I’ve boiled down my year-end visioning process so you can use key elements of it as a starting point to create a vision and a plan. Go ahead and answer the questions or jot down ideas right here if you can, and you will be way ahead of the curve.
1. It all starts with reflection. As we come to the end of 2019, what are several things/people etc. you are most grateful for this year and why? What brings you the most joy at this current time in your life? What are you dissatisfied with and what has been the impact? Once you have considered all parts of those questions, you are ready to take on the future.
I also love this question my mentor asked –
What has this year been as a movie genre? Has it been a comedy, tragedy, drama, romantic, or horror film?
2. Create a strong vision for your year (or even decade). Here is what I hope you might say to yourself in January 2021 when you reflect back on this upcoming year. “This was one of my best years ever. I feel so alive. I am on the path I set for myself (against whatever odds). I’ve moved my career, business and my life as a whole into a place I wasn’t sure I could get to or had ever before imagined. I’ve had so many experiences, met so many people and did the things that meant the most to me and had the most impact. I’m healthier, wealthier, and wiser than I’d even hoped and I’m feeling more fulfilled and more excited about the progress I’ve made, the life I’m living now and the future.”
Create your own 2021 statement about the year 2020. Then back into the vision, you have for what would make 2020 a phenomenal year for you. Be specific within the various life areas: health, relationships, career, money, hobbies, contribution, creativity, spirituality and whatever other areas matter to you.
Your vision can be achievement-oriented but also holistic, incorporating all aspects of your life. There may be new activities, people, or goals you want to introduce into your life. You may want to expand on activities you are already engaged in, for different results or in new ways.
Write a vision that feels like both a spark of bright light (catalyzing) and also a north star (solid and unshakeable) to guide you through the year toward what you want. Do not get hung up on the HOW. It truly doesn’t matter right now if it feels as if you don’t know how you could make this vision come to life. This is foundation setting, we’ll figure out the structure once a solid footing is established.
3. Know your WHY, so you have a resounding purpose for actually creating the life you said you want to see. You can have several reasons why it’s important for you to live the life you are choosing. Is it to fill your life with adventure, to care for your family in the way you want, or to give back as you have always dreamed of doing? What are your reasons to do what you say you want to do?
Your why will keep you on the path if you remember and focus on it throughout the year. It is imperative to have a why that works. Here’s the test. The why you create works if it clears the confusion when you get lost, too busy or overwhelmed. If when you connect back to your why it compels you to reset what you are doing and how you are thinking, it’s working.
Your why is strong if it reconnects you with what is so vitally important, that you know what you must do.
4. Decide on the “big rocks” for the year ahead. These are the few most important areas of focus for you. Examples may include:
- people who need you,
- key projects to work on,
- revenue streams to introduce, build, or launch,
- a change in profession to pursue
Choose and prioritize your most important focal points. The intention is to keep your eyes on those balls, no matter what (even when the cutest puppy of a new idea runs by you with that “chase after me” look).
You must first choose well, then prioritize and decide on the order in which you will work on each “big rock” you’ve chosen. Tempting as it may be to just choose some projects you know you want to complete, finish steps 1-3 before you do step 4.
Selecting the “big rocks” is dependent on a clear vision of what you want (your vision). Doing the work that each “big rock” demands requires a powerful, energizing reason (your WHY) to devote your effort so immersively.
It’s crucial to identify the outcome you want from each “big rock” and why it’s so important.
5. Aligning external results and internal feeling states so you create both the results that you want and the feelings you want, so you aren’t left at the end of the year confused and let down. What we don’t want is to be saying this in January 2021, “I achieved what I said I wanted, but I’m not feeling any happier or more free (fill in the feeling state of your choice).”
This is the point at which we want to identify how we want to feel in our life. I use Danielle La Porte’s Desire Mapping work to determine my “Core Desired Feelings.” You can find the book on my resource page.
These five steps are profound foundational building blocks for a well planned year and life, in my opinion. They are not easy to figure out. Creating a clear vision, delving into your WHY, determining the big rocks and fitting these into the other aspects of your life is challenging. There are time, money, energy and relationship constraints and other areas of life to consider and incorporate.
No one wants a one-dimensional life, to be busy 24/7 or to be overly stressed, confused or frustrated. This is meant to help you have a whole life, but one where you feel fulfilled by succeeding at what matters most while enjoying the journey.
The final point I want to mention is that everyone needs support in their life. As I wrote this out, and have workshopped it and spoken about it recently, it occurred to me how potentially daunting it can be to make these decisions on your own.
You already know that successful people don’t do it alone. You may find support in a family member, partner, friend or colleague, therapist or other professional. Putting a support system in place is a valuable part of the foundation build as well. Remember, this is just the foundation, there are still the action plans and mindset to establish and understand. And, then there is the implementation and staying on track and in action.
You can see the value of having a coach who is strategic, understanding, dedicated to your success and has the tools, knowledge, and experience to make the process productive, efficient and more enjoyable.
However you do it, this process is an efficient start to a vision for 2020 where you uplevel your self-growth & confidence, create income breakthroughs and touch more lives in a way that is fulfilling for you.
Truly a triple win for you.
