How to visualise your future
How much time do you spend visualising your future–both for your business and life? We sometimes do it for clients–depending on what business we’re in, but struggle when it comes to ourselves.
To back that up, Entrepreneur Europe Magazine ran an article for small business week in 2018 surveying small business owners about ‘reacting vs looking ahead’.
The results suggest that “short-termism” is a common problem amongst small business owners. It turned out that most business owners (63%) plan strategically for just a year or less...the focus on day to day activities taking priority.
The report went on to say “–strategic opportunities may be missed when you are only looking at the business challenges that are right in front of you.” You end up fire-fighting not developing the business.
Jump into your time machine
I want to encourage you to do some time travelling. You have my permission to become Doctor Who for the next 30-45mins to help you visualise your future.
There are a series of questions below which I would encourage you to think about carefully and note down your answers. So jump into your time machine and journey into your future....hold on tight!
Let’s go time-travelling
The time is five years from now. Your business and your life are successful. In fact, you’ve never been more successful. You’re having a great time. You have the momentum, everything you touch turns to gold. It’s all working out rather well for you.
My first question is this:
What does success look like for you?
Try to visualise it–if you’re that way inclined, or just think about it and express it in words if that’s easier for you.
What is happening in your business (now that it’s five years from today,) that indicates it’s successful? What does your business being a success look like?
Is the money rolling in? Have the foundations you’ve set, the hard work you’ve put in throughout the preceding five years now paying off? Have you sold your business and are living off the profits; are you enjoying retirement? Are you happy?
Where are you?
On a beach in the Bahamas? Is this your view of success? Sitting in your beautiful inspiring office in St Albans, Shanghai or Seattle? Are you at home? Where is home?
What are you doing?
Laying back on the beach sipping a cocktail with a big contented smile on your face? Enjoying working with some of your favourite clients, helping them set up their brand new businesses? Are you up on stage delivering an inspirational talk to thousands of people? Playing with your kids or grandkids? Are you Creating?–whatever that means to you.
Who are you with?
Clients? Your family? Friends? Mixture of all three?
What are you very clearly not doing five years from today?
Worrying about money–because you don’t have to? Being desperate to get more clients? Wanting a closer relationship with your partner, kids or wider family–because you have it? Being distracted, because now you’re laser focused?
How does this successful season impact on your wider life?
How’s your health? What does it look like to be healthy for you? To be fitter? To have more energy? To sleep well? To be rested?
What one word would you use to describe how you are feeling right now in this successful season of your life?
Excited? Elated? Inspired? Satisfied? Content? Calm? Valued? Vindicated? Focused? Alive? Or just plain Awesome!?
I want you to stay in that feeling of success. Bask in it for a while. Feel it. Touch it. Breathe it.
Can you articulate that future in one sentence?
It could be something like…
In January 2025, I am hosting an event on the beach in Borneo drinking champagne, celebrating a successful year with some of my closest family, friends and clients, knowing that I helped to empower people to reach goals they never thought they could.
Or…
In January 2025 I am celebrating having turned over 6 figures and invested 20% of the profits into helping others set up socially responsible, creative ventures.
It can take a while to get this concise, so you may find it easier to come back to it in a few days time.
Conclusion
If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know if you get there? Just doing this exercise will help you have clarity on where you’re heading. The first step to achieving something is to envision it.
Think about almost everything around you, wherever you are right now. At some point each item started out as an idea in someone's mind. That seed of an idea was allowed to flourish and grow to the product, service or item you see right now.
I always find that fascinating. Wandering around London looking at the amazing architecture reminding myself that every single building developed from someone’s imagination. It didn’t just materialise like Doctor Who’s Tardis! Though even that was an idea converted to reality.
To finish off, you may find it helpful to summarise your answers to all the above questions by answering these last two questions.
What does your ideal successful business look like?
How will you be celebrating your success five years from now?
I’d love to know how you get on. So post your ideas in the comments or catch me on LinkedIn. But for now, keep visualising your future.
