In the Client Abundance coaching programs, we work on implementing several strategies that are designed to PULL your business forward, almost effortlessly. One of those strategies is creating a powerful vision for your business. My private clients have found this exercise to be both motivating and inspiring, and I'm certain you will too. Once a year, I take a short retreat to work on revising my vision for my business (and my life). This is an annual break I take away from my business (but with my family, although some of my clients prefer to go it alone, which is perfectly fine) to really think about and decide what I want the next 1 to 3 years to look like. I write my vision and I create a whole bunch of goals for my business. I also use this time to talk with my husband about my vision and goals. He is a great sounding board for all the ideas I come up with... and we usually have this conversation while hanging out on the beach... :) Being near the water definitely has some powerfully positive effects on my brain, and I always come away from this retreat with a renewed sense of energy and passion for my work. (Here I am on last year's retreat in the Turks and Caicos.) Creating a powerful vision is your first step on your path to achieving your own business success. Knowing where you are going will make the journey that much easier and faster, as well as simply more enjoyable. So, let's get started... Step 1: Book your retreat
Book a 2-3 day retreat so that you can work intensively on your detailed 1 to 3 year vision. Get a very clear picture of where you intend to be 3 years from now. Book the time to do this. Make the commitment. I have booked the following dates for my vision retreat:________________. Step 2: While on your retreat, answer the following questions:
What do you want your life to look like in 3 years?
What is your inspiring and compelling vision for the future?
For your business? For your personal life? The truth is: You CAN design the perfect life and you CAN design the perfect business. How does it sound to you to be earning 6-figures a year, working 40 weeks a year, 3-4 days a week? Inviting? This is not a dream - it is achievable. It won't happen overnight, but - with some planning and hard work - it can be a reality sooner than you think. So, the ultimate question is: "If we were meeting here in 3 years time, and looking back over the previous 36 months, what would have to have happened to you both personally and professionally for you to be satisfied with your progress?" A few notes: You don't have to go (far) away to go on your retreat. Go wherever you feel most creative and inspired, and where you are least likely to be interrupted. Some people think and write better in silence, while others think and write better when there is a lot going on around them. Choose whatever works for you. Before you begin to write, close your eyes and really see in your mind's eye how you want your entire life to be. For example, see your dream home. Is it a large home or something more cozy? Do you live on the ocean or near the mountains? Or are you in a fantastic apartment in the middle of NYC? Write about it in detail - and don't hold back! Do the same for your business: Do you want a waiting list of clients? Or do you want to stop working one-on-one and move to working with groups only? Do you want to implement at least three new streams of income? Do you want to write your first print book? Do this for all the other parts of your life as well - for the tangible things (like your home, your car, your vacations, etc.) to the intangible (like who you want in your life, how you will give back, etc.). Get the picture? Once you have written your vision, I promise you'll be really excited and motivated towards making that vision your reality! Copyright 2005 Alicia Forest |
