Ivy Sea Online: A few great reasons for an inspired personal vision and 'vision to action' plan

Ivy Sea's Conscious Work & Right-Livelihood Resources
A few great reasons for an inspired personal vision and 'vision to action' plan

• What does the coming year hold for you? How about this month? The coming week?

• What's the connection between your work and your authentic, creative expression and personal fulfillment?

• How can your work be a pathway of joyful, meaning-rich service -- an inspired gift to the world and those around you?

The more authentically you can answer these questions -- and feel inspired and energized by the answers -- the more likely it is that the day, week or year will be rewarding and meaningful.

And who doesn't want that? Yet it can seem overwhelming, so where's the best place to begin? Right here, right now.

Why? Whether we know it or not, we often bring about the object of our focus, and that’s a problem if we’re not mindful of what exactly it is we’re bringing about.

In a small business, for example, the founder can easily find his or her personal life caught in the undertow of an out-of-control company, or feel that the company has gone 'off-vision'.

If he doesn't do effective visioning and planning, he probably won't see any value in the struggle, find the right patterns in the chaos, or experience any connection between daily tasks and a greater goal or vision. The same might be true for an employee or the leader of a mid-sized company or corporate group.

In a small business, for example, an owner can easily find his personal life caught in the undertow of an out-of-control company. If he doesn't do any planning, he probably won't see any value in the struggle, or any connection between daily tasks and a greater goal or vision. The same might be true for an employee.

While the myriad reasons to avoid it are understandable, there are many benefits to committing to a visioning and planning process, including those that affect the key issues that arise at some point for both business owners and those employed by someone else:

• creating a satisfying, meaningful connection to work;
• finding life-work balance;
• making progress on interpersonal and professional development;
• deciding whether and how to grow;
• staying clear and motivated in the business;
• breaking free of crisis-to-crisis management;
• deciding when or whether to take or turn away business;
• establishing and maintaining good relationships with employees, clients and suppliers;
• feeling great!

A clear vision and aligned planning that is dynamic enough to suit the evolving and more personalized smaller business and its owner, serves as a guiding star when the seas are choppy — or when the seas seem so smooth we can easily be lulled into complacency.

So how can you find a middle path between stodgy corporate processes and the importance of ensuring clarity on and communicating your personal and business mission?

By fueling your daily, weekly, monthly or yearly plans with an inspiring guiding vision, and taking the planning process in small steps so that it’s less an external, academic process and one that is more integrated with — and therefore relevant to — you and your business.

Why not engage Ivy Sea as your vision and co-creation partner? Visit our Sessions and Dialogues section for more information about consultation options, or send along an email inquiry.