Dreams and visions are good and very necessary in life. God says in Habakkuk 2:2 write down your vision clearly in a way it is visible. Envision yourself, imagine the future, grab a pen, and write what you see. When I was little I badly wanted to be a pilot.
The sight of flying objects accompanied by noise in the sky marveled me. A cool kid in our class kept narrating on how big planes are and I could not help to imagine how I would be flying such objects across the sky. The thought of steering a plane was so sweet to me. That anxiety to fly gave me a reason to push, to work hard, to beat the odds, and make sure I topped in my class, citing a famous quote our class teacher kept on saying “if you study hard, you will become a doctor and a pilot.” Although I was small and clueless about myself and what was good for me, the vision of becoming a pilot pushed me to the top in class. A vision gives you the reason to work hard. Nevertheless, when it is written down, a vision constantly reminds you of what you ought to be doing all the time; working hard.
Successful people have a vision. I like listening to entrepreneurs and one thing stands out so clearly. While climbing the ladder of success, many of them confess to having seen themselves successful way before it happened. When you have a phenomenal outcome to look forward to, the hard work is all okay. A clear vision, along with the courage to take action and follow-through, increases your chances of success. It has been said that if you aim for nothing, you will hit it every time! I couldn’t agree more.
Goals are the ultimate thrill. Professional soccer players are highly skilled and trained (and highly paid). They make the game look so easy. Remember France national football team’s dominant performance at the 2018 World Cup, and the excitement of the golden cup win? Now, picture the goal nets at either end of the soccer field being removed. What do you have? Highly trained and skilled players running around in circles going nowhere fast, simply wearing themselves out and accomplishing nothing. The goals give soccer players a reason to run around the field, jump up, and risk injuries for the game. Unfortunately, far too many highly skilled and trained people are not achieving their full potential because they haven’t identified their goals and vision. They are “running around in circles going nowhere fast.”
BENEFITS; A clear vision can enhance your life exponentially. The first benefit of having a clear vision is direction. Vision becomes the compass of your life. In your mind, you can see your intended or hopeful destination, and your energies are rallied to move in that direction with relentless passion. Think of Eliud Kipchoge– can you imagine what he had to sacrifice to become a marathon world record holder??
Think of the hours of practice, the blisters, the mistakes, the determination required. Why? Because he focused on a goal, he imagined himself breaking records not only for himself but for Kenya and that dream became the compass of his life.
Secondly, a vision helps you prioritize your values. A clear vision has the power to bring what’s most important to the surface of your schedule and lifestyle. It makes it easy to weed out of your life those things that stand in the way of achieving what matters most. Vision empowers you to move purposefully in a predetermined direction. Once you have clarified your vision, many decisions are already made. Without vision, good things will hinder you from achieving the best things. (it enables you to differentiate between the good and the best for you)
Last but not least, a vision gives you motivation and purpose. I enjoy asking people the simple question, “why?” Why do you do what you do? Why do you live in the town/city/estate/village/ in which you live? Why do you do the job you do? Why do you own the business you do? Why did you get married to the person you did? Why are you dating? Why do you have children? Why are you eating what you are eating? Why do you live in the house that you do? “Why” is a good question to ask all the time because it reveals your intentions. We, humans, are crazy creatures of habit. We easily go through the motions of activity without a clear sense of purpose. Often we lack vision. Yet it is a vision that gives motivation and provides us with a sense of purpose and destiny. With a clear and compelling vision, you rise from bed knowing where you are going and what your life is about.
Conclusion; Reading the first paragraph, one would ask why I never became a pilot. Often we make decisions based on circumstances, and having a vision is no exception. I have had friends who wanted to become doctors because the idea of hanging a stethoscope around their necks was fancy to them, yet they could not slaughter a chicken. A vision must not only be realistic but also match well with what works best for you. I wanted to become a pilot at a time when I didn’t know what I was best at. That said, re-focusing and re-starting are important. Once you realize that your vision has nothing to do with what works best for you, pause, look at your life, re-adjust, re-set, re-focus, and re-start.
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