What will you say – about your work and life – a year from now?
That might seem an odd question since we’ve just begun 2013, however it’s an important one. If you don’t have a vision of where you’re headed, how will you know what actions to take now to get you there?
As the Japanese Proverb says, “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
Vision plus action, however, means you are unstoppable!
Last week, I shared a technique – creating an annual theme – to help you begin clarifying your vision for the year. Here are a couple of tips for teasing out how that theme may play out in 2013.
- Start with your successes. What accomplishments, wins, and positive experiences have you had in the past year? Create a list of at least a dozen successes before moving to Step 2. (Have a little celebration, too!)
- Picture yourself in December, looking back. Close your eyes and imagine it’s next New Year’s Eve, and you are taking stock of your incredible year. What are you celebrating? With whom have you strengthened relationships? What goals did you reach? What’s new, different, or better in your business or career?
- Hone in on key words. I struggled with visualization until I began capturing the picture with words. What’s your theme for the year? What do you most want to say about yourself in December that you cannot accurately say about yourself right now? What words would you love others to use when describing you?
Start with the vision. From there, determine the actions and habits to begin now that will support you in your success journey. How amazing will it feel, next New Year’s Eve, to say, “YES! I did what I set out to do!”?