[Success Digest] Write The Vision; Make It Plain By Abimbola Abatta

This morning, while reading the book of Habakkuk chapter 2, the second and third verses jumped out to me in a more distinct way. Here is what I learnt:

We all have the vision of what we want. We dream about it every day. We fantasise about it day and night, but are we really clear about it? Have you gained clarity of vision? Many of us, including me, still flit around what we want. We look forward to living our desired-reality, but have written it on a plain slate?

From that book of Habakkuk, I realised that having great intentions is not enough. Yes, you might have dreams of making the world a better place. You see yourself making a whole lot of difference in people’s lives. You are passionate about making a positive impact on people’s lives. You have discovered your purpose, and you have the skills to achieve it.
Self-discovery is not new to you; you know and are convinced that potential lives in you.

Yes, you have amazing intentions, but have you penned down your goals? Have you set up the goals that will make your vision come to pass? Let’s say, for instance, you want to be a leader. You have the skills already, and you have identified with your leadership calling. You are hung on being one of the great leaders the world has ever known. This is the vision—to be a leader.

However, you can’t become a leader by merely “imagining” it. You must work towards being a leader. How do you do this? Write your goals. While writing your goals, identify the kind of leader you want to be. You can be a leader in numerous capacities? So, do you want to be a leader in the academic, financial, political, health, public or private sector? (There are lots more.) Having identified your field of interest (you may call it finding your niche), write your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.

There are certain things that you must do every day, week, or year which will draw you closer to your vision. You may have to learn and understand the concept of emotional intelligence. Some of your goals could be to:

* Cultivate emotional intelligence.
* Improve communication skills.
* Develop a thick skin to criticism and learn from failure.
* Expand the scope of connection; build relationships with people.
* Accommodate people’s ideas.
* Be a firm decision-maker, have self-discipline and top-notch confidence.
* Build the ability to solve problems.
* Manage and lead—direct—a team with efficiency and professionalism.

Once you have identified your goals, you must consciously act on them. To improve your communication skills, for instance, you must learn the basics of communication. You must be a good reader; your gestures should convey meaning. You must have listening ears, and you must develop your speaking skills. Your words, written or spoken, must be clear, proactive, and understandable. So, you must be deliberate about acting on your goals.

Goal setting will help you to reach your vision faster than you can ever imagine. When you set goals, your vision becomes clearer. You gain clarity of purpose, and everyone who sees it can understand and see where you are going.

Having set your goals, you must understand that your vision is for an appointed time. You can’t fulfil your goals in a day. Becoming a leader is not a 2-day job neither is it a child’s play. It takes years of practice, commitment, perseverance, learning, connecting, doing, and planning.

Even though it takes years of learning, unlearning, and relearning, your leadership vision will definitely come to pass. In the same vein, your purpose in life will surely be fulfilled, and you will begin to live your desired reality. However, you must set goals that will propel you towards the reality you seek.

Before my pen takes a nap, write down your vision. Paint it in vivid colours. Goals are like chunks of activities that help you reach your target. So, write your vision by setting goals, and your vision will become a reality sooner or later.

I am your favourite Journalist, Motivational Writer, Editor, and Poetry Coach.

©Abimbola F. Abatta