When coaching executives and business leaders, I often discover that although their company has a vision statement, they don’t have their own personal vision statement. So what’s the big problem of not having your own? Well, what I found time and again, especially with older leaders, was that those who didn’t have their own personal vision, got to a point in their career dissatisfied with their life. Those who were clear about their vision felt a lot more complete as a person and were a lot more successful.

So if you want to be happier and more successful, take some quiet time to create your own vision statement. It will help you to define where you want to take your life, making it a more purposeful life. And, it will help you to design your future.

How to Create a Personal Vision Statement
You will need to find a quiet place so that you can reflect about yourself and what is important to you. Ask yourself these questions about the future:

Where are you living and/or working?
Who are you with?  Family, friends, associates?
What are you doing?  Working, playing, traveling, etc?
What have you accomplished?
Personally and professionally – What is important to you?
Values, feelings etc?

Once you have answered these questions think about if your future picture, vision, is achieved, how would you feel? Feelings are important in this process. Feelings, if strong enough, will drive us to take action. They will motivate and energize us to take the necessary steps needed to get to our vision.

Finally, start crafting your vision and put it down on paper. Make it concise, written in the present tense and put on something you can take with you to reference on a daily basis.

And remember that your vision can change. It isn’t set in concrete. It is a compass to help you have a life that is complete and joyous. When you get to the end of your life, having and following your vision, there will be no regrets.

Image Credit: The Stock Exchange (www.sxc.hu) User: lockheed