Creating a Vision for Your Life

A new year will soon be upon us. Have you found yourself saying, “I wonder what next year will bring?” What many of us fail to realize is that we are fully in control of our reality and are capable of making our wildest dreams come true.

Now with that being said, there is no such thing as “luck” and your dream life just falling in your lap. It takes work, planning, and discipline. It’s our hope that the exercises provided in this article will help you design and create your unstoppable vision for your life.

Why It’s Important to Have a Vision

When you create a vision for your life, you develop a map to your goals and dreams. Just like anything else there will be detours and roadblocks along the way, but you will have a path to keep you focused on achieving your goals. On the flip side, if you don’t have a vision, you’ll allow other people and circumstances to chart the course of your life. The choice is yours: do you want to set the course for your life or leave it up to someone else?

Creating Your Vision

Creating your vision is an intentional process. When going through these exercises, it’s important to be in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted and are able to relax, focus and dream big. A few tips to guide you:

• Give yourself permission to dream big!
• Focus on your wishes, not what others expect of you.
• Be creative, don’t focus on the how. 

As you begin to reflect, consider these questions:

• What would you like to have more of in your life?
• What are your secret passions and dreams?
• What are your values? What issues do you care about?
• Given the perfect circumstances, what would you accomplish?

Reflect on the six areas of life noted below and what you want out of each one. Write your answers in a notebook or gather pictures and create a vision board.

Mental & Spiritual Wellness

• How are you starting and ending each day?
• What’s your state of mind?
• What brings you energy?

Financial Well-being

• What is your annual income?
• What kind of lifestyle are you living? What kind of home and car do you have?
• What kind of experiences do you want to have?

Career Success

• If money wasn’t an issue, what job would you have?
• Where do you work?
• What are your responsibilities?

Physical Health

• What does your physical body look like? 
• How do you feel about yourself?
• What are you doing to stay healthy?

Family & Relationships

• What kind of people are in your life? How do you feel about them?
• What does your relationship with your spouse/partner look like?
• What communities are you part of? How do you engage?

Self-Leadership

• How do you want people to remember you? What do you want to be known for?
• What habits have you developed? What habits have you stopped?
• What are you learning and from what sources?

Next Steps for Success

Congratulations! You’ve taken the time to invest in yourself and your future. Reviewing your vision on a regular basis is just as important as creating it. Below are a few tips to help you keep your vision top of mind:

• Visualize and feel your vision on a regular basis
• Talk about your vision
• Integrate your vision into your meditation practice

Don’t be afraid to adjust your vision if your priorities change. Your vision should grow and evolve as you do.