This is my personal philosophy to life and I gotta tell you, I really struggle with it. I find I either get wrapped up in the minutiae of daily activities and forget to look up to make sure what I’m doing is taking me where I want to go in life, or I do the opposite…get so focused on the future I forget that ‘my life’ is happening around me right now, so I’d better enjoy and appreciate what’s going on around me, even as I work to achieve my dreams.
Businesses deal with this balancing act through establishing a common vision and doing annual strategy planning. The vision tells everyone in the company where they’re going, and based on their current situation, the company can adjust its strategy planning to ensure they are moving toward their vision not away from it. So my question is: Is there something in the idea of having a vision and annually planning a strategy that might help me achieve my goal in life – to really and truly experience life?
Alright, I’m willing to admit that I can’t control every aspect of my life or determine with complete accuracy where I’ll end up, nor do I want to. But there’s a great conversation in Alice in Wonderland between Alice and the Cheshire cat that illustrates my point. In the conversation, Alice asks the cat:
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to”, said the cat.
“I don’t much care where—“, said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go”, said the cat.
“–so long as I get SOMEWHERE”, Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that”, said the cat, “If you only walk long enough.”
I don’t want to end up just ‘somewhere’. I want to be able to look back and say, “I lived life to its fullest…experiencing it…giving back to it…creating it!” That’s my vision of the ‘somewhere’ that I want to be. One benefit that I’ve noticed of going through the process of clarifying a personal vision for my life is I’ve found myself more aware of ways to channel my energy on people and experiences that are important to me, and with all the things that ‘bombard’ us every day, vying for our attention, that’s been really helpful. Ok, so what about actually sitting down and planning a personal ‘strategy’ every year?
In business, strategy helps companies figure out what they’re going to do to achieve their vision, and equally important, what they’re not going to do. The paths they choose are strongly influenced by a variety of constraints and opportunities including current resources, current economic situation, current market conditions, etc. Well, the idea of ‘constraints and opportunities’ obviously in terms of personal finances, life style, work requirements, applies to most of us.
Constraints and opportunities can come in many forms, getting married, changing jobs, moving to a new community – to name a few. I also need to adjust my strategy to take into account a lot of things that will be outside my control, and at the same time not lose sight that this is all part of ‘living life to the fullest.’ By taking time out to clarify the ‘somewhere’ I want to end up in life, and consciously thinking about my next steps, I’m able to point to steps (activities, experiences) that I believe are taking me to where I want to be.
Obviously, I don’t know what those twilight years look like exactly, even with a clear vision, but that’s not the point. I’m more confident now, that when I’ve reached those twilight years, I will be able to look back and think, ‘wow, what a ride’. I’m clear on an idea of where I’d like to end up, and have a process that helps me be present in the journey along the way. This is what ‘winning’ means to me.
“Life’s about the journey, not just the destination. You must be present to win.” That’s my philosophy. “I lived life to its fullest…Experiencing it…Giving back to it…creating it!” That’s my vision. What’s yours? And what are you doing to make sure you’re moving toward it?
Mark
Filed under: General Tagged: | learning, personal development, personal planning, personal strategy, personal vision
