Envision Your Ideal Future

Envision your future… imagine waking up 3-5 years from now and waving your magic wand; what would it look like? What do you imagine you have achieved? What milestones have you crossed?

Now, open your eyes and ask yourself if you are heading in the right direction? Are you currently on the right path to realizing your dreams? Really reflect. If the answer is no, the first step toward finding success is determining how to get on the right path. If the answer is maybe or yes, some additional exercises in self-reflection could still prove useful. Think of the following as a map to help guide you on your journey to a more fulfilling future. 

• Start by writing down your goals for the next three to five years. Don’t worry about the how just yet (we’ll get there), but for now, focus on specific goals that you want to achieve. Reach for the stars. Set lofty goals. Think about the legacy you want to create.

• Align your goals with your values. Which ones are most important to you? Consider WHY they are important to you. How do your core values in both business and your personal life drive your goals? Do your business and personal values align with each other?

• Reflect on the past. How did you get to where you are today? What behaviors have helped you find success? What actions have been counterproductive? Consider your reactions in certain situations. Think about times when you deserved a pat on the back or when you could have handled a situation differently.

• Consider the obstacles. What might hinder or prevent you from reaching your goal? Is it financial? Health concerns? Time-management? Organization? Just not sure what to do? Or maybe you are getting in your own way. If you find that reaching your ultimate goal comes with many or immense roadblocks, it’s time to start problem-solving. Break down your large goal into a series of smaller goals. If, for example, your goal is to raise $100,000, that might seem overwhelming, but if you break it down into goals of saving $25,000 of your own money and finding 75 people to invest $1,000 each, that seems much less daunting. It also gives you a specific task to focus your effort and energy on.

• Reevaluate and reprioritize your goals. After contemplating and getting to the core of what is motivating you to achieve your goals, it is important to reevaluate and reprioritize. Something that once was very important may fall to the bottom of the list after some deep introspection.

Busy business owners, especially if you are a parent, know that sometimes we get caught up in the everyday grind until one day we wake up and look around and realize we don’t know how we got where we are. We get through the days on autopilot and forget to be active participants in our own lives. It’s okay. We all do that sometimes. That’s why taking a step back and evaluating where we are and where we want to go is vital.

With your core values steering the way, you’ll learn how to say “Yes” to decisions that align with your vision for your ideal future and “No” to those that don’t. And you’ll get to celebrate all those little wins along the way as you check off one small goal after another!  

Empowered Leadership helps businesses find freedom through business coaching, executive coaching, assessments, and training. Stacie is an entrepreneur who helps business leaders balance their time to run an effective business and enjoy their life. 

Learn more about our newest coaching program, which covers these exact topics in much more depth.