Table of Contents:

Section 1: Vision

What is a vision? 

A vision is a desired future state, or more simply, what you would like to see in a more perfect world. As Simon Sinek often says, “Start with why.” A vision gives you the answer to the question of “why does my business exist.” You could even call a vision your purpose.

Vision doesn’t yet answer the question of how we will get there. It is a declaration of what we long to see in the world. A vision is most often not achieved quickly. It’s not a short term goal but a long term aim that requires achieving small goals to make progress.

Why is a vision important?

“Begin with the end in mind.” 

-Steven Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Vision keeps you and your business focused and moving in the right direction. It is a compass that lets you redirect your course as life’s waves try to move you away from your destination. Without this compass, you'll likely end up in a place you don't want to be.

Without having something to redirect you, it is easy to choose the path of least resistance. You’ll be looking for ways to just survive the day, completing tasks that make you look busy but do not move you forward. With a clear vision, it is easier to develop milestones, goals, and action steps that drive progress. 

Clarifying your vision boosts productivity by:

• Removing obstacles that prevent you from taking action.

• Prioritizing tasks that align with your goals. 

• Eliminating distractions and focusing on what's most important.

• Providing a "True North" for making hard decisions. 

• Allowing you to identify the most game-changing tasks.

The first step is creating a vision, which is the focus of section one, where we answer the question, “why.” However, section two, "Mission: Making Progress Towards Your Vision," will answer the question “how.”

Vision and the believer 

As Christians, our faith in Jesus is integral to vision planning. The Bible itself presents God's vision for humanity. God knew before he created the world that mankind would fall into sin, separating us from God. Recognizing our inability to bridge this gap, God planned to send Jesus as a sacrifice. Jesus' death and resurrection restored our relationship with God, both on Earth and in eternity. God’s desire was and is to have this relationship restored with us. This is the ultimate example of vision.

Jesus now invites us to participate in God’s vision through the Great Commission:

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

As Christian entrepreneurs, we must keep this in mind when planning our life and business visions. God has blessed us with unique talents that we can develop and use to share Jesus with the world.  

Ephesians 2:10 reminds us: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

We'll explore seeking God as an entrepreneur more deeply in a future section. However, it's crucial to recognize that our personal and professional visions should align with and contribute to God's greater vision for humanity.

Vision exercises

Whether you have never defined your vision or if your vision just needs fine tuning, these exercises will help you create a vision and a clear vision statement. By the end of these exercises, you will have taken a huge step towards improving your productivity. You and your teams must know what you are working towards to be able to achieve it.

Exercise 1: Brainstorm

• Answer the following:

  • What do I want to achieve in the next 10, 20, 30 years?

  • What is the significance of achieving it?

  • How could I achieve this?

  • If I knew I would succeed, what would I do?

  • If I could start over, what would I do?

  • Who can most benefit from my services?

    1. What are their biggest pains?

    2. How do I help them?

  • Where do I feel like God has uniquely called me?

• What are 2-3 themes that stand out after answering these questions?

Exercise 2: Vision Statement

Can you clearly tell your family, your team, your customers or even yourself why your business exists? There is significant value in being able to share your vision clearly.

What is a vision statement? A vision statement is a concise statement that declares the future state you are working towards. What would you like to see in a more perfect world? Why does your business exist?

Vision statement examples:

Tesla: Accelerating the World's Transition to Sustainable Energy

Shopify: Making Commerce Better for Everyone

Anchor Coaching: Increasing Business Ministries Across the Globe

Let’s use this example to show the impact of clearly communicating my vision:

• Internally, myself and my team know what we are working towards. Prioritizing and decision making is easier because we align our milestones, goals, and action steps to our clear vision statement. 

• Externally, customers, potential customers, and allies know who we are and the work we do. They can better remember the work you do because of why you are doing it.

Here’s your chance to create your own vision statement. Having done the first exercise, you should have a general idea for your vision. 

Instructions:

• Set a timer for 3 minutes and list as many potential vision statements as you can. Use the question, “why does your business exist” or “in a more perfect world, what would you like to see,” to guide your answers. 

• After 3 minutes, select your top 3 vision statements that resonate most with you. Now rewrite or restate your vision for each one at least 3 times in as few words as possible. 

You should now have 3 possible vision statements. 

How do I know if my vision is right?

The truth is, you won't know for certain until you start. However, confidence in your direction can come from thoughtful preparation. You have already started this by participating in the exercises. Asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom and seeking wise counsel is a great place to start. Find a few people that you trust and share your vision with them. 

Be prepared to adjust your vision as you gain experience and insight. Many successful entrepreneurs and leaders have adjusted their visions over time. The important thing is to start with a thoughtful direction and remain open to refinement as you progress.

What's next?

Mission: Making progress on your vision

In the next section we will tackle the question of “how” to make progress towards your vision.

Subscribe to receive updates for our next section, Mission: Making progress towards your vision.

Resources

Books:  

• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey

• Start With Why, Simon Sinek

If you need help setting and making progress towards your vision, contact me at Jacob@anchorcoaching.co or book an appointment on my calendar.