Picture This: The Power of Vision

It’s been a few months since I last posted, and that’s because I’ve been directing all of my writing energy towards a new and unexpected project: a book! I hadn’t planned to write a book until the exact moment I could picture myself doing it. And once that happened, I felt compelled to do it. Part of me felt like it might be a crazy idea, but somehow it just made sense.

If there’s one thing I've learned about myself in the past few years, it’s that when I set a goal and have a clear vision, I'm very good at getting it done. That requires persistence, determination, and consistency in showing up to do the work to build a new skill or achieve an ambitious goal. 

I can think of multiple instances when I’ve written down my vision for the future, like a letter to my future self. At times, the images in my mind seemed to come out of thin air in a random fashion. But when I’ve gone back to read that letter or journal entry at some point in the future, I’ve been amazed to find that my vision has become reality.

Letting the vision unfold organically used to feel counterintuitive to me as a longtime program manager. I was accustomed to the rigor of breaking down a big project into milestones and tasks, and then tracking execution over time.

Instead, it’s like the vision lived in my unconscious mind and cultivated itself into reality. This convinced me over time that my seemingly random visions are more than something I made up on the spot; it was a reflection of what is truly important to me and what my heart desires, even if I had never said or thought it before.

On the other hand, when I have trouble picturing my destination, I get stalled. Sometimes that leads to abandoning an idea or activity I’ve already started, simply because I can’t clearly see where I’m headed. 

This has made me a believer in the power and necessity of having a clear vision. It is not just an abstract exercise, but a vital foundation whenever I’m tackling a big goal, creating meaningful change, or trying to build a new skill.

Defining What You Want for the Future: Your Vision Statement

A vision statement is how you encapsulate your vision. It’s a compelling, forward-looking description of what you hope to achieve and become at some point in the future. It reflects your personal, individual values and desires. Your vision focuses on the “what,” not the “how” (the latter is your plan or strategy). It should be realistic and palpable, but also bold, stretching the boundaries of what feels possible beyond where you are today. It should also be positive, focusing on what you want, not what you are afraid of or want to avoid. It can be broad, covering many dimensions of life, but it can often be beneficial to go deep and focus on a specific area, such as career, health, or finances.

Your vision is not set in stone. It may be directional, but open to adaptation as you try things out and learn. It’s okay to shift, add to, or take away elements of your vision. 

Why Vision Helps

Having a vision helps you to create change in a few different ways. 

• It sparks motivation: Connecting to your deepest, most genuine aspiration energizes and empowers you to take meaningful action. 

• It provides clarity: You get a clear and personalized definition of success to measure your progress against. 

• It sharpens focus: Having a clear direction makes decision-making easier, helping you strategically choose when to say yes and when to say no.

Vision in Action: My Own Journey

I worked with my first life coach about 20 years ago. As part of that coaching engagement, I described the vision of my dream job, and listed out the elements of a perfect life. Just a few months later, I got my job at Google and promptly forgot about the exercise. Many years later, I found my handwritten notes and was surprised to discover I had actually attained almost everything I had written down. The very act of articulating my vision and putting it on paper must have had an unconscious influence on me, quietly guiding my decisions along the way

 A few years ago, I worked with a financial planner for the first time. One of my goals was to be prepared for retirement, so my planner had envision what I wanted to be doing during my post-career years. This was the first time I had really thought about it in specific detail. When I started to open my imagination, I was surprised that vivid pictures of where I would live and what I would be doing started to emerge. Once I had that vision in mind, I was able to set numerical goals that became the foundation of my financial plan. Some elements of my vision for retirement have changed since then, but I still have more clarity about where I want to go than I did before.

How to Craft Your Vision 

Here is a simple vision exercise. Find a quiet space away from interruptions. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and imagine it’s one year from now and you’ve accomplished everything that you want. Allow your mind to wander freely, letting yourself dream big, like you’re watching yourself in a movie. Start to notice the details: What are you doing? Where are you? Who are you with? What emotions are you experiencing? What surrounds you?

Once the timer goes off, take a deep breath and write down everything that came up for you, without editing or judging. If you prefer, you can record your vision in a voice memo app instead. You can even imagine you are writing a letter to your future self, in the present tense, describing what things are like as if they are already true.

Then, as you read what you’ve written (or listen to yourself describe it), reflect on whether it brings a sense of excitement. Does it feel possible? Is some of it already true?

[Download my Free Vision Worksheet Here for a more in-depth walkthrough of this exercise]

Now that you have your vision in place, take your first small step. What is one action that you can take this week to bring your vision closer to reality? And remember, your vision may evolve over time, acting more like a compass than a static destination. It’s okay if your vision changes or grows with you. Set a reminder to revisit it a year from now to check on your progress or reassess. My vision for 2026 at the beginning of the year included coaching, yoga teaching, learning, finances, hobbies, parenting, and health, but not a book. That vision came to me a little later. I hope that you find clarity through your vision, and perhaps a few surprises along the way.