ve achieved. What would make 2017 absolutely amazing?
We began to independently take time and write down some ideas – things that took into account the areas of The Balance Wheel that needed attention. We would compare, discuss, debate, and talk about whether or not these things were in alignment with our True North.
When we finished, we set them aside, finished the flight, and enjoyed Vegas.
We reviewed, argued, changed, updated, and finally came to a conclusion that for us, a great 2018 would look something like this:
We are 100% in alignment, confident, and the healthiest and fittest of our lives. Our businesses and our clients are thriving. We’re being asked to help more and more people. We’ve embraced three full months of adventure, including a great month in Italy. Kris has successfully published his book and he considers himself a professional writer. Pro-circles/startup boot camp is running and is wildly successful. Reka’s true self is shining through and she’s being sought out for both couples’ therapy and couples coaching, with two retreats scheduled for 2019.
What this did for us was create a crystal-clear vision of what success would look like for us for 2018. This is something in which I firmly believe. Without any question in my mind, it’s my belief that our own thinking is the #1 cause of our own success or failure. The bigger we dream, the more we achieve.
Putting this very personal information out there is a bit uncomfortable. It’s our sincere hope that reviewing this process and understanding how we got there will help others.
The point is this: You have to know where you’re going to get there. Start with a clear, specific visualization and work backwards from there.
Next week, we’ll start to identify what makes a great goal and how to write it in a way that’s big in thinking, clear, and attainable.
Struggling to define what the perfect year looks like to you? We can help you visualize it! We’re always here to help, no expectations or obligation. Reach out anytime. If you know anyone who could find this of value, please feel free to share.
