There is a saying: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." What vision do you have for your future? Is it clear? Is it in writing? Does it have a deadline?
My favorite book says, "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
Let's break this statement down, because it holds the key to preparation.
First, we can begin by writing out our vision and making it plain on paper. If we don't, there is no direction. As George Harrison (among others) has said, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there."
Be as clear as possible with your vision. Paint yourself a picture, imagine the possibilities and write them down as clearly and thoroughly as possible.
You can really see this with athletes. The winter Olympics just ended, and I’ve noticed over the years that the coverage has grown to include a lot of the pre-competition preparation the athletes perform.
Watching the skiers take the moguls, twists, turns and jumps in their mind over and over again before the start is almost like watching them race before the race. The skaters do it, too. They mentally enter jumps, spins, and leaps before they even begin.
These athletes have prepared their approach, scripted their performance and planned out how they will perform. It is almost as if they have written in their very being and are simply re-reading before they head down the hill or take the ice. They have a crystal-clear vision prepared.
Second: “whoever reads it runs with it.” It sounds like once we are clear about our direction we have a reason, and that reason motivates us to take action.
These Olympians didn’t just write out that they wanted to make the team, or perform a personal best or win a medal. They took action on their dream by practicing. They worked until their vision was committed to memory and was a part of every decision they made, day in and day out, on the road to these games. They ran with it.
Third: The vision waits for an appointed time. How many times do we set a goal with no deadline or timeline on when we want to accomplish it. It happens all the time. If there is no deadline, there is no urgency. No urgency, no action.
An athlete can prepare, but if she misses the pre-qualification for the games, or isn't prepared for an event at the right time, she doesn't reach her goals. When you set your timeline, make it realistic and attainable. Set yourself up for success, but don’t be afraid to push yourself at the same time.
Fourth: "Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." "Tarry" means to remain, stay or to wait. How often to we become impatient for something to happen? I think impatience is one of the great destroyers of success. It's easy to become impatient when nothing is happening.
These athletes work up to their level of success, and they don’t give up. They know they can’t just create the vision, rehearse it and work hard for a little while. Hockey players know they have to build up stamina to play an entire game. Ice dancers and freestyle skiers learn to spin before they attempt double, triple, then eventually quadruple jumps. It is a process of improvement, and nothing is left to chance.
A farmer goes out in the springtime and plants. How crazy would it be for that farmer to go out two weeks after he planted and begin to curse the ground because it hasn't produced? It takes time to grow a crop.
Also, when does the farmer prepare and plant? He prepares and plants in the spring. Fall is way too late.
But salespeople often wait too long to plant, and there is no crop to harvest in the fall. Remember, we reap exactly what we sow. Sales is really simple. Don’t wait around until the last minute and expect to get what you truly want. Prepare. Don’t wait around hoping someone will do that prep work for you and leave you all the benefits. Prepare and persevere for yourself.
There is a great movie called Temple Grandin. It is a must-see. Temple Grandin was born Aug. 29, 1947. She was diagnosed with autism in 1950. She didn’t talk until the age of four. Her mother refused to accept or believe what the doctors said about her limitations and about how she should be institutionalized.
Temple was constantly mocked--but she went on to become a doctor of animal science, a consultant to the livestock industry and a professor at Colorado State University. She is a best-selling author known for her work on autism advocacy and in 2010 made Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world; she was listed in the "Heroes" category.
Temple’s mother refused to accept her daughter’s limitations and the labels she was given by society. She continued to push her daughter out of her comfort zone and paint the pictures of opportunity that were available to her. Even though Temple was terrified of change, she continued to walk through what she describes as “doors of opportunity.” Each time Temple walked through a door, a new opportunity would present itself.
What door are you afraid to walk through because you are not sure of what is on the other side? So often in life, we are paralyzed by the fear of the unknown. This fear holds us back from achieving our full potential. You see, Temple never wanted to go to high school or college because of the constant teasing and ridicule. She was comfortable staying home with her mother, where it was safe. Yet her mother continued to lead Temple out of her comfort zone. She worked to prepare her daughter for an amazing future.
There are more than enough opportunities in the world today.
What if your mother doesn’t show up to push you?
Are you ready to step up and take the responsibility for preparing yourself for success and caring for yourself?
Here it is in a nutshell: Be prepared.
· Write your vision down on paper.
· Give it a deadline.
· Take action.
· Be patient.
I believe that opportunities come to those who are prepared to receive those opportunities. What can you change today to be more prepared for your own success?
