Vision is a topic of discussion more and more often these days. It seems everyone out there is on a vision quest.

For good reason too. Business leaders know the importance of creating a cohesive vision within their company. It puts everyone on equal footing with a clear path. A vision might cover a year, five-years or even longer. When employees are familiar with the company’s vision, they know exactly what the ideal is. They know the roadmap and where they’re headed.

Vision is important in business because it’s a plan, a goal and a target. Visionary leaders lead teams to profits and gains because they have a mission to achieve that vision; the path becomes clear and they follow it. They pinpoint and pluck the vision out of the horizon, almost like peering into a crystal ball. Visioning is an art. In business, it’s weighing a myriad of factors; it’s knowing what’s to come, driving and striving your company toward capacity and beyond.

Visionary leaders are successful because they’re proactive. They aren’t reacting to the items on their plate, they’re already driving toward next year’s goals, adjusting and calculating trajectory toward larger outcomes and pushing the company forward.

But how can we craft a personal vision in our own lives?
How can we propel ourselves forward toward a life of MORE?

We think of visionary leadership as a trait displayed by greats like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  and Gandhi. Visionary lives don’t sound like the type of lives everyone can lead.

Well, I’m here to tell you, we can all lead visionary lives. We can all create our personal visions and move toward a life where we’re able to fulfill every single yearning and attain everything our heart desires. We can live a life of fulfillment. We simply need to visualize it and actively pursue it.

What Personal Vision Will You Choose?

Imagine today you were given a blank slate. Money was no object. Limiting beliefs, roadblocks and hindrances you imagine are gone. What would you do with your life? How would your form a personal vision?

For some, the prospect of crafting a life of purpose is so foreign it seems unattainable. It’s almost unimaginable to get from point A to point B — in fact, it’s hard to even picture what point B is.

We’re all given a single life on this planet. We’re all given a chance for a life of meaning. No matter your age or your circumstance, you, YOU can live the life you want. It is within your reach. Your personal vision is your road map.

Your vision is your designer life. It’s not a fantasy. It’s not based on surface wants. A powerful personal vision is strong—so strong you can taste it. It’s right there in front of you, worded in the present. It’s how you see your ideal life from all aspects. It’s how you live a life of purpose.

You may hear the word vision and we think it sound a little “out there” or “new age.” The concept of vision boards, visualization and positive transformation seems a little hippie dippy at first, especially if you aren’t used to the concept of crafting a personal vision and living by a mission statement.

The problem when it comes to “new age” or “law-of-attraction-type” visioning is that it promises success attained passively. Posting images on a bulletin board, sitting back and waiting for it to happen won’t bring you success. It’s not a magic formula, where you will money in your pocket or your relationship to blossom. To fulfill your personal vision, you must work toward positive transformation. You must grow INTO your vision, not simply wish it so.

The reason visioning is so powerful is that simply by articulating and realizing your vision, the path to attainment becomes crystal clear.

Life-visioning works the same as visioning in the business world. CEO’s don’t say, “We’re on the Forbes 400 list” and automatically they’re there. They envision a path, craft a mission and live (and work by) that mission statement. They picture the path and details of their company. They aim high, they go big – but then they DO the work to get there. The vision makes the path obvious.

Your personal vision is no different. Picture your life exactly where you want it.

• What do you yearn for?
• What do you want most?
• How will your ideal life feed your soul?
• How will it deepen your life experience and fulfill your spiritual hungers?

These aren’t small questions, but they’re critical parts of attaining a life of MORE.

Crafting Your Personal Vision

Think of your personal vision statement as a roadmap of sorts. This map – and your mission to follow it –  should cover the most important areas of your life. Your health, yourself, your family, your work and play. Your personal vision should include your greater vision for contributing to society at large. There’s an excellent worksheet in Judith’s book, The Soft Addiction Solution, to walk you through each part of crafting your vision.

“Vision guides all our live. Whether you know it or not, your life has been formed by some sort of Vision, positive or negative. Sadly, it is too often an expression of our negative thinking, unconscious belief systems, and poor self-esteem. Our negative visions often lead us to try to numb our pain or gain false comfort by succumbing to soft addictions.”

Judith writes, “A positive vision helps us avoid cycling though limiting self-fulfilling prophecies driven by unconscious beliefs and get true nourishment and comfort instead. Often, we’re not even conscious of this cycle. For instance, if we believe that we cannot fulfill our spiritual hungers, then we unconsciously act in a way that confirms and reinforces that belief.”

“A key aspect of our work at the Wright Institute is to help people create a powerful Vision to inspire their work—often far beyond what they dreamt possible. I have learned, from working with hundreds of people who on the surface don’t seem like visionaries, that Vision is not something available only to a select few. People I talk to claim that they are not visionaries, and yet they’ve developed Visions and made them come true. I am constantly inspired by the fact that we can all discover the uplifting, loving dreams flowing inside each one of us when we listen to our hearts.”

I love this sentiment. I think it speaks volumes to the WHY we work so hard to help others achieve their visions. Visions are the key to making a difference in the world. They’re your guide, your bigger picture. Your vision is rooted in the present. It is how you see your ideal life, but it is also a manifesto as to how you live your life today.

As you craft your personal vision, you’ll find it’s ever-changing. It evolves with you over time, but the intent is constant. At the same time, your vision should be broad and big! A vision is different than a goal. A vision is your roadmap and your starting place. You may set goals to help you reach your vision. Goals are your actions steps to get you to your visionary life.

Start working on your personal vision today! What kind of life do you want to live? How do you picture your ideal life?

For more on living a life of more, please visit the Wright Foundation. Join us for a course or upcoming workshop where you’ll learn more about living the life you envision.

The Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential is a leadership institute located in Chicago, Illinois. Wright Living performative learning programs are integrated into the curriculum at Wright Graduate University.