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7–Visioning – Business Meditation 3
24 Plays3 months ago
In this third business meditation of the Unfolding Thought series, Eric Pratum guides you through a Visioning exercise—a powerful tool for clarifying your goals and aligning your actions with your aspirations.
Visioning is more than setting goals. It’s about creating a vivid mental picture of your future and using that clarity to make intentional decisions today. Through this guided exercise, you’ll explore your desired future, identify the milestones needed to achieve it, and uncover the first actionable steps to start your journey.
Whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or someone looking to bring focus and purpose to your work or life, this episode will help you harness the power of a clear vision.
Mentioned in the Episode:
- The importance of imagining your future in vivid detail.
- How to identify the milestones that bridge the gap between today and your long-term goals.
- Why aligning your actions with a clear vision can lead to greater success and fulfillment.
Links:
Start at the beginning of the series:
- On the website: https://unfoldingthought.com/unfolding-thought/
- YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-WyDzPVJzUqWSGGIM0lSxqk4T-TBmsrQ
- Or by searching for Episode 4, titled Unfolding Thought, in your podcast platform of choice.
Visit the Unfolding Thought website: https://unfoldingthought.com/
Join the Conversation:
Have thoughts or questions about this episode? Reach out to Eric at eric@inboundandagile.com or connect on social media.
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Transcript
Introduction to Unfolding Thought
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Unfolding Thought. I'm Erik Priem. If this is your first time listening to one of these business meditations, I encourage you to go back to the very first episode of this series. There, I explain the purpose and structure of these episodes and how you can get the most out of them.
Understanding Visioning Exercises
00:00:23
Speaker
Look up episode four of the Unfolding Thought podcast titled Unfolding Thought in your podcast player, or check the link in the show notes. Thank you for joining me.
00:00:36
Speaker
Today I'm going to guide you through a visioning exercise. This is one of the most valuable tools I've found for clarifying what you're working toward and aligning your actions such that you have a greater chance of achieving your goals.
Transforming Skepticism into Belief
00:00:52
Speaker
And let me just say this. Look.
00:00:55
Speaker
I know you're a smart person. You have goals. You know what they are. You know where you're going. But for the next 10 minutes, do yourself a favor and just keep an open mind. Imagine that maybe, just maybe, we can do something together to not just make your goals clearer, but also to make your path toward them easier to walk.
00:01:19
Speaker
Perhaps like you, I looked at exercises like visioning for a long time as fluff or distractions.
The Power of a Strong Vision
00:01:28
Speaker
The kinds of people that did things like make a plan for their year or take time set apart from everything else in life to establish shared values with their spouses were people that were confused, ineffective, or something else. And that wasn't me.
00:01:48
Speaker
I changed my mind though when I actually went through visioning and found it so compelling. And I think you will too if you can take this next 10 minutes seriously. Okay.
00:02:03
Speaker
Visioning is about more than setting goals. It's about creating a vivid mental picture of where you want to go and why it matters.
Crafting Your Future Vision
00:02:14
Speaker
A strong vision helps you make better decisions, stay motivated, and inspire others to join you on the journey.
00:02:23
Speaker
For this session, I'll act as your guide, asking you questions to help you define and refine your vision. As we go, I'll pause to give you time to reflect and think deeply about your answers. Feel free to write your thoughts down or speak them aloud, whatever helps you process them best.
00:02:49
Speaker
Imagine yourself 10 years from today. You've made significant progress toward a goal or dream you've been working on. Your hard work has paid off and things have fallen into place.
00:03:04
Speaker
Take a moment to picture of this future. And for this particular exercise, I do recommend you jot down some words or even say aloud some basic descriptions. Getting this description out of your head helps to make it more concrete. 10 years from now, having achieved some goal or made progress on some dream, where are you? What do you see around you? What is your life like?
00:03:56
Speaker
What have you achieved in this future? Let's be specific. Do you have a certain amount of money or a specific job? Is your business a certain size and revenue, employees or prestige? Whatever it is, what does success look like for you 10 years from now?
