A personal vision statement can help focus your efforts, no matter what you’re doing.
Company’s have them. Organization’s do, too. A vision statement is a high-level sentence or two that describes your ideal future. These are powerful statements for individuals with the potential to shape how you achieve your short-term and long-term goals. A vision statement should be authentic and meaningful to you, and it should ring true even if your vision statement scares you because it feels like such a departure from where you are now. That’s okay. Your vision statement will influence the decisions you make, so it’s important to get it right. The goal of your vision statement is to paint a picture that shows you where you want to go.
Deciding what to put into your vision statement takes time and an honest reflection about how you want to journey through life. The vision statement should encompass your entire life, not just your professional life. The reason why it’s best to look at your entire life and not just one aspect is because this is your personal vision statement. It’s not for the organization you work or volunteer for. It’s for you. This is about your life and what you want for it.
Ready? Here are some ways to get started.
Steps to Write A Personal Vision Statement
Start with a Check-In
In work environments, there is value in checking in with your team and your manager to keep connected, share successes, and work through challenges. Check-ins are not just effective ways to see where the team is at, they are also effective to see where you are at.
Here are some of the questions I use to frame my thinking when checking in:
- What is working in my life right now?
- What is not?
- How am I doing professionally, creatively, and personally?
- What opportunities do I have at the moment?
I like to jot these down in a notebook, but a dry erase board or a smartphone notepad would do.
Think About What Drives You
Once you have completed your check-in, it’s time to go deeper. The materials you will need for this include paper, a pen, and an hour or two of focussed time. If you can’t get a large chunk of time all at once, schedule multiple shorter sessions.
If the option is open to you, consider finding a new space, somewhere that’s comfortable and peaceful, but different from your day to day. In organizations, senior leaders often schedule their strategy planning sessions outside of the usual office. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I have a coffee shop near me that’s close to the river and there’s something about the atmosphere that helps me open up my thinking. That said, if getting away is impossible, then your favourite spot in your home will do just fine.
When I get started with a brainstorming session, I’ll open my notebook to an empty page and start filling it up. I don’t overthink it. The point is to be generative.
I may use questions like this to start my session:
- What brings me joy?
- What does my ideal future look like?
- How do I want to be in this world?
You do not need to write full sentences down or longer paragraphs. Write down a word or two that evokes meaning in you.
Organize Your Brainstorm Into Themes
Once you have completed your brainstorming session, take a step back and look at what you wrote. Does it all ring true? Did you capture what you felt in the way that you wanted? At this point, I underline the main highlights of what I wrote down and think a little deeper about why those ideas stick out the most.
Then I theme them. This is one of my favourite parts in the whole process. I like looking at what I was able to write and then look for ways to unite and connect them in a way that clicks. Some thoughts are easy to group together in a theme, but others take a little more time.
Write Your Statement
Now the moment you’ve been working toward, it’s time to write down your statement. Remember to keep it visual. This is the future that you are working toward. Leave any jargon at the door, it won’t do you any good.
Review and Adjust
Take a moment to review your statement and make any edits.
Once you have your vision statement, it’s important to keep it in a place that is central to you. In organizations, you will often see vision statements displayed in strategic plans or on posters in boardrooms. Where will you keep yours? On a sticky note on your laptop? In a frame on your desk? Choosing a prominent space will make it easier to see and let shine.
That’s it! Enjoy your personal vision statement and may it guide you toward your ideal future.
