This isn’t a new topic for me to write about and there’s a reason for that. At the end of the day, if you don’t know where you want to go, then you won’t know what you should be going or where to get started. This lack of clarity is what leaves us with unexplained feelings of overwhelm, frustration and a lack of fulfillment.
Getting clear on the vision we have for our lives is the starting point for the identifying the action we need to take to get us there. Our vision is what determines our goals and what we need to do to make them a reality. Not having a clear vision is like going on a road trip but not having an idea of where you want to go. You might see some interesting sights along the way, but you’ll also waste a lot of time and gas as you drive around looking for somewhere to make you final stop.
A lot of us have never taken the time to figure out what it is we really want for our lives. Often, we’ve been living our lives the way we’ve been told we ought to. We go to school, pursue a post secondary education, get married and have children without consciously taking the time to ask ourselves if this is what we truly want. It’s the reason many of us suffer what’s called a “mid-life crisis”.
When we have lived our lives the way we’re “supposed to” and still don’t feel fulfilled, never mind content we start to wonder what the point is. Why didn’t we go off the beaten path? Why did we allow ourselves to get talked out of pursuing our dreams? These questions can add to our frustration, or they can be a wake up call. The good news is that it is never too late to get clear on the vision of your life you truly want and start taking action to create it.
So how do we get clear on our vision? I start off by asking my clients what they would their life be like if money and time weren’t an issue. This allows them to dream without censoring themselves by what we all perceive to be the biggest limits to living our best life. Once we remove lack of time or money as an excuse for why it will never be possible, we can dream big.
If travel is something that you want to do more of, then why not take the time to think of ways to make it possible instead of thinking it will never happen? If you’ve always wanted to learn how to do something, but can’t afford to go back to school or don’t think you have the time, are there videos you can watch online, or a one-day course you can take to get you started?
I know, from personal experience, that when you get clear on the life you want to create for yourself, the paths available to get you there start to reveal themselves. Clarity is the first step; taking decisive action is the next one. Getting clear on where you want to go and not doing anything about it isn’t going to get you anywhere. All it will do is leave you feeling even more frustrated and unfulfilled than before you gained clarity. Looking for a way to get clear on your vision? Check out a blog post I wrote a few years ago on Clarity on Your Goals where I talk about 3 different exercises I recommend to help you get started.