Photo by Phong Nguyen

The million dollar question that we all asked ourselves at one time or the other is, why are we here? And where do we see ourselves in life? We all are here with a specific purpose but what helps us move and direct our purpose is a vision. What exactly is vision? The dictionary defines vision as an act or power of anticipating which will or may come to be. Vision gives direction and a glimpse over our life to make our goals and purpose become a reality. In order to understand where we want ourselves to be in life, we must have a clear vision over our life. So, once you understand that vision clarifies purpose, life will become simpler and more meaningful. It’s so important to have vision and purpose because; it actually controls and makes our decisions, which ultimately creates our lifestyle. I will highlight and break down three ways how vision directs us to our purpose.

01 | Vision Chooses Our Friends
Just like vision chooses our direction in life, it also chooses our friends and the company we keep. People are attracted and spend time with people who have a vision and who are disciplined in their vision. We normally do not hang or associate ourselves with people who do not know where they are headed in life, at least not for too long because of the time that is being wasted. And let us be honest that it is mentally draining and frustrating being around people who do not understand where they want themselves to be or how to get there.

The great thing about vision is, once you realize your vision, you will slowly detach from people who don’t fit in your vision and you will align yourself with people who do. No one will be able to fulfill one’s purpose alone, because one’s purpose is bigger than oneself at the moment and that is the intended purpose! The great thing about purpose is, it will not only benefit and help you, but it will also make room for other people to learn and grow in your purpose and in your vision as well. So when you hear people say, “I’m a Self-Made Millionaire”, please do not be fooled by the propaganda because no one is a self-made millionaire, anyone who is successful financially, is successful because of their ability to communicate their vision and surround themselves with people who were willing to invest in their vision. Your friends should be the same way; they should be able to help you fulfill your purpose and vision by adding value to it. Once you understand your vision it will direct people who are willing to sew in it, if you’re open and honest.

02 | Vision Decides How We Spend Our Time
How we spend our time is all connected to our vision. If our vision is important to us, the time we spend pursuing it will reflect it. This principal is really that simple, but because it’s so simple, we often make it complicated. For example, if you decide you want to be the Employee of the Month, in the next few weeks spending time on partying after you leave the office might decline, the amount of sleep you get at night might increase and the time you invest in your work while at work will align ultimately with your vision. In order to reach your goal and purpose the time you spend will determine your actions to achieve your vision. It’s no different from any disciplined athlete that we admire in sports. We admire Michael Jordan for his discipline, not his skills, because, his discipline reflects his skills. Jordan knew that when the Bulls lost to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in 88’ that he needed to discipline himself to win the championship the next time they met. That summer Jordan dedicated himself to a strict workout routine day to prepare for the physicality and mental part of the game.  Getting in the gym early and shooting 1000 jump shots helped to prepare Jordan for the clutch shots he would take, which would ultimately help him and the Bulls defeat the Pistons in 91.

This example supports that time is the most important resource we have as it is the only resource that is not renewable. Time wasted today, we cannot get back tomorrow because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Money, people, and opportunities can always come again later in life, but once the time is gone it is gone forever. Vision will not allow you to waste time. 

03 | Vision Creates Your Habits
Vision does a lot of things for us once we realize what we want. Not only does vision decide our friends, how we spend our time, but it also creates our habits. Your to-do list is created by your vision and it tells you exactly what you will do, which will over time create your habits. Anyone who has a vision of becoming his own boss will eventually create habits that will prepare him or her, for that vision.

To prepare for this you might take time to read business books for 30 minutes, first thing every morning, to give you a better understanding on what it means to run a business, once you get in the office, you might listen to business interviews from other entrepreneurs on Forbes and Bloomberg, to learn common threads on what made them successful and you might even attend monthly seminars in the Network and learn from other entrepreneurs in the field first hand for a better understanding.

Habits are things we do every day most of the time without even thinking about it, but the people who are successful are the ones who are conscious of their habits.

Create and follow habits that bring you closer to your vision and purpose. It’s important to know that the way we spend our time, energy and resources can contribute and bring us one step closer than we were yesterday.

Finding and realizing your purpose is not easy. With everyone telling us what we’re good at, and how we should live our life and what careers we should explore, it can be pretty confusing and chaotic at times. But once you realize your purpose for yourself and write down your vision, life becomes simple and less complex. Society has made us believe, the busier we are, the more successful and important we are, which, most times is far from the truth. Once we understand our purpose our life becomes more narrow, more focused and much clearer because, we know what we want. Discover your purpose and create your vision and watch where life takes you. Just make sure you buckle up and enjoy the ride.

FROM THE EDITOR
At Conscious, we are inspired by stories that cause us to think differently and think big-picture and so we set out to tell stories with the help of leaders and influencers within the social good community. You can read more stories like this when you join as a member.