Clarity of Vision

Einstein once said “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Think about that statement for a moment and ask yourself, ‘Does this quote apply to the way I run my company?’

Most businesses that continually beat their head against a wall suffer from a profound lack of vision. Everyone engages in frenzied efforts to succeed (always working longer and trying harder), but because people don’t see the big picture or understand the true value they bring to customers, their quarterly profit and loss statements don’t reflect the intensity of their effort.

Here’s the reality… trying harder isn’t usually the solution to achieving more. In fact, it might be a big part of the problem. Let’s examine together the path to clarity of vision.

First and foremost, what is this Holy Grail we call vision? It’s pretty simple really, and boils down to a few primary considerations: Why are you in business? What is so great about what you do or make? What impact do you want your business to leave on the world?

Now you might be able to pop out some pat answers to those questions without really thinking about them, but vision is a critical component of your professional success and deserves more attention. In order to create truly visionary responses to those basic questions, you have to get outside of your comfort zone and slow down. Before you even begin to draft a vision statement, I suggest that you back off of your to-do list, quit trying harder, and pull some wise people around you to help bring an outside perspective into the conversation. Think beyond goals and money and tasks.

It’s very important when stepping into the role of the visionary to suspend disbelief and allow yourself to brainstorm outside the bounds of common sense. Vision isn’t mission! Let me repeat… Your vision isn’t an expanded version of your mission statement. Your mission statement should rightly be grounded in the present and directly related to the values and standards that will help you take action in the upcoming months and years, but your vision must be so much more.

Your vision is your enduring purpose; the fundamental reason for an organization’s existence beyond just making money. It is a perpetual guiding star on the horizon and does not change over time. For example, NASA’s vision is “advancing man’s capability to explore the heavens.” In essence, our vision is a mental picture of the future we wish to create through endless pursuit of an ideal. It is love, and passion, and the impetus to pursue that which we truly want most out of life through work.

On the other hand, a mission is a specific destination that is concrete and achievable. A good mission engages people – it reaches out and grabs them and makes them want to do something in the present moment. It should be tangible, energizing, highly focused and support the vision. To stick with our NASA example, a mission statement might establish a goal of “putting a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s”.
So, once you have stepped back from the insanity, and examined the beliefs and dreams behind your corporate vision, how does the simple vision statement you write help your business grow? Clarity = Power. If you don’t have a vision and a sense of destiny about your company, you won’t grow. Timing, recognizing unique opportunities, and the power to execute – these lie within you, not in the situation.

Your vision represents your desires, your passions, your dreams that burn hot in your mind… and thus your vision gives you all the intuitive information you need to find direction and make breakthroughs in performance. Your vision is your own internal ‘magnetic north’ that will enable you to make quantum leaps in your results.

Don’t wait! Define and live your vision today and you’ll begin to see power of purpose in action.

Overcoming Fear

Last night I had a fabulous meeting with my Victory Circle, a women's group that I facilitate. (Visit www.victorycircles.com to learn all the details) So, our conversation topic was Freedom from Fear. Not a bad thing to deal with before we all go into the New Year with our big plans and rock-solid resolutions!

I wanted to share a few things from the reading that we did together. Each item is a step you can take to overcome the fears that are holding you back in life. It doesn't really matter whether a fear is big or small, personal or professional, rational or irrational - no one who lives in fear is truly free. We all feel afraid at times, that's unavoidable, but as Katherine Patterson sagely said, “To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.”

1. Take Small Steps

This is good for fear that can seem overwhelming at first. For instance the strong feeling – it can almost feel like a flight or fight response – just before public speaking or asking someone out for a date. A solution is to take small steps instead. A small step could be just saying ‘hi’ to people if you’re afraid of more vulnerable interactions. Small steps let you gradually de-sensitize yourself to whatever you are afraid of. You build courage and expand your comfort zone. So, identify your fear. Then make a plan with some smaller steps you can take to gradually lessen your discomfort.

2. Get Concrete, Positive Motivation to take Action

It can take time to get to the stage where you really feel that you need to stop waiting – or stop reading one self-help book after another. But there always comes a point for action. One way to get moving is to replace some of your negative thoughts with clear, positive reasons to move past your fear. Take 5 minutes and take out a piece of paper and a pen. Write down all the wonderful ways that overcoming a fear will improve your life. Lack of motivation can keep you stuck. Writing down all the amazing things you will gain by conquering this fear can be empowering. Focus on those positive things to get motivated and inspired. “A cheerful frame of mind, reinforced by relaxation... is the medicine that puts all ghosts of fear on the run.” George Matthew Adams. Wise words indeed.

3. See Failure and Rejection in a New Light

Often it’s easy to avoid something difficult because we fear failure and rejection. We may fear failure when starting in a new career. Or rejection from friends and family if we fail at a task. The definition of failure we are brought up with in society might not be the best and most useful to have. If you look at the most successful people you quickly notice that they have a different response to failure than most of us. They don’t take failure or rejection that seriously. They know it’s not the end of the world if they fail. Instead they look at each failure and see the good part about it: what they can learn from it and improve upon next time. Winners have an abundance mentality. They know that if their first business venture fails they can try again. Don’t be afraid! Listen to the advice that failure gives you - and you will improve… And success will come.

4. Practice living in the now

Don’t let your thoughts and emotions constantly run away to the future or the past. Being in the now means not getting your mind stuck in a psychological headspace that is focused on things you have no control over. It means not dwelling on what has gone wrong before - and what could go wrong tonight or tomorrow. Such thinking will only ramp up your fear to the point where you feel unable to do anything. Make your plans. Cover all the bases. Then just be. Focus on the now and what needs to be done in the moment. The future will be the present soon enough. And when you arrive there, it will be much easier to get things done with a minimal amount of stress and fear in your mind. Mark Twain said “I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened!” So, focus on the present moment. Enjoy life. Love people. Build a legacy. And strive for peace of mind.

5. Stop Fighting Fear and Understand It

We can’t truly overcome something we don’t understand. Without getting into ‘analysis paralysis’, try to understand where your fears come from and what they take away from the richness of life. When you are faced with fear, observe the feeling of panic or dismay in your mind and body without labeling or judging it. Acceptance, and the ability to understand your fear instead of fighting it, will allow your body to process and release it. Madame Curie wisely stated, “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”

6. Redefine your Reality

To overcome fear, you have to be prepared and willing to redefine yourself. Try new things and practice until you push past your fears. No one can do it for you. By reframing your feelings and environment you may be able to make something that seems big and scary come back into focus. Everyone is addicted to their own personality and their way of seeing the world. Evolving from rigidity to being flexible and positive can lessen your fear of what might happen in a new, unfamiliar situation. Remember that your world is really a mirror of you. Change will be hard if you deep down still think, “I am a shy, awkward, unsuccessful, negative, scared person.” An old story tells of a man imprisoned in the dark who feared a snake in the corner of his room. One time – for a brief moment – light came in and he saw that what he feared was only a rope. After that, although his situation remained the same, he could never again fear the rope. His reality did not change, but his perception did. If you are prepared and ready to change, you can rewrite what you perceive as the truth about yourself and your personality, thoughts, actions and emotions.

I LOVE this quote by Marianne Williamson and it sums up my feelings about what's at stake when you let fear get the best of you:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson