Unlimited Jargon

Outlining a vision

Today I want to explore what it means to have a vision.

To explain this, I am going to talk about what makes people successful. In the majority of cases they start creating a new mental realm - it might be a new business idea or a book or an interest and then either alone or with others begin pursuing the growth of the project, investing energy, time and resources.

This applies across history, whether a business leader like Bill Gates, a military leader like Napoleon, numerous inventors and artists and so on.

So what determines the success and realisation of a vision?

Firstly is its viability. If it is a good idea then it has a good start, but also do you have the means necessary to get it moving - can you spare the time, do you have sufficient finances and so on.

Secondly do you have support for your vision? Other people helping make it much easier and more likely to go forward. This is not to say that other people are always right - Harry Potter may never have got published were it not for J.K. Rowling's persistence (her book was rejected many times over before Bloomsbury accepted it), though they can sometimes be making a valid point. Many ideas presented on "Dragon's Den" are clearly not viable and the people should try something different.

Thirdly, how does it fit into the world? A new supermarket chain might be an excellent idea, but given the level of saturation of such shops and the dominance of a big few, is it viable and/or will it be viable at some later date? Will your insta-toasta be welcomed? More importantly does it add something new and of value to people. If your vision is a negative one, it is possible that the smaller positive elements and resources you invest may sustain it in the short term, but long-term it isn't going to get very far unless you make modifications. The best visions should create win,win scenarios.

Having a vision means knowing precisely what your end position will be, the time it will take to reach that state and an idea of what it will take to accomplish such a goal along with a commitment to get there.

Labels: Miscellaneous, My philosophy

posted by Caesar on Wednesday, October 15, 2008