December 17, 2020
How Your Vision Can Help You Achieve Anything
I have a love-hate relationship with December. On one hand, my holiday to-do list usually sends me into a downward spiral of overwhelm. On the other hand, I love this special time to reflect on the past 12 months and to get excited about my business vision for the coming year.
Vision–it’s such a powerful word.
It’s also what I believe a lot of women in the financial services industry are neglecting on their journey toward success in this field.
I see too many women who focus only on the short-term… daily prospecting, managing data in software programs, or pursuing the next credential. Don’t get me wrong–this is important work. You need to do these things.
But it’s also important to remember that these are part of a larger whole in your career. That larger whole is your vision – what you want to achieve long-term in your financial services career.
Create a business vision, even if the path isn’t clear
I know thinking too far out can feel way too pie-in-the-sky for a lot of reasons…
… the industry is changing too fast to plan on or predict anything.
… what you really want feels impossible to achieve.
… your life circumstances could take an unexpected turn and change everything.
I have let every one of these thoughts stop me at one point or another from creating a vision for my business.
But here’s what I discovered …
The vision you create for your financial services career today doesn’t need to be carved in stone. What’s important is that you create one that inspires and motivates you to take action now.
Don’t worry if all the steps aren’t visible today. You’ll figure it out along the way. As you do things and learn, you should expect to modify your vision. That’s okay, and it’s actually a good thing as you gain experience, knowledge, and perspective.
Make your vision big
Remember when you were a kid, and you dreamed of becoming something amazing–a ballet dancer, a detective, a doctor, or an astronaut?
Thanks to our wonderful childhood imaginations, those dreams felt real. You could see and feel yourself doing those things. Too often, though, the passage to adulthood and the realities of growing up dissolve those dreams and we settle for less than amazing.
To craft your business vision, give yourself the freedom to dream big again.
Figure out what you really want to achieve in this field and make a start to get there. Even if you don’t get as far in your career as you wanted to, you will very likely achieve more than you ever thought possible.
Dreaming and then taking action is your ticket to great things. Don’t be that person who believes there are too many obstacles to even dream. With that mindset, your chances of making your vision a reality are slim-to-none. Likewise, if you can’t see it happening for yourself, no one else will see it in you–or help you achieve it.
Please… let yourself dream–big!
Prepare for your vision journey
As a kid growing up in Montana, I went hiking a lot with my family. Our favorite trails were through the Bridger Mountains, and the scenery was spectacular!
When you set out on a hike, it’s amazing to gaze at the top of the mountain you intend to climb. But to get there you need to plan your journey and watch your footing as you go.
The same thing applies to creating and achieving your business vision. Choose the “mountain” that uniquely inspires and resonates with you, get excited about reaching that beautiful peak, but start by figuring out what path will get you there.
Remember, too, that your reasons and purpose for achieving your vision need to be powerful. They’re the fuel that will sustain your motivation to keep climbing when you run into obstacles.
How a disaster spawned my business vision
At different points in my financial services career, I lost sight of what I really wanted.
For a long time–and I know this is something we tend to do early in our careers just to survive–I kept my head down and only looked at what was right in front of me and at the next step ahead.
I didn’t take time (in fact, I don’t think I even had the time!) to stop and think about why I was doing what I was doing. Forget even dreaming about what my vision of success looked like.
I chased trends, tried to do too much myself, and focused too much on the smaller picture. I didn’t have a strong sense of what I wanted long term.
That changed when a financial services partnership I was part of went awry. I was so discouraged and disappointed that I almost left the industry. Thankfully, that experience actually turned out to be a big wake-up call. It compelled me to sit down and really think about what I most wanted to achieve in my career.
Doing this changed everything for me.
As president of my own financial services firm today, I now have a plan in place for my professional trajectory and I know where I want it to take me. I know what type and level of financial services professional I want to be at the pinnacle of my career and what steps I need to take to get there.
I’ve put systems and processes in place that allow me to both manage the important day-to-day work that needs to get done and to make progress toward my bigger goals. It took time and some hard lessons, but today I’m moving in a direction that makes me very happy.
And, the more time I spend thinking about my vision, the easier it is for me to get up in the morning and do the work to reach that level of success that I want.
New year, new vision
If you don’t feel like you have a clear business vision for your financial services career, if you’re not sure of your “why,” I urge you to give serious thought to this.
It’s the perfect time. The COVID pandemic has forced us to slow down and stay in place. Our longer Winter Solstice nights encourage quiet reflection. Pour a glass of wine (or your beverage of choice!), sit back, and envision your best self, what you ultimately want your work as a female financial services professional to become, and why.
Picture yourself 20, 30, or 50 years in the future (or however long you want it to be from now). You’re standing at a picture window in your home, gazing out at an awe-inspiring view. What does that view look like? Where are you? What does your life look like? What have you achieved?
Don’t forget–dream big!
This holiday season give yourself the gift of a compelling business vision that charts your course toward your ultimate personal and professional fulfillment and success.
I wish you a peaceful, healthy, and happy new year new ahead.
Have questions about how you can succeed in your business and accelerate your journey toward reaching your goals? I invite you to learn more about ELEVATE, an exclusive group coaching program specifically designed to help female financial advisors. Start with a no-cost 30-minute consultation to discuss where you are in your career and where you want to go.
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