Designed by the Decade

By LaShawn Davis

Often, when we hear the word “vision,” our minds automatically translate it into mere goals or ambitions. Some might even think it’s just a fleeting daydream, a whimsical moment in which they picture themselves somewhere in the distant future. But the concept of vision, especially in the context of life, is far more profound than that.

Think of vision as a guiding star on your life’s journey. It’s not just about what you want to achieve, but how you envision the whole journey unfolding. Every aspiration, every deep-seated desire you have, finds its place in this vision. More than just hopes and dreams, your vision lays out a clear path to how you want your future to look. It’s the framework for your life’s master plan, illuminating the way to your desired outcomes.

A vision is the blueprint of your life, tailor-made to fuel your purpose. It’s about creating a life on your terms, harmonized with your deeper calling. Once you discover your purpose, it becomes a source of boundless inspiration, flooding you with ideas. As ideas start pouring in, each more exciting than the last, you’ll be eager to create a vision to set them all in motion.

But here’s the catch: without a solid blueprint, these brilliant ideas that create this “desirable future” for you will remain just that—ideas. Without thoughtful planning and a solid structure, your ideas won’t pan out as you had hoped, and that spark of enthusiasm will quickly dim into frustration. There’s no doubt that purpose attracts vision, but a vision without a plan is just a dream. With a clear, compelling vision, we have a roadmap—one that directs our choices, fuels our passion and holds the power to shape our imagined future.

GOALS vs. VISION: THINK BIGGER

At first glance, the terms “goal” and “vision” might appear interchangeable. It’s common to hear people express their ambitions using both words, whether it’s, “I have a goal to become the CEO of my own company,” or “My vision is to be the CEO of my company one day.” On the surface, both statements convey a similar aspiration. Yet, when we look deeper, there’s a nuanced difference between the two concepts, and understanding this distinction can significantly impact your journey toward success.

Goals are specific, measurable steps we set to achieve larger aspirations. Goals serve as indicators by creating immediate tasks to ensure we stay on course toward fulfilling our vision. So, if I aspire to become a CEO, a goal I set might read: “To enhance my leadership capabilities, I’ll complete two leadership courses within the next quarter.” This statement is an example of a clear, actionable goal that drives momentum toward making my desire to become a CEO happen.

A vision, on the other hand, is the big picture, a long-term view of where you imagine yourself in the future. It is more abstract, encompassing not just what you aim to achieve but also why you want to achieve it and how it aligns with your core values and purpose. A vision acts as a guiding light, giving your purpose an assignment.

In simpler terms, while goals are the steps we take, vision is the destination we’re walking toward. Goals are the means to an end, while the vision is the end itself. Together, vision and goals form a potent combination, a roadmap that not only tells us where we’re headed but also how to get there while measuring our progress along the way.

CRAFTING YOUR VISION

Thinking bigger requires the courage to craft a vision that may initially seem overwhelming. Given the expansive nature of a vision, breaking it down into more digestible segments makes writing your life plan much more manageable. Segmenting it into more digestible parts presents a structure to write it out as your life plan for the next decade. These segments are “chapters” in what I like to call your “Book of Visions: Your Imagined Future by the Decade.” Each chapter zeros in on a specific aspect of your life that you will envision your imagined future for. You will write a life plan for each chapter that will contribute and align with your overarching vision.

WRITING YOUR BOOK OF VISIONS

The act of writing down a vision is far more powerful than merely holding it in our minds. While it might feel sufficient to “know it,” the tangible act of writing solidifies, clarifies and commits us to our aspirations. There’s a profound reason the Bible instructs us on this very principle. Habakkuk 2:2 (AMP) tells us, “Write the vision and engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets so that the one who reads it will run.” God isn’t merely suggesting we scribble this down casually; He’s instructing us to pen it with purpose, emphasizing its profound importance.

The latter part of the scripture resonates equally, emphasizing “so that the one who reads it will run.” Engraving demands deliberation and care, so writing your vision should also. It should be read in such a way that anyone who sees it instinctively understands it, with no room for misinterpretations or second guesses. Remember, your vision isn’t solely for your benefit; it’s an assignment given to you to fulfill others’ destinies too.

MAPPING OUT THE CHAPTERS

Breaking your vision into chapters illuminates a direct path to the future you imagine. With each chapter, you’ll explore every corner of your life with clarity and purpose. As you begin to write each chapter, you’ll unravel detailed layers of your life, set intentional goals and tap into the deeper currents that fuel your purpose. The outcome? A thoroughly constructed life plan for each chapter, written with insightful intention. Together, these chapters form the pages of your Book of Visions, offering a comprehensive life plan.

