Uncovering Your Vision
How Do I Build Vision
We hear the statement, “I’m on board, but how do I build my vision?” but that’s actually not the question you should be asking.
You have a vision; it is inside of you. The question you want to ask isn’t, “how do I build it?” it’s, “how do we uncover it?”
In previous videos, we’ve covered the structure, philosophy, attitude, and belief of vision. Click here to review those posts.
So we know that everyone has a vision, and the next step we need to take is uncovering that vision. It’s already in you; you just don’t know how to communicate it.
Uncovering Vision
The reason so few people live out of their vision is that they don’t know where to start.
Our purpose is the sum of what our interests and experiences are nudging us to be, do, and have. It’s the subtle reason why we choose to do what we do every single day.
And so, the million-dollar question is: How do you uncover the vision that’s inside of you?
“By definition, vision is a clearly written image of your future.” – Jonathan Swift
Start with your passions. Sometimes these passions are covered up. The world has given us the idea that we don’t have a vision. It may feel easier to follow the standard path – go to school, get good grades, work hard, and get paid for the task at hand – instead of breaking the mold. Whereas God’s plan for our life is to glorify Him with our talents and abilities. We live to feel fulfilled in what we do, not get paid for a simple task.
Your passions may be dormant, but you still have them. They are inside you; just because you aren’t using them doesn’t mean that you don’t have them. To uncover them, start by answering this question:
What is the future you’re fighting for?
If you are transparent and honest with answering this question, it will lead to a singleness of purpose. From here we will be able to build a vision statement that is short, portable, easy-to-understand, memorable and inspiring. It will be seven to eleven words with no conjunctions.
Once we’ve crafted your vision statement, the next step will be to drive your vision into the culture of your organization. This means we will need to communicate it in every possible avenue.
Communicating Your Vision
There are three problems with a vision:
- you don’t have it
- you aren’t communicating it
- you don’t believe in it
Once you’ve articulated your vision statement, your next step is to communicate it.
We know each and every one of us has a vision, so our focus should be on communicating it clearly, early, and often.
So, how do you communicate your vision?
Think back to the political slogans we’ve experienced in the last eight years. Presidents Trump and Obama both had clear vision statements, and they communicated them often. “Make America Great Again” and “Change, Yes We Can” were everywhere. They were sharing their vision daily, almost hourly – communicating it in town halls, stadiums, and social media. Their vision was in front of us all the time. Like them, when we proudly and frequently proclaim our vision, we can inspire our communities, and perhaps the world.