It’s worth pausing for moment, I offer.
Just to take a moment to acknowledge how fantastically well we’ve done to be here. To get to this point from March 2020.
Outstanding.
Because it’s been tough. It is tough. No question.
Well actually, here’s one:
What would you say have been the toughest parts of the last eighteen months?
I know for me, not knowing is right up there. I know I wasn’t alone in that either. So many conversations I had contained the words to the effect of, ‘sure if only we could see the end in sight’.
It seems, this last 18 months, that we’ve been craving a vision.
As a small kid in East Cork, I had a beautifully powerful vision. It was of me being the leading player on a team in a packed stadium.
It had me out the back garden daily. Sweating. Dreaming. Believing. Motivating. Fist-pumping.
The vision came to life eighteen years later.
Psychologists such as Scott Barry Kaufman and E.P. Torrance speak of the power of a vision for an individual. They speak of it’s benefits, in the form of productivity, motivation and positivity.
And yet in my work as a trainer, motivator and coach, I see so many without. Or maybe with a blurred vision, so to speak.
What ways can we bring the power of a vision to life?
Here’s a few practical ideas:
For individuals:
Start small: Invite you to take a pen and a blank page. And think of December 31st. How do you want your work and everyday life to look like by then? Draw, write, create. Invite you to keep it close and see if it provides a source of positivity, productivity and motivation for you. It can be the stepping-stone for the creation of a longer-term vision, if one is yet to exist.
For leaders, owners, manager etc.:
I bet you reckoned this idea shall relate to a team or business vision. Whilst I am a huge fan of both, my idea goes elsewhere (and perhaps, to start small for you too). Here’s a question for you; how much time would you say is wasted currently in team meetings? I’m inviting you to create a culture of vision-setting in meetings. That being, to establish, at the outset, a clear vision of where you want to get to by the meeting-end. If you do, I encourage you to observe the levels of motivation, productivity and positivity in these meetings.
If a vision is truly a source of motivation, productivity and positivity, can we really do without?
I see only one answer. Do you?
This blog is based on one of the six key motivational themes of the Inspo Next Chapter Series. It’s a motivational series helping the staff of businesses to map out the best post-pandemic chapter in their work and personal lives. Could the Series be of benefit to your business? If so, please do get in touch at john@inspo.ie to learn more about the Series.