Integrate Past Experience and Values into Your Plan

Experiences from the past, along with your values, can help you identify pieces of your vision for the business. What successes have you had in the past that you think brought you emotional happiness, satisfaction and something that you wanted? When you are looking to the future, five to ten years from now, identify what has made you happy in the past. It will make it much easier for you to develop your thoughts and vision for the future. What will make you happy from a personal achievement standpoint? For example, getting a standing ovation at a speaking engagement? One particular shy woman loved doing that. Part of her vision was to reach a point where she could do a lot of speaking engagements and at the same time help the company with the exposure from it.

How about recreation? Or working only three days a week? This was a very specific objective, part of one business owner's vision. She had a very successful operation and was working very hard. Part of her vision was that she wanted to get to a point where she could be working no more than three days a week. She is now doing that, but it didn’t happen overnight. By putting this goal in her vision, over five years ago she was able to work toward it. It is also important to identify the things that have definitely made you unhappy, so you know what to avoid in your plans.

Your vision also needs to be in alignment with your highest values. Most of us take these values for granted because they are part of us without even thinking about them. By their nature, these things bring you happiness and, therefore, have value to you. Some refer to these as missions in life. By values, we are not referring to your morals, ethics or what is right or wrong; but to that which has an intrinsic value to you.

Identify the values that are most meaningful to you. Spending time with your family? Inspiring others? Receiving recognition from others? Feeling connected to your community? Serving or helping others? Experimenting and taking risks? Creating something new or different? Exploring and adventure? After you identify those values most meaningful to you, make sure that you include them in your vision and that you work toward achieving them.