How to Create a Life Vision for Yourself
About 4 minutes to read
October is the month that I celebrate my business anniversary. It was in October 2015 that I started my coaching business, Inspire for Life Coaching and what an incredible journey this has been. Without a firm vision to hold onto there may have been times that I’ve wanted to throw in the towel.
Holding firm to the vision
It is the vision of what I want to achieve with and through my business, which has kept me on track. However, I see that it is because I have a very clear life vision that I am able to set a vision for my business that coincides and compliments my life vision.
There is a Hebrew saying, “He who has no vision perishes” meaning if you have no vision you die. I see this regularly with many of my clients, they do not have a clear vision for their lives and therefore find themselves floundering or feeling lost or stuck in their lives.
What having a life vision means
Having a vision means to have a long-term overview or projection for your life. It is aspirational, meaning is takes into account how you will evolve as your life progresses.
Your vision defines who you want to be, how you wish to be remembered for, what you would like to accomplish.
Creating a vision does not mean setting goals for yourself. Your goals may help you to accomplish your life vision, but they are not your vision.
The difficulty of creating a life vision
Some people are extremely fortunate in that they know from a very young age what they are passionate about and what drives them. Their passion seems to pull them along as they create a grand life vision for themselves, seemingly without effort.
Others, such as myself, are not passionate about one thing. They do not feel driven in a specific direction and at times can feel quite hapless and inadequate within themselves. As a result, they may feel reluctant to create a life vision for themselves but it is very important not to focus on the how but rather one the what.
Questions to ask when creating a life vision
To be more self-aware when creating your life vision there are some great questions you can ask yourself when you’re creating your vision
- What kind of life do I want to have created by the time I reach 80?
- Which type of people would I like to have in my life?
- I want to be remembered for…
- What would I like to change most in the world?
- How would I like to feel on a daily basis?
- What is the highest vibrational state I would like to achieve in life?
- How would I like my obituary to be?
When you use these questions for deep contemplation, you will discover many hidden truths about what you desire in life.
Align your life vision with your values
The number one rule to creating a life vision is this:
Remember your life is about you!
Yes, that’s right, it’s all about you!
Therefore it is imperative that you know intimately what you value, not what anyone else values, what you value. If you do not create a life vision centred on your values, you will create a life meant for someone else, not you.
Our values are the true representation of our authentic selves and what is important to us. We do not always show our authentic selves in the world, but it is our values that are influencing our decisions and behaviour.
Knowing your core values gives you great clarity around the choices you might make in the future.
Discovering or reconnecting with your values is an exercise in self-awareness as it highlights your motives, feelings, and desires and makes you aware of your potential strengths and weaknesses, characteristic traits and emotions.
If there is one powerful exercise, you complete in order to create your life vision this is it, a values assessment.
Download Your FREE Values Assessment Workbook
Once you know what your values are, craft a vision statement for yourself.
Write it down. Refer to it often.
Some people like to construct vision boards. This may be an exercise that you wish to do for yourself to help embed your vision within your heart.
Things to remember about a life vision
As your life evolves, things change. What you value as a teenager differs to what you value in midlife. Allow for flexibility when creating a life vision.
Take time regularly to check in with yourself. Redo your values exercise; be sure that was once of value to you still is.
When you feel like you’re floundering or lack clarity, it may be time to revisit your life vision. Are you still on track? If not, re-calibrate and keep going.
There will be times when life seems somewhat meaningless or you lack clarity. It is in those moments that you use your life vision as your compass, remaining steadfast in the direction you have chosen.
