A Vision Instead of a Goal?
But everybody says to set a goal! Look, if you want to accomplish as much as you possibly can, the most important thing to get right is the vision you have to begin with.
This is basically the same thing as setting your trajectory and without a trajectory, you don’t stand a chance in getting to your destination, do you? One of the things that prevents people from succeeding is not knowing how to correctly set their goals.
But if you start off with setting goals, then you start out with the wrong intent anyway. You want to start with a vision. What do you see as the end game? What is your definition of success?
What’s the Difference?
Well, a goal is something that you write down. It should be very simple and concrete. For example, I want to lose 10 pounds in six weeks. While it is a goal, it’s not as effective as a vision designed to the same end.
This same ambition posed as a vision instead of a goal would be more like being in shape. You might visualize yourself looking ripped and feeling healthy.
Or you might imagine being able to run up twelve flights of stairs without feeling like you’re suffocating.
You might picture yourself running down the beach with your t-shirt off during the summer and not being embarrassed about it. That’s your vision.
The purpose of the vision is to pinpoint the emotion behind the goal. What do you want to feel at the end game?
Visions Work Better Than Goals
The thing is, goals are not flexible enough. When you set a goal, you have one thing you’re trying to accomplish and pretty much only one way of succeeding. Being healthy, or becoming fit, is not a good goal. For your goals to be clear and reachable, they should be Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). Being healthy or becoming fit is not specific enough and whether or not it’s measurable or time-bound is subjective.
When you set a vision, you have the freedom to change the steps in which you’re taking to achieve success; or you could bend them to fit your current lifestyle, plans, or situation. For example, when I started this journey, I ended up breaking my ankle about a month in. Obviously, that interfered with my workout plans by quite a bit. So the steps and timeframe that I had planned on to reach my vision needed to be adjusted to accommodate healing.
Another reason visions work better is because they tap into your emotions. When you visualize something, the same regions fire in your brain as though it is actually occurring. This allows us to actually trigger the emotion as though it really happened. We can then tap into that emotion to motivate ourselves to carry out our plans.
Click here to sign up and learn the science behind this!
So, what is your vision? By taking this one step, you attach emotions to your plans and make them real. Those that feel accomplished had to first feel motivated, right? What motivates you? We’d love to hear from you. Remember, we’re in this together! Drop us a line or two in the comments below and let us know what your vision is or where you find your motivation.
Stay tuned for the next mindset transformation post where we’ll talk about how to change your attitude to be more positive and free yourself from those things that are weighing you down.
For now, take care and hug your loved ones,
~Ki