The Ararat Connection: Developing a Personal Vision

Dear Andrew,

The first step in personal development is creating a plan. Once you have a clear idea of what you’re working toward and why you want to do it, you will have the motivation to improve.

Now, let’s talk about success.

Each person's definition of success may differ, so we should be careful not to compare our achievements to others.

There are many ways to define and measure success; success will look different across different areas of your life. When determining your meaning of success, try using various distinctions to guide your process. For example, you will likely have different defining terms for career success than relationship success. Keep this in mind when creating your vision.

It may be helpful to look to others who inspire you. Is there anyone in your life who has personally influenced how you perceive success or what you want to achieve in life? Is there a public or historical figure you may wish to emulate somehow?

When looking to others, make sure to think about why you find these people influential or inspiring.

Once you have a broad image of what success means to you, think about what sort of life you want, how you want to live, and what you want to achieve.

It’s one thing to have a broad idea of what you want your future to look like; it’s another to clarify your vision and accomplish your goals.

Here are a few steps to help you get from vision to goal.

Start by thinking long-term. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? Be precise and aim for three to five bullet points in each aspect of your life.

Next, determine action steps for achieving your long-term vision. Answer what will need to be done so that in five years, you’re where you want to be. This process will help you create interim steps for getting from point A to point B.

The third step simply builds on step two. Break down your timeline even further. Define what needs to be done in three months, six months, a year, etc., to reach your five-year vision.

Once steps one through three are complete, you should have three time-bound action steps. Finally, your vision will be transformed into goals.

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