20/20 Vision

Any successful corporation has a well-defined vision, one well-known to all of its employees and even its customers. This vision defines the corporation’s aspirations and serves as the guiding principle for all significant future action. Similarly, every individual needs a personal vision. What is your personal vision? What does your finish line look like? How will you know when you arrive? Some Type-A personalities may say “I don’t have a finish line. I won’t stop achieving until my heart stops beating.” For those of you that are that committed to “the race,” I will amend the question. How will your life appear to you after “Stages 1, 2, 3, etc.” are complete?

Some among you upon reading this question may say, “Huh?” You are working hard and striving to get to the next stage of your career and your life, but have not yet defined your reason for being. Now is the time! Others may respond by saying that their vision is defined by a level of income, a level of comfort for one’s family, a level of professional achievement or some combination of all three. To all of you, I argue that your true vision can be summed up and articulated in one word: freedom. Am I correct?

Let’s examine the aspirations of which your vision is comprised. Why does family appear in your vision? Because you want to be free to spend more time with your family. Further, through your efforts, you want its members to be free to pursue their own dreams. Why does career achievement appear in your vision? Some may say that achievement represents a sense of accomplishment. However, I bet that you also want to get to the next level to free yourself of the restrictions of the last one; less autonomy, less control of your career direction, less income. Ah, income! Why does income appear in your vision? As we all know, money is not an end, but a means to an end. You want to earn money by the truckload so you can enjoy the freedom of choice that it provides. No matter which aspiration you plug into your personal vision statement, it all comes back to that one word. It all comes back to the noblest and most righteous of all human pursuits: freedom.

A good personal vision will provide you with the clarity needed to guide your future action. Once you simplify your vision from a cluttered list of machinations designed to earn promotions and pay raises to a set of actions that which will make you feel free, your approach to your career and your life will start to change immediately. You will focus your mind on the notion that your vision is righteous and its realization is your birthright if you are willing to do the right work. You will focus your skills on choosing the right people to serve, and then honing your skills to serve them well. You will focus your behavior as if you are on a mission, because you will be on a mission. The mission will be living in freedom.

We all need vision to be successful in life. There is no clearer vision than freedom. Your ability to see freedom as you define it will always be 20/20.