Three Myths About Vision That Are Holding You Back
Summary
Three myths that stop people from building a vision and how to dismantle them.
You do not need to feel ready to start. Waiting for the perfect moment means you never move.
A vision does not need to be grand or certain. A sentence, a feeling, or a place is enough.
If everyone agrees with your vision, it probably is not ambitious enough.
Your vision is allowed to change. Committing to one is still the only way to build momentum.
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It all started with Google Maps
18 months ago, Liv and I did some research, pulling up Google Maps and asking, “where should we live?”
We had the usual wishlist - good weather, not too expensive, close to family, easy to travel from and great food. We were sure we wanted to live in Europe and since we left the EU, we had to find countries which welcomed us with easy (ish) visas. Then we discounted where we didn’t want to be: the Spanish go to bed too late for us; Greece is a bit far away from family; and Germany is as cold as the UK.
This left us with two choices: the UK, and Italy. Of course we know the UK well (we’re from there), but Italy? Liv and I had been to Rome, Florence and the other touristy places - but only for a few weeks of holiday.
It would have been insane to just move to Italy after looking at Google Maps and reminiscing on our holidays. So, we figured out that we should do a trip to Italy to see if we love it. Our research concluded that Bologna was a good balance of our requirements. So, 12 months ago we did just that - flying into Bologna to check it out. A week later we’d done a parmesan factory tour, visited the Ferrari museum, and ate lots of incredible food. It was a lot of fun, but we both agreed we wouldn’t want to live there.
Why? It just didn’t feel right for us.
Fast forward 12 months and we have now moved to Florence, just 100km from Bologna. Despite not loving Bologna we did it anyway.
Why?
Of course we didn’t move out of pure rationality, we moved based on having a vision of our future that both scared and excited us. It felt like the right place to be.
In this blog I am going to share three myths about having a vision which will help you to get started, to be different and to be flexible. But before we get into what people get wrong about vision, it helps to agree on what it actually is.
Vision is a compass
A vision is an inspiring picture of yourself in the future. It is a compass that guides you through the decisions that are placed in front of you. A vision is never perfect, it is not in high definition, it is not what other people want, and it certainly isn’t set in stone.
If you want a couple of examples to inspire you to write yours, here they are:
“To create a better everyday life for many people”
“To become a best-selling author, living in the Italian countryside.”
“As you begin to walk on the way the way appears.” Rumi, Persian Poet.
Myth 1: Waiting until you feel ready? You're already too late
A common mistake people make is having a vision board or statement, but then never lifting it off the piece of paper it’s printed on. There is no point having a vision if it is just a paper exercise - as Rumi said, you have to take the first step. Far too many of us wait for everything to be perfect before making a move.
Waiting for perfection means you move for nothing. We are so good at telling ourselves “I will do something, when…”. The problem with that is, you’ll be waiting forever. In your twenties you might be waiting for a promotion before moving into a career path that you’re passionate about. Then in your thirties, you wait to buy a house before making a decision on taking that once in a lifetime holiday. Before you know it, you’re in your forties and waiting for your kids to finish school before moving to that country you always wanted to.
So, if you have a vision, use Colin Powell’s decision making rule of thumb:
If you have 40% of the information, you aren’t ready yet - if you have more than 70%, you are too late.
Honestly, we probably moved to Italy with about 41% of the information. That might not be enough for you, but don’t go over 70%. Going over 70% looks like, “I always wanted to go backpacking through South America, but now it’s too late because I have kids.”
Myth 2: If everyone agrees with your vision, it probably isn't big enough
I don’t know if it’s thick skin or practice, but I have become quite accustomed to people looking a mixture of confused, surprised and doubtful when I tell them what I plan to do with my life. If I am being honest with you, one of the biggest challenges of my life has been overcoming external doubt:
You won’t get good enough grades for that university
You won’t get into that business school
Why would you leave a solid job and start that business?
Why would you move to Italy? England would be so much easier.
Every year that passes, I am less affected by the doubt and more certain that the future belongs to those who do something different. In my past blogs you will have seen that I am inspired by Steve Jobs and one of the lessons I have taken from him is this:
Henry Ford often has a quote misattributed to him, however, the message is perfect. “If I asked people what they want, they’d tell me faster horses.”
Consumer research and market studies lead to incremental improvements to existing products. It’s only when we create a vision of the future and show the customer will they say, “I never knew I needed that.” It is only with this mindset that you create the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
This is a good rule of thumb for you and vision setting - if people roll their eyes or cast doubt on what you dream of, it’s a sign that you’re onto something! The question isn’t whether other people buy into your vision, but do you believe it.
Myth 3: Your vision is allowed to change. Committing to one is still the only way to move
“Mate, it’s fine if you no longer want to buy a house and renovate it.” Jamie said this to me on the phone yesterday and it meant a lot! Part of my vision for moving to Italy was to buy an old rundown house and to renovate it. I had a vision of toiling away in the Tuscan sun to build our dream home - it was definitely part of the inspiration to move to Italy. However, now we’re living in Florence and deep into running a business, I am not sure when I’d have the time to renovate a house. To Jamie’s point, that’s ok!
People think that changing their vision means they have failed. Changing your vision is not failure. It is a sign of growth. A sign that you’ve learnt something new about yourself or the world around you. What did you dream about five years ago? What do you dream of today? I bet they are different. Five years ago I had a very worthy and exciting dream of climbing the corporate ladder, now I have other visions. Updating what you desire isn’t silly, it’s a sign of progress.
I encourage you to see your vision as more of a compass than a tattoo. If you use it as a compass, you will move in the right direction and you will build momentum.
My new daily walking route.
Walking along the river Arno
This morning I walked in the sunshine of Florence, along the river Arno, into the city centre and up to the third floor of an old building for my first proper Italian lesson. 18 months ago this was an idea in my head, now it is Tuesday morning. What idea is in your head that you need to get onto paper?
Deepen Your Curiosity
If you want a book recommendation for vision - read Chasing Daylight by Eugene O’Kelly. This book is insanely sad and uplifting at the same time. Eugene O'Kelly was a high flying corporate leader who found out he had months to live. This book is all about his journey towards death and his reflections on life. Why did I choose this book for vision? When death approached, he became crystal clear on what he wanted from the remainder of his life. It's a heart wrenching story, but you will finish it truly uplifted and inspired to make the most of this one life we have.
