Vision Is My Identity

Your vision and identity go hand in hand. As we’ve covered, your vision is what you aspire to, and your identity is who you are.

Case Study – Terry Bradshaw

This four-time Super Bowl Champion has done it all – he’s been a record-setting quarterback, actor, author, motivational speaker, singer, and football analyst for CBS and FOX.

Terry Bradshaw has also been clinically depressed.

Bradshaw stated that his depression worsened after he won the Superbowl, and he now believes it prevented him from truly appreciating his experiences.

Bradshaw’s vision had been to win the Superbowl. And after he did, his vision for his life was complete – he didn’t have any other journey or goal to aspire to.

Instead of being able to celebrate completing an impressive milestone, he just felt depressed.

Your Identity Needs Clear Vision

Terry Bradshaw is just one example of an identity crisis caused by unclear vision. Many more people – entrepreneurs, athletes, pastors, teachers, friends, and family – face that same problem.

Bradshaw’s vision was winning the Super Bowl, and his identity was wrapped around the idea. For business owners and leaders, many may fall into the trap of setting their vision as being the most profitable. But both of these examples are missions, not visions.

Running a profitable business may be part of achieving your vision, but your vision – your aspirations – should encompass becoming the best mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

So how can you craft a vision that won’t cause an identity crisis? When you develop your vision, it’s more inspirational than factual, more of a journey than a destination, more passion-driven than task-driven.

When you have a vision, it becomes your NorthStar.

When you know who you are and focus on your aspirational mission, you are less impacted by the highs and lows of business and life. You have a solid foundation and a healthy perspective. When values and vision don’t ground you, your identity is dependent upon your performance on any given day. This creates too many highs and lows, which in turn creates inconsistency.

This mindset boxes people in and leads to doubt, anxiety, stress, and insecurity. Having a mission as your vision challenges your identity and eventually leads to an identity crisis.

You and your organization are so much more important than “What You Do,” it’s about Why You Do It.

When you embrace an aspirational vision, almost everything that happens becomes an opportunity to achieve your vision and grow your organization, and grow as a person.