Crafting a vision refers to creating a clear outline of what you want to achieve and the direction you want to take. You can use this personally, with your career or in a business.
You may have already come across this idea of a ‘vision’ in job interviews if you have been asked “where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?”. The interviewer wishes to gain an insight into your career aspirations, personal goals, and overall ambition, it is a ‘vision’ of where you see yourself; both personally and professionally, in the future.
There are three areas to think about when you are creating a vision:
Purpose - your constant guiding Why you are interested in something.
Vision - What success looks like
Mission - or How we get there.
When we are creating a vision, we must first look back at what makes us ‘tick.’ Your values (or your business values) your past, upbringing, and experiences will feed into the first part of creating a vision. This is typically known as purpose.
In Simon Sinek’s book ‘Start with Why,’ he emphasises the concept of purpose. This "why" acts as a guiding principle for your vision.
To uncover your purpose, consider these questions:
Who are you?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Why do you do what you do?
Why does it matter to you?
Why does it matter to your audience?
Your purpose should serve as a constant touchstone, helping you evaluate decisions, actions, and steps along the way. It can also inspire and motivate others. People who feel connected to a meaningful "why” are more likely to be engaged and driven.
Once you have identified your purpose, you can start thinking about your vision—your ideal future shaped by core principles. Your vision should be specific and can include elements of your purpose.
Part 1: Identify Your Core Values
Take 10 minutes to think about the principles that are most important to you in life. Consider moments when you felt proud, fulfilled, or particularly frustrated—these often reveal underlying values.
Write down 10 values that resonate with you. Examples: honesty, creativity, empathy, ambition, freedom, respect, learning, etc.
Prioritise: Narrow your list down to your top 5 values, the ones that feel most essential to your sense of purpose and fulfilment.
Part 2: Envision Your Future Through Your Values
Spend 5 minutes imagining yourself 10 years from now. Picture your ideal life:
What are you doing?
Where are you living?
Who is around you?
What does success look and feel like for you?
In a short paragraph, describe your vision for your future, focusing on how your top 5 values are reflected in that life. For example:
If creativity is a value, are you in a role that allows you to innovate?
If empathy is a value, are you in a profession or community role where you are helping others?
Reflect
What surprised you about your vision or values?
How might your values help you make complex decisions in the future?
Are there areas of your current life that feel out of alignment with your values? What slight changes could you make to address this?
The next step is to create a plan to achieve that vision, often referred to as a mission.
Break your vision down into clear, achievable goals. Make sure your goals are SMART:
Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve? Be clear and specific.
Measurable: How will you know when you have achieved this goal? What metrics will you use?
Attainable: Is this goal realistic? Do you have the resources and skills needed?
Relevant: Why is this goal important to you? How does it align with your broader objectives?
Time-bound: What is the deadline for achieving this goal? Set a specific time limit.
An example of this might be
Specific: I want to read more books.
Measurable: I will read at least one book per month and track this in my notebook
Attainable: I will set aside 30 minutes each evening for reading.
Relevant: Reading more will help me relax and expand my knowledge.
Time-bound: I will start this goal at the beginning of the year and continue for 12 months.
For example, if your vision includes something like “becoming a successful entrepreneur creating solutions that help the planet,” you might set a goal like:
Specific: I want to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to launch a successful online store selling eco-friendly products.
Measurable: I will complete at least three entrepreneurship courses, attend five networking events, and create a basic business plan by the end of my first year.
Attainable: I will allocate 5 hours per week to studying entrepreneurship, join the universities Business Society, and seek mentorship from professors or local business owners.
Relevant: Developing these skills and knowledge will prepare me for launching my own business and align with my passion for sustainability.
Time-bound: I will achieve these milestones by the end of my first academic year.
Planning - Resilience at University - LibGuides at University of Derby