Pick up any business or self development book and chances are that you will come across something about creating a vision. For many this might seem:

• Difficult

• Too far out of the box

• Nothing more than a dream

• Just plain wishful thinking

The trouble is, if we cannot create a compelling vision, chances are we will just bobble along, same as ever and miss out what is really important to us. How might we break this cycle? For the purpose of this article, I have looked at it from the perspective of someone running a personal development business. However, the ideas can apply equally to health, relationships, wealth, fun and recreation.

What do you want to be?

If we take our scenario, the owner of the personal development business might want to:

• Be a catalyst for performance improvement

• A role model for others

• A figurehead in the personal development world

• A good employer

Getting clear on what you want to be is a useful start point. Chances are you will be a little modest, so give yourself permission to think the unthinkable.

What do you want to do for others?

Using our scenario, it might be to:

• Inspire people to step out of their comfort zone

• Educate others through teaching, training and workshops

• Develop others through coaching or mentoring

• Support learning through providing products

• Motivating through something like a daily inspirational e-mail

The aim here is to identify the impact you want to create.

Who do you want to do it for?

The business is likely to have a target market for their offerings such as:

• Lawyers

• Engineers

• Large corporations

• Small businesses

• Schools

• Charities

Finding a group that you are passionate about and would be motivated to serve day after day is essential.

What do you want them to do?

Here you are trying to get to the heart of what you want for them in what you offer. In our scenario it might be:

• Take charge of their own results

• Build skills and knowledge

• Improve their personal attributes

Why do you want them to do it?

The essence at this final stage in the process is what you want for them as a result of them stepping into and living their vision. In this scenario it might be:

• Get promoted to board level

• Earn what they want

• Play a bigger part in organisational success

• Manage or lead more effectively

• Have a better life/work balance

The ultimate purpose of creating a vision for the different areas of your life is to help you look forward and back on life with pride, knowing that you have achieved what matters to you.