If You Can See It, You Can Be It

Exploring the Power of Vision

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” – Jonathan Swift

If you want your business to grow, you need to capture a vision of what that growth could look like. If you want to move into a new role, you need to create a vision of what that new opportunity could be. If you want to bring a new product or service to market, you need to forge a vision of what you want your new offering to include.

For any of us to become anything, we need to be able to see it first. And, like the quote we kicked this off with, that often means we need to see something that doesn’t already exist. We need to tap into imagination, that thing that was so easily accessed when we were kids, and use it as adults. By doing this, we’re able to capture what’s invisible – the things that exist only in our heads – and turn them into real, tangible results.

When it happens, it’s like magic. It’s the catalyst for rocket ships and computers that fit in our pockets and works of art that hang in museums. It’s the spark that takes us from where we are to where we want to go.

Creating that vision starts with using your imagination to define three things…

1. First, define what your vision looks like. As you’re setting your goals for business growth, imagine what achieving that growth would look like in detail. What milestones would you reach? As you’re thinking through your next role, imagine in detail how you would spend your time and energy. What activities would you do? As you’re thinking through your next product or service offering, imagine specifically what the deliverable would be. What would customers receive when they buy from you?
2. Second, define what your vision sounds like. Don’t think about the noise your vision would make, but instead, start to imagine how you would describe it to someone else. What words would you use to communicate your vision for growing your business? If a friend asked you what excites you about your next role, what would you say? If you were selling that new product or service, what phrases would you use to tell a prospective customer about it?
3. Third, define what it feels like. How your vision will feel is the most important question because this is where we connect emotion to our vision. What will it feel like to achieve your business goals? How will it feel to spend your days in the new role you want? As customers engage with your new product or service, what will the experience be like for them, and how will it feel for you?

Tapping back into your imagination and turning on your vision will be uncomfortable at first. It may feel almost impossible. But, here’s the good news. When we start and push through the discomfort, we create muscle memory. Then, over time, we get reacquainted with our imagination, and we’re able to capture our visions more easily. Eventually, casting vision becomes natural again.

Call-to-Action

Have a vision you want to capture? Block off half an hour, or an hour, or a day, and spend some time defining what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Go back to the days when cardboard boxes could become rocket ships, and use your imagination again.