Exploring Inward To Create a Vision January 24, 2012

Earlier in my life, I was very externally focused.  I would hear of someone else’s great news and do everything I could to emulate it.  Someone would say, “Joe just made a 20% return on his mutual fund” and I would think to myself, “How do I get in on that?”  Or I would hear “Suzy just got a promotion and a 15% raise!” and of course think, “What has she done and how can I do the same thing?”  I’ve observed this external focus within myself and others as well as organizations, e.g., “Apple has been very innovative in the market, we need to be just like them!”

I learned the hard way that long lasting success does not come as a result of a knee-jerk reaction to a positive external event.  Instead, the process starts by looking inward and investing time to clarify a vision that is in alignment with a deep, desired purpose.  This visioning process provides an independent path, which enables you to stop comparing yourself to others and start accomplishing what is important to YOU.  

It took Thomas Edison some 10,000 experiments to invent the electric light bulb.  Consider how many times he might have heard about some external success story and potentially thought himself to be a failure by comparison?   He not only had to be absolutely clear on his vision, but completely dedicated to the path his vision illuminated.  A vision is original by definition, and thus the path to get there will also require you to push past the frontier and stay focused on the road even though others might not see it.  

Take the time to look inward and invest in your vision.  If you’re like me and very task driven, wanting to see the progress bar moving up at every possible inflection of time, this will not be easy at first.  The good news is that it does get easier.  Start with an earnest 5 minutes and increase from there.  If you are seeking to align members of an organization, set up an informal lunch meeting with a trusted colleague and start by exploring the possibilities together.  Exploring inward by yourself or with your organization will pay you continual dividends because it provides you a basis for long-lasting fulfillment where you know you’re on a path that is truly worthy of your efforts.  After all, when it comes down to it, what else is there?

Photo compliments of Evgeni Dinev

You Can’t Commoditize Vision January 23, 2012

We are always looking to get things faster, better and cheaper.  As this occurs, industries become commoditized and lower cost or more efficient methods will replace higher cost or less efficient ones.   To see evidence of this, we need to look no further than in our past:

• In 1930, 41% of the US was in agriculture, now: less than 2%.
• In 1950, 34% the US was in manufacturing, now: less than 13%.

We see these same stories constantly in the news today.  A recent example is Kodak, the media giant, who just filed bankruptcy due to the same factors as above.

The economy is relentless at continually repeating this pattern.   This is great news for us consumers because it provides goods and services that are faster, better and cheaper.  What about when we switch to us being the supplier?  Everything is constantly changing and it seems there is no safe place!  What’s stopping my organization or job from ultimately becoming a commodity or, worse yet, a line of code?

Here’s the great news.  The catalyst for change that we all fear is actually the one thing the economy cannot commoditize; on the contrary, it is actually dependent upon it to grow!  The catalyst for change is that original idea or invention.  It is that spark of ingenuity that gets us to try something we wouldn’t have otherwise. It is that bold, new and different process or product that no one has ever thought of before.  And, of course, it always starts with one thing—a vision.

Your vision is based upon your experience combined with your desire and imagination; by definition it’s original and it’s yours.  You can’t automate, right size , outsource or offshore it, how could you?  Whether it’s an organization, department or individual, take the time to invest in, articulate and pursue your vision; it is the one thing that will continually separate you from becoming a commodity.

Photograph courtesy of Janaka Dharmasena

Everyone Has A Life Purpose January 17, 2012

 

If you have lost your life purpose, it’s almost like you’re broken.

—Hugo

In Martin Scorcese’s 2011 movie Hugo, a boy’s mission is to put together a mechanical man which he’s convinced holds a message from his deceased father.  In the movie, he talks about how every machine has many parts and each of those parts has a purpose.  There is never any deficit or overage.  Likewise, with people in the world, each of us has a purpose.  There is no deficit or overage.  You and I were put on this Earth to fulfill a purpose.  Get in touch with that purpose and fulfill your vision!

VisionPeak…What’s This About? January 5, 2012

Have you noticed that most people out there seem to be just following a template?  What ‘template’ you ask?  The one that says you go to school, you graduate from college, you get married and then you find a good job and raise 2.3 children.  Of course that’s just one example most of us are familiar with but there are plenty more where that came from.

What about on the professional front?  How are our competitors doing it?  How did we do it before?  What is the industry standard, etc., etc., etc. Template, template and, yes, sadly, template.

In fact, we’re so used to following ‘templates’ we lost the plot of how to really create our lives!  Now I’m not saying that templates are not a good thing.  In fact, templates have been attributable to much of our success to date i.e., I really don’t feel like re-inventing our tax forms each year, do you?

However, at some point in time, it is important to recognize that every individual is unique with their own desires, passions, preferences, etc.  Moreover, every effort in life is unique down to what the individual is trying to accomplish.  And, at some point the templates just don’t work!  Not only does providing a template diminish original thought and creativity but it also deprives us with a personal sense of satisfaction.  By definition, a template is there to follow someone or something that has done ‘this thing’ before.  But what if you want to manifest an object, a lifestyle or finished piece that is in complete alignment with who you are.  Given everyone is unique, where’s the template for that exactly?   A repeatable recipe to fulfill the life of individuals with unique life desires—isn’t that a contradiction?

The scary thing is that right now we rely on ‘templates’ to teach our children.  In fact, it is so institutionalized, society doesn’t know it is being ‘templatized’.  Everyone knows that ‘to succeed in society’, there is a path you need to take.  You go to school, you get a degree, you get a good job and you start moving up the corporate ladder while simultaneously growing a family while planning for your retirement…sound familiar?  If you meander outside of that path, well, you’re just not cutting the mustard.  Numerous successful figures have ventured outside of the template and been very successful, the Wright Brother’s, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs just to name a few.  But what about the rest of us?  What about those of us who know, deep in their heart, that there is something out there uniquely suited to bring them real happiness but to get there, they will need to step out of a template.  What do those folks do?  What if ‘those folks’ were your children?  Wouldn’t it be great if there was a beginning to a journey that helped you identify 1) the importance of articulating your destination 2) help you articulate it and 3) help you reinforce it so that you would ultimately live it?  I hope so as well and that is the reason I decided to start this blog.  It is intended to be the ‘mustard seed’ of going outside of the template, defining life and every effort you’re engaged in on your own terms.

More to come and feedback always welcome!