Success always starts with a vision. It is the first step to turning a dream into a goal and then transforming that goal into a reality. We must know what we want and be specific about it. Our vision is a launching point to getting what we want out of life.
A major pitfall that leads to a lack of success is a lack of focus and vision. Too many people go through life either too afraid or too oblivious to dream for something better. Success rarely happens by chance, so we must find out what it is we really want before we can attain it. Far too many people wander through their life and never focus on what they really desire.
Many people wander because they are afraid. Fear of failure is a major culprit in the lack of vision and paralyzes too many people. They are afraid to stick their necks out for fear of getting their heads chopped off. Most worthwhile visions lie outside of what we think is possible for us. Fears are very common, but in reality they are just excuses for lack of action and lead nowhere. To dismiss a vision because of lacking time is simply preposterous. Time is one of the only equalities that humans possess. We all have an equal amount of time each day. What we do with this time defines us and leads to our success or failure. If a vision is worthwhile, we can and will find the time to attack it. Wake up an hour early, turn off the TV and put the phone down. Instead of saying you don’t have time for something, eliminate a time waster that you engage in or create some time at the beginning of your day.
In expressing our vision in a goal statement also means that we are putting ourselves out there. We are exposing who we really are to the outside world. This is a scary proposition that keeps many people from dreaming big. Others are going to see who we really are and that can be terrifying. However, we can never truly be happy and accomplish what we want unless we do just this. We will fall from time to time, but if we fall while daring greatly, it is easy to learn from and bounce back.
Another pitfall for those that don’t chase their vision is that our vision is the end product of a lot of hard work. Remember the old adage that nothing will work until you do. Many of us, including me, doubt and worry about putting hard work into something and not getting anything out of it because there is a chance for failure. In the midst of a football season, I have often wondered why I work so hard in game planning and organization when there is a chance of losing which would make all the hard work useless. However, this is never the case. The failures along the way to our goals only make us stronger and better. They set us up for bigger success that comes from purposeful hard work.
Finally in the fear of failure, we dismiss our visions because we fear rejection. Many people can handle if they fail, but cannot handle the reaction the outside world has to it. We tend to worry too often about what others think. We worry that others will laugh at our vision. We worry that others will revel in our struggles as we work towards what we want. We worry that others will mock our attempts. We worry that those we need to help us on our journey, will deny us and set up obstacles that seem insurmountable. Unfortunately, these will happen and will test our resolve, but it will make us stronger and better. The opinions of others only affect us if and how we let them.
We will also have people that champion our cause and help us along the way. Winners that successfully transform vision into reality, focus on the positive people that help them along the way and dismiss those that try to impede progress. In the process of achieving our goals, we will lose some false friends along the way, but we end up better for it. We leave people that hold us back behind when we move forward with positive action. This, in the end, makes us better. Fortunately, we gain brothers in arms and true friends that champion our cause when we move forward with positive action. People come into our lives that make us better for having known them when we strive to better ourselves.
To combat our fear of failure and excuses, we must be focused and specific with our vision for success. We need to envision exactly what we want to accomplish and how we want to go about doing this. This allows for an easier transformation from a dream to a legitimate goal. Visualize your triumph and the things you will do to get to that point. This will make it easier to dismiss your fears of action and allow you to develop your goals successfully with a clear and realistic plan for success. Success begins with a vision. However, you need to do something in order to make your vision a reality. Will Rogers said, “Even if you’re on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.”
Be bold with your dreams and visions. Everything great in our world was once deemed impossible. Have faith in yourself and your vision. We are controlled by faith or fear. Choose faith in yourself and your abilities as your guide in life and great things will happen. Visualize great things for yourself. Be aggressive. Transform your dreams into attainable goals that you will achieve to create the life you truly want. Springboard your visions and dreams into reality. See what you desire and commit to it!!
Win with PMA 