Below are the defined chapters in which you’ll shape your life plan. As you delve into each chapter description, ask yourself, What do I desire this area of my life to look like 10 years from now?

LIFE PLAN CHAPTERS

Health and wellness. This pertains to physical health, mental well-being, and overall lifestyle habits. A vision in this area can focus on fitness goals, dietary changes, mental health strategies and more.

Family: This involves relationships with immediate family, extended family and even chosen family. The vision can include strengthening bonds, creating family traditions or planning for a growing family.

Finances: This is about financial security, growth, investments and future planning. It can encompass saving strategies, investment goals and milestones like buying a house or retiring comfortably.

Spiritual growth: This can vary greatly from person to person. It might include deepening your religious faith, exploring spiritual practices or seeking personal growth and enlightenment.

Professional development: This is centered on career advancement, skill acquisition, networking and achieving specific job-related milestones. It can also delve into entrepreneurial endeavors or changing career paths.

Me (self-love): This is where you are intentionally investing in yourself. It can cover personal growth, hobbies, activities for relaxation and rejuvenation, travel, a bucket list or other types of personal milestones.

Social engagements: Relationships outside of family, like friendships and community involvement, are included here. This could involve deepening current friendships, building new ones, or becoming more involved in local or global communities.

Knowledge attainment: This includes lifelong learning goals, whether through formal education, courses or self-study.

Legacy: This is how you’d like to be remembered, the impact you want to make on the world or the legacy you want to leave behind.

CRAFTING VISION STATEMENTS BY DECADE

For each chapter listed, you’ll want to start focusing on crafting vision statements. A vision statement is a concise, clearly defined sentence that vividly captures where you hope to be in the next 10 years. You should plan to have only one or two vision statements for each chapter. Remember, your statement doesn’t have to be convoluted or complicated; keep it simple and plain.

To get started, you can use this template to help with structuring your writing: “In 10 years, when I think about my [chapter name], I will . . .” and then complete this thought with a description of your aspiration for that specific area. This format will serve as a guide, ensuring concise clarity for your intended outcome, for example, “In 10 years, when I think about my health and wellness, I will be leading a balanced lifestyle, complete with regular exercise five times a week and mindful eating habits.” The key is to consider each statement as a micro-vision for that area, thinking well beyond writing just a goal.

Focus on writing all your vision statements for each chapter first. Write them out, listed by chapter, with your one or two bullets beneath sharing the micro-vision. Read it aloud. Spend some time meditating on it, praying over it and asking God about it. This is a 10-year commitment you’re making, so alignment to your purpose planted in your identity is of utmost importance. Once you have your vision statements in place, you can then begin breaking down each one into milestones.

GOALS vs. MILESTONES

Until now, I’ve consistently referred to the term “goals” when discussing the measurable steps we’ll take to realize each vision statement. I chose goals primarily for their familiarity and comprehensibility. However, now that we’ve delved deeper into devising our life plan, it’s essential to refine our terminology: What we’ve been referring to as goals will now be more accurately referred to as “milestones.”

Because our life plan is a journey, not a project, the most appropriate measuring indicator would be establishing milestones rather than goals. Goals are best suited for project or experimental settings where there are a clear endpoint and a structured process, allowing for specific, quantifiable targets to be set and met. In contrast, our life’s journey is fluid, evolving and continuous, making it imperative to measure our progress in stages rather than end objectives.

In this journey, our stages of measurement are time-bound, with each stage being reflective of one year. This annual plan allows for a strategic pause to assess and adjust, ensuring we remain aligned with our 10-year chapter vision statement.

Milestones provide the adaptability we need for this voyage. They’ll give us the flexibility to celebrate progress, adjust to life’s unpredictable turns and stay motivated toward our overarching vision. Think of it like climbing a mountain: While reaching the peak is the ultimate desire, it’s the base camps along the climb—each a milestone—that allow climbers to rest, evaluate their journey, adapt to conditions and ensure they are on the right path to the top.

As we finalize the formulation of our vision statements for each chapter of our life, it becomes pivotal to turn our attention to milestones. These milestones serve as our compass, ensuring we remain committed and take the necessary steps to realize our visions. By determining the stages for these milestones, you’ll gain clarity on what needs to be achieved and by when. Remember, we’re working with a 10-year time frame. Our next step? Crafting milestones to methodically guide us toward manifesting that envisioned future.

