Knowing Where You’re Going
Have you ever spent months chasing a goal only to discover that achieving it didn’t bring you any closer to where you really wanted to be?
Too often we become so focused on accomplishing the next objective that we fail to ask a more important question: Is this actually moving us toward the future we want to create?
Almost no one would take a vacation without first deciding where they wanted to go.
We choose the destination. We research what we want to do when we get there. We map the route. We book the hotel. We pack our bags. Throughout the planning process, we envision ourselves lying on a white sand beach, hiking the Appalachian Trail, or standing in awe of Old Faithful.
That vision makes the preparation worthwhile.
Packing the suitcases, coordinating schedules, arranging for the pets, and dealing with travel logistics all become part of the adventure because we know where we’re headed.
And more often than not, we arrive at our destination with great memories and stories we can’t wait to share.
Yet many of us approach leadership and life very differently.
We get up each morning, go to work, run errands, pay bills, solve problems, eat our three meals, and hope the air conditioner doesn’t break. Days become weeks. Weeks become months. Months become years.
We stay busy.
We work hard.
We accomplish things.
But sometimes we still feel unfulfilled.
We earn the promotion. Buy the bigger house. Put the large-screen television on the wall. Park two nice cars in the garage.
Yet something still feels missing.
The problem often isn’t effort.
The problem is vision.
When we don’t know what we’re ultimately working toward, even our accomplishments can begin to feel hollow.
Mother Teresa provides a powerful contrast.
She didn’t pursue wealth, recognition, or comfort. She had a vision of serving the poorest and most vulnerable people in Calcutta. She knew why she was here. She knew what she was working toward.
Every day moved her closer to that vision.
The work was difficult. The challenges were enormous. The progress was often slow.
But the vision gave meaning to the effort.
That is what vision does.
Vision keeps us moving forward when the journey becomes difficult. It helps us learn from mistakes without losing our direction. It allows us to adjust our course when circumstances force a detour.
Most importantly, vision gives purpose to our daily actions.
No one would step onto a sailboat and simply drift wherever the wind decided to take them.
Neither should we with our leadership.
Neither should we with our lives.
What destination are you ultimately trying to reach?
Are your daily activities moving you closer to that vision?
What vision are you painting for the people you lead?
CHALLENGE
Spend fifteen minutes today writing down the future you want to create for yourself, your family, or your organization.
Because if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.
