Why Vision is the #1 Success Factor in Your Life and Work – October 3, 2023

Welcome to Fall!

It’s been a while since I’ve published this newsletter. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with you as we move into the harvest season, a time of reaping the rewards of our hard work, and reflection on the busy activities of spring and summer.

I also have some big news: On October 1st, 2023, Expansive Leadership Coaching celebrated its 8th birthday! This is a significant milestone for me as the Founder & CEO because eight years — eight years and two and a half months, to be exact — is the longest tenure I’ve ever had with one company.

Being my own boss is something I have absolutely grown to love, challenges and all. I can’t imagine doing anything else. A big anniversary coming up coupled with a seasonal call for reflection has caused me to think back on my time with Expansive Leadership Coaching. How am I still here after eight years (a relatively long period of time for a small business)?

I believe it is because I had a vision that helped me stay the course when things got challenging. My vision helped me root into the bigger picture and kept me determined to create the life I really wanted… and it prevented me from becoming a failed small business statistic.

To me, vision is the #1 factor in being a successful entrepreneur, but also the #1 factor in your ability to create the life you really want (not just the one you think you’re supposed to have).

Let’s dig into this idea and explore the role that vision plays in your life.

What is a Vision, Really?

In the corporate world, we talk a lot about “vision/mission,” and they are distinct.

A mission is very tangible: “We’re going to create x product or service every day.” Straightforward.

A vision can feel a little out of reach, unattainable. To be visionary is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. For a company, the vision (or “vision statement”) is a written statement succinctly expressing the company’s purpose by defining its long-term goals. A life vision is a written statement succinctly expressing your ultimate life goals where you envision your future, tap into your motivation, and consider your values.

Whether for a company or a life, a vision statement should be inspirational and aspirational. Something that keeps you going and leaves you feeling uplifted and hopeful. The fun thing about a vision is that it requires some imagination, and it might not necessarily sound logical to everybody. But clear vision is also how big things happen in the world!

I had a vision when I quit my job 10 years ago at Vail Resorts. I imagined a completely different way of life, and it was (and still is) inspiring to me. My personal vision for my own business and life is:

⇒To create and run a business that I love being in and that works for my whole life

This means that my business must continue to fully honor my personal values and the values on which I hang my business hat on every day: integrity, flexibility, transparency, accountability, authenticity, growth, fun, inspiration, and financial security.

I also have a “no a$$ holes” rule. I only work with people I really like, even love. By fully expressing my values, I attract others who are in alignment with what matters most to me.

On my best days, I relish the flexibility and security that this life offers me and my family. On the worst days, I dig deep and remind myself that I still believe that this way of life is far better than any other type of work arrangement I can imagine.

I believe that vision is why my small business is still here after so many years.

Clarify Your Life Vision

Have you ever thought about your vision for your life? Not just work, but your whole life. What is that thing, that vision, that will always be what you’re striving to create?

When I work with clients, I draw them toward clarifying their life vision. I ask, “Why do you work?” Many people simply answer, “For the money.” But everybody works for money, so I then ask, “What is the money for?” Usually, I get a response like, “Well, for the mortgage, to put my kids through college,” etc.

“Okay. What is that for?”

And that’s when we start to get to the meat of it. Together, we explore at a deeper and deeper level what really is important to them. Work is just one facet of our lives; to truly live a life that excites and satisfies you, what you do and when and why should align with your life vision, especially if you’re an entrepreneur, because:

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as reported by Fundera, approximately 20 percent of small businesses fail within the first year. By the end of the second year, 30 percent of businesses will have failed. By the end of the fifth year, about half will have failed. And by the end of the decade, only 30 percent of businesses will remain — a 70 percent failure rate. From entrepreneur.com.

…reasons for [small business] failure include money running out, being in the wrong market, a lack of research, bad partnerships, ineffective marketing, and not being an expert in the industry. From investopedia.com.

Any of those reasons can definitely explain why small businesses fail. But the list above is missing something really big: you have got to really, really want to succeed. You’ve got to be 100% connected to the vision you hold for your life, and it must include your business. When you’re rooted in the life vision that accompanies the business vision, you’ll be driven to figure out finances, marketing, growing skills, client attraction… all the activities that can feel really, really hard.

Over the last eight years, I have been firmly rooted in my vision. I knew with certainty that it was through my business that I would create the life I really wanted. There were plenty of opportunities to throw in the towel for reasons like inconsistent income, the feeling that I didn’t have the right skillset (of running a business), or anything else.

When you’re rooted in the vision, you get things done that check the boxes along the way toward what you really want. And each of those small actions every day propel you forward.

Hone in on the Bigger Picture

If you are an entrepreneur, or simply a person who is trying to create something in your life, consider these ideas that I believe are the building blocks for success.

You’ve got to want it. If you don’t really want to start your own business, or create whatever you are envisioning, you will likely fail. If you’re not motivated to make a change, you won’t do it (ask me, I’m as stubborn as they come!)

You must be deeply rooted in a bigger vision for your life and your work. If you can’t “see” the vision yet, try sitting quietly in a place that inspires you (like a museum or park) or walking in nature.  Let your imagination play. It’s likely that something will bubble up.

You must return to the vision. When you start to wonder if you’re crazy, when you worry it might be a bad idea, or when you fret that you’ve made a mistake, return to your big vision. Find refuge in it. Every single time I doubted myself or my ability to make my business work, I circled back to the same vision, and it has grounded me day in and day out.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to apply the “really want it” concept to your own life, whether you work for an organization or for yourself.

• Where are you “going through the motions” of your life? How do you want it to be different?

• What parts of your life are you really excited about? How can you accelerate this or do more of this thing that lights you up now?

• Where in your life are you putting off fulfillment? What in your soul is suffering as a result?

• What small, achievable step can you take this week to bring more fulfillment into your life? Look toward your personal core values for ideas. Notice what values are getting squashed by other priorities.

• Where are you holding yourself back? What’s getting in your way? What do you need to move around/through/over that obstacle?

  
  

My hope for you is that by working through these questions, you’ll find expansion in some exciting areas of your life. Fall is the ideal time to re-evaluate what you can release and create space for things that you really want.

Looking Forward

As I head into the next phase of my life, I wonder what’s next. When I created my original vision for my business, my son was in 3rd grade… now he’s a junior in high school looking at college, and we’re both standing on the precipice of change. It feels expansive, and at the same time, there are too many options. It’s time for me to look inward to tweak or reinvent my life vision with an eye toward the novel, exciting, inspirational, and aspirational.

One thing I know for sure is that as I launch into year nine, I look forward to partnering with my amazing clients — past, current, and future — as we continue to take big strides toward achieving my company’s vision:

My vision is that everyone has the gift of a wonderful, inspiring leader, and a fabulous place to go to work that beckons them to be their best. Everyone.

If that vision inspires you and you’d like to explore the idea of working together, I’d love to learn more about your life vision. Connect with me here to get the ball rolling.