00:04:41
Speaker
Now focus on the
Envisioning Success and Its Impact
00:04:44
Speaker
impact of this success. How has achieving this improved your work, your relationships, or your life? Do you have less financial concerns? Were you able to buy that house or car you really wanted? Can you take that big trip every year?
00:05:08
Speaker
Maybe were you able to self-fund your children's college without breaking the bank? Whatever it is, what have been the impacts of your success?
00:05:43
Speaker
Let's roll back from that 10 year time horizon just a bit. What are the key milestones or accomplishments that got you here? Think about the big steps you had to take along the way. If your vision was to run a successful company, when did you found it? At what time did you become profitable?
00:06:13
Speaker
If your vision is to be independently wealthy, did you have one time your current income in savings at year two, five times your current income in savings in year five?
Bridging the Present and Future
00:06:33
Speaker
What specifically happened along the way toward your goal?
00:06:57
Speaker
Let's go even further back from that 10 year time horizon and and think about the present. What is the gap between where you are now and this future vision? Are there things standing in the way of you achieving that vision? What's stopping you from achieving that vision today?
00:07:41
Speaker
What resources, skills, or support will you need to close this gap and move closer to your vision?
Taking Immediate Action
00:07:51
Speaker
Do you need to change your expenses, build certain relationships, or make an investment of time or money in something? What can you do to get you closer to your 10 year vision?
00:08:29
Speaker
Finally, let's make this achievable. You might have heard before that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the next best time is today. So let's plant that tree by focusing on the first step.
00:08:49
Speaker
What is one action you can take today to start moving toward your vision? Be specific. What will you do and when will you do it? Will you make a phone call? File incorporation papers for your business? Make a budget? Cook dinner for your spouse? What is something you can do today to take the first step toward your goal?
The Importance of Clarity and Action
00:09:41
Speaker
I want you to mentally scan back through the vision you just developed.
00:09:49
Speaker
Remind yourself what things look like for you in 10 years, the impacts of achieving that vision, the milestones toward achieving that vision. And now finally, what you can do today to make that vision a reality. Reflect on how this vision feels to you and what it means for your future.
00:10:39
Speaker
A strong vision is more than just a dream. It's a practical tool for guiding your decisions, motivating yourself and others, and staying focused on what matters most. There are many factors that play into success. One you have control over though is the clarity of your vision.
00:11:04
Speaker
It has been said by many writers, philosophers, and religious texts that where there is no vision, the people perish. What is meant by this is that having a vision of the future, a clear idea of what tomorrow will look like or how great things will be when you win that race or achieve that goal. What is meant by that is that it turns out that having a clear vision is actually crucial to achieving something meaningful. And this is just as true for individuals as it is for groups.
00:11:45
Speaker
If all you do is create a vision, but you did not meaningfully examine it, look into what it will take to get there, and then take action, you're just dreaming. Visioning is not the secret.
00:12:03
Speaker
This is not a message that the universe will deliver upon your dreams. Visioning is a tool you use to clarify what do you want your future to look like and your commitment to achieving that future.
00:12:19
Speaker
Here's why each step of this exercise is important. First, imagining your future creates clarity. It helps you see where you want to go and what success looks like. Second, focusing on the impact connects your vision to your values, giving it emotional weight and meaning.
00:12:44
Speaker
Third, identifying the gap grounds you in reality, helping you see what needs to change to achieve your vision. Finally, fourth, planning the first step ensures action. Even the most compelling vision won't go anywhere without a clear starting point.
00:13:07
Speaker
By taking time to define your vision and align your actions with it, you can create a roadmap for meaningful progress. Visioning is not just about the future. It's about making intentional choices today to shape that future.
Further Learning and Contact Information
00:13:27
Speaker
If you'd like to learn more, I place links in the show notes. I also encourage you to email me ah eric at.com or to reach out to me on social media. Thank you for your dedication to this. I hope you found it valuable and hope you will join me for the next business meditation.