The other day I worked with a client who wanted to set new goals for work. We brainstormed several ways he could explore and discover what kind of projects would interest him. Talk about goals always leads to talk about vision. Without that vision thing, goals have little depth.
My client told me that he learned about how vision works by watching a bicycle race. While watching bicyclists race through a curvy road, he noticed two cyclists far in the lead and asked another bystander if he thought the others would catch up. The bystanders nodded and said, “Yes, the others can still see them. If they can see them, they will catch them.” If the race leaders were not in sight of their fellow competitors, they wouldn’t have been able to catch up.
Sure enough, the other cyclists caught up with the leaders of the race. With a clear vision, the cyclists could see their goal.
We all need a clear vision to meet our goals. Decluttering your house or losing weight is a nice goal, but you need the vision. What does a decluttered house look like to you? What does losing weight look like to you? A vision doesn’t need to be complicated. Post a photo or list of what decluttering looks like to you. If you want to lose weight (like I’m doing myself), hang up a photo of yourself at a healthier weight or hang that killer outfit — the one you loved — on the closet door as a reminder.
I encourage my clients to set smaller goals that lead up to the bigger goal. For decluttering, the first goal may be to recycle all newspapers and magazines at least once a week. To move forward in weight loss, focus on losing weight in five or ten pound increments. It’s always best to set smaller, bite-sized “mini-goals” to reach the Super Duper Mega-Goal. Because if you can see it, then you can catch it.