CRAFTING VISION MILESTONES: THE FOUR-STEP PROCESS

By translating your broader vision statements into milestones, you create a roadmap filled with clear landmarks, leading you toward the realization of your aspirations. To achieve this, we’ll adopt a systematic approach, walking you through each step to ensure a detailed yet actionable pathway.

STEP 1: DISSECTING THE VISION

The process begins by breaking down your vision statement into its core components, diving into the essence and purpose behind each aspect of your broader vision. Your aim is to identify the main themes native to your vision. Think of this process as isolating the vital ingredients in a complex recipe. Using our established example, if your vision is centered on “leading a balanced life with regular exercise and mindful eating habits,” you can break this down into the components of exercise consistency, exercise types, dietary habits and mental balance.

STEP 2: DETERMINING THE ‘HOW’

Next, we’ll question the methodology behind each component to understand how you plan to target each element for the first year. Each year’s subsequent strategies will organically build upon the last, ensuring a consistent stride toward realizing your 10-year vision.

Then, we will take each component to define “how” you will focus on that specific area for the year. Your “hows” that are identified will be your overall strategy for the year. Continuing with our previous example, for the component “exercise consistency,” framing your “hows” might look like:

“How frequently will I exercise to meet the target?”

“How long do I envision each exercise session lasting?”

“How will I integrate exercising into my weekday schedule?”

Each “how” question serves to guide your focus, pinpointing the specific target related to the broader components of your vision statement. You may not necessarily use them all in the next step.

STEP 3: DETAILING THE ACTION

In this essential step, you’ll turn your strategy from Step 2 into concrete actions. By zeroing in on quarterly objectives, you establish a rhythm of continual growth and achievement. This steady, structured method guarantees each quarter propels you forward, building on the success of the previous one. For each quarter, you’ll pinpoint a specific focus and action that supports your overarching strategy.

Here’s what this step looks like:

Begin a workout routine. Start three times a week for 30 minutes.

Increase exercise to four times a week, and incorporate strength training sessions.

Maintain consistency, but diversify workouts.

Reinforce habits and assess changes.

Achieve five workouts a week.

This approach ensures that your actions are not only clear but also evolve as you progress, giving room for adaptation while staying true to the ultimate vision.

STEP 4: DEDICATING DAILY EFFORT

Every significant change is the result of consistent daily efforts. By making deliberate decisions on what to do each day, you align your daily activities with your quarterly milestones and, ultimately, with your vision.

Expanding on our exercise consistency example:

Q1. Effort: Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, dedicate 15 minutes each morning to a workout that includes stretches, pushups and squats. Maintain a journal to monitor progress.

Q2. Effort: Extend Monday, Wednesday and Friday workouts to 25 minutes, and incorporate weights or resistance bands. Commit to a long walk or hike every Sunday.

Q3. Effort: Add yoga sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Persist with the established routine and conclude each day with a 10-minute evening walk.

Q4. Effort: Sustain the daily routine, and introduce a fitness class like dance, aerobics or a sport every Saturday. Use the end of each week for reflection and adjustments for the forthcoming year.

Sometimes, it’s helpful to visualize your progress on a calendar. Regardless of your tracking method, be open to adjust and pivot as your mind or body dictates. That’s the beauty of milestones. They offer this flexibility, allowing for extra rest, or added effort when you’re up for it.

You’ll complete this four-step process for each identified component to complete a well-rounded action plan for your vision statement. As you go along, you’ll want to review your progress, reassess your methods and adjust and pivot as needed. Remember, it’s the everyday choices that culminate into transformative outcomes.

YOUR FINALIZED VISION BOOK

By dedicating yourself to this four-step process annually, you’ll find, in time, a completed Book of Visions, segmented by chapter and year, mapping out your life plan for the decade. As each new year approaches, be prepared to revisit the four-step process. Grab a new notebook (or workbook templates) and:

Review your chapter components.

Frame your series of “how” questions targeting the focus area of the component.

Specify the actions or steps you’ll take each quarter to answer the “how.”

Plan and commit to the daily efforts aligned with the quarterly milestones.

By following this roadmap, you’re not just setting intentions but laying down a clear path to actualizing your visions. With each step, you transform abstract ideas into tangible actions, turning the distant future into a reality just within reach.

As you continue to delve deeper into this journey, you’ll soon realize that you possess such a profound connection to your goals and aspirations that your vision will naturally manifest in your thoughts, choices and daily actions. Embrace the process, trust in your greatness and let each day be a step toward the new you.