If you’ve spent the year staring at a blank space where a business plan ought to be, or have sat pondering what truly deserves your attention, you so need a vision.
It’s only with a destination in view that you can hope to plan the route.
A decade or so ago I was introduced to the process of creating a ‘vision board’ using tear outs from magazines.
Grab yourself three or four magazines. Not the type packed with celebrities, but ones with images that suggest aspects of life you find appealing.
They don’t have to be current, so the neighbours’ recycling bins should provide ample fodder.
Next up, tear out images that depict situations you’re looking to create more of in the year ahead and paste them onto a board. Add hand written phrases or headlines from the magazine to emphasise points. Make the board quite large and ideally clear a space on the wall to hang it.
The images may cover how and where you work; the people within your network; the tranquillity or vibrancy you have around you and of course, your nearest and dearest … even if they’re yet to appear in your life.
In a recent clear up, I dug out a vision board I created a few years ago. It featured images of a handful of people working happily in their funky little offices. They looked like really nice, interesting people, the sort I’d love to work alongside.
Scarily like my partners Sam and Peter and the wonderful Lisa and Jayne, I now realise.
Also on my vision board were images of highrise office buildings indicating Flying Solo’s growing relationship with the pointy end of town - a scenario that has certainly manifested in recent months.
Indeed, aside from the absence of a car built in Stuttgart, all aspects of my vision board have been realised. And who cares, my family wagon is really very sleek.
So what do you say, will you make a commitment to creating a vision board?
“ It’s only with a destination in view that you can hope to plan the route. ”
Robert Gerrish is one of the Flying Solo crew and supports soloists as a coach and consultant. He presents at conferences and networking events and bangs on to the media or anyone who listens, about all things micro. Along with Sam Leader and Peter Crocker, he's the co-author of Flying Solo – How to go it alone in business.
