Enjoy the little things in life. This is a phrase we hear every so often! Yes, we must have eyes to see beauty and wonder surrounding us. However, we have begun to take this message too literally and believe we can only find happiness in the little things. What’s worse, many people use this statement as an excuse when they don’t have the guts or can’t be bothered chasing the great things in life. When living your life to the fullest, you must enjoy all the little things, but it doesn’t mean forgetting the larger scale things that motivate and inspire us.
Living in the present doesn’t mean not setting big, challenging goals for your future. On the contrary, if you don’t live in the present, you don’t have the inspiration to pursue your goals. But if you don’t dream big, the here and now moment won’t be satisfying enough. It’s simple – when you don’t have a direction, you simply spin in a circle. As Jim Rohn eloquently put it, “most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.” That is to say, one of the main reasons many people feel lost or stuck is that they don’t have a clear vision for their life.
Life Vision Vs. Long-term Goals
To create a vision that truly inspires you, you must first understand the difference between life vision and goals. Your vision is the clear image of how you imagine your ideal life. A bigger picture, if you will. It is an image of who you want to be, an embodiment of your values, dreams, and aspirations, and it’s not limited to the abstract nor the conceptual things in life. Your vision can also include detailed descriptions of the house you want to live in, all the places you want to visit, the people you want to surround yourself with, and not only.
On the other hand, goals are specific milestones and reaching them moves you closer to achieving your vision. These objectives can be set for anything, really – feelings, skills, knowledge, career, finances, health and fitness, or self-improvement (personal development). Goals are what helps you to stay focused and on track to fulfilling your dreams. Your vision is a set of experiences and accomplishments you desire to achieve. In other words, your vision is the framework that helps you define your goals.
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How to Create a Vision For Your Best Life?
A long-term vision should motivate and inspire you, and a great one will get you excited just by thinking about it. But to create an image for your life that truly is your own, you first need to determine what you want your life to be? Find the answer to this question for yourself, and half of the work on creating your vision is done. And although it is a straightforward question, it can be a tough one to answer at first. Some of us are brought up to believe there’s no point of wanting much, that we should say “Oh, I don’t need anything”, and even – not dare to have a dream – remember the negative connotation of the expression “head in the clouds”?
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that many people struggle to define what they really want from life because there were preconditioned to think that wanting is wrong. This can’t be any further than the truth – some of the most genius inventions were made because people wanted to see big changes in this world. So, when creating your vision, don’t let your background hold you back, but allow yourself to dream.
Here are a few questions to help you create your life’s vision:
- What matters to you in life? Not what sounds good to others but what rings true and relevant to you?
- What is the thing you would like to have more of? What would bring joy into your life?
- What is your passion? Do you have any secret dreams that sound too big or too scary?
- What are your values? Is there an issue you deeply care about?
- What are your talents and your strong sides?
- Which qualities would you like to develop? Which are the skills you want to learn?
- What would you do if you knew you’ don’t have to worry for moneyfor the rest of your life?
- What would you want to achieve if you were sure you couldn’t fail?
- What would you want to accomplish if time didn’t matter?
- What do you want in your personal life – your friendships, intimate relationships and family?
- What would you want to do to influence others and the world positively?
These questions aim to guide and help you. However, it is essential to note that you must be completely honest with yourself when answering them. Ask yourself WHY do you want what you want – this will help you dive deep under the surface and to the core of your desires. It is good to remember your answers are for your eyes only, so we encourage you to focus on your dreams, not on what others expect of you. And although it is tempting to get to the bottom of things by exclusion, we believe it is better to focus on what you want, not what you don’t. Last but not least, don’t be afraid to get creative and bold with your answers and include even the ideas and goals that might seem impossible.
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How to Achieve Your Vision
After you have the description of the life you want, you must create a detailed plan to achieve it. Here are 4 tips to help you strategize for your ideal future:
Trace What’s Already Done
The first step of your journey is to see which of the things you’ve already achieved align with your ultimate vision. Make a list of your assets, not just the financial ones, that get you one step closer to the life you want. For example, if you envision yourself living in Spain, knowing Spanish, even at Beginner’s level, is a skill that brings you one step closer to your ideal life.
The assets might not be that obvious in some cases, but don’t get discouraged just yet! Instead, think about the talents and skills you already have that would be helpful to get the life you want, as they will play a significant role in realizing your vision. Our connections are another vital asset, so ask yourself which people in your life are already mentoring you and supporting you to stick to your path? Also, you’ve probably done some research on the things that interest you the most in life and having this information is a huge step towards making your dreams come true.
Define Your Goals
Knowing what your ideal life looks like and what steps you have taken so far, the next thing you should do is establish the exact objectives that would lead to its achievement. To facilitate setting goals, you can use the categories which compose your vision of a perfect life – health, family, work, dream home, etc. Setting goals for each category is easier, and it comes more naturally because it is personal to you and in tune with the life you want for yourself and not for someone else.
Here’s an example: let’s say your dream is to run your own restaurant, and you’ve already started putting some money aside. Even if you don’t have enough to open it tomorrow, there are still some steps you can take while saving some more money or searching for investors. You will have to find out what type of equipment you’ll need, how big your staff would be, how much you need to pay them, how much does the marketing and advertising costs are, what type of documents you need, where to find high-quality products and beverages and so on. Let’s face it – if you can’t answer these questions, even if someone suddenly gives you their restaurant for free, you will fail at running it. When you write down what you need to make things work, you can quickly transform all these answers into goals and set the time to accomplish each of them.
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Make Sure You’re On Track
No matter your vision, you need to have a system to help you keep track of your progress. There are many different ways to do this, and you have to find out which one of them works out best for you. Some people use lists, calendars, whiteboards, and that’s fine. But we are certain that one of the most effective methods to accomplish your goals is to observe your actions and make sure they are favourable to your vision.
For example, if you go to a dietician, a life coach, or any other type of professional health consultant, they will ask you to start a journal. They’ll ask you to write each aspect of your efforts to achieve the set goals – what’s your routine, your thoughts, your inspirations. You’ll also have to be honest and fill in your failures and setbacks because that would give you important information about your journey and help you improve and overcome those difficulties. Our mobile app provides you precisely with this type of exposure and clarity. MasterTime shows you what you have invested your time in, how close are you to reaching the goals you’ve set, and it also keeps you inspired throughout the day.
Reflection and Revision
Nothing in life is static – people change, and their dreams can change too. It actually happens quite often. Part of your personal development inevitably involves reassessing and possibly changing your life goals. As you see new opportunities and gain more experience, it’s natural to consider altering your objectives to take account of the new things that motivate and inspire you. It is crucial to take some time and revise your vision at least once a year. This is a healthy and necessary practice that allows you to make sure you’re putting your best efforts towards achieving what you want. Don’t be afraid to make some changes, even big ones, because being flexible and open is the best way to have the life you want for yourself.