Do you have a living vision for your book, brand and business?

Before I left for Spain a few years ago, I had a vision. It wasn’t anything to do with my business. It was a book, a novel no less that was going to be turned into a film and the rest as they say would be history.

As there was no radio and two bored doggies in the back of the motorhome, I was left with nothing but my vivid imagination. On this journey to my mums in Spain, I played fantasy revenge novel plotting while thinking about the less than nice husband I’d left. This was to be my novel. And it was fun whiling away the long hours.

Occasionally I would see a place name and get a picture of a holiday, or in my case a holiday from hell in my minds eye. I used to ride a bike and it always rained. In fact, it did more than rain. But the memories that came distracted me from this great novel that was being written in my head.

When I'd packed it was hard to know what to take. The two dogs for sure, but the rest of the stuff were essentials and a few pictures for the walls of my new but in need of a lot of work home. One thing I kept was my vision board. As I was getting rid of things, it kept speaking to me and so it came along for the journey.

The trouble was as I settled into this new strange life, I focused on other things that I thought were important. The picture hung on the wall and as yet I haven’t taken much action. I did write a first draft of the above story through the eyes of a puppy that I rescued once I got here. It was incredibly cathartic. It may resurface, who knows?

Recently I have been looking at the picture and reminding myself of so many dreams I had but haven't actioned. That led me to the piles of content I have that has equally not gone anywhere because of this upheaval.

In amongst the stuff covered in cobwebs was a book on personal branding and a planner.

I started to repurpose the planner. It is now unrecognisable, and as I test it I am being reminded of the visions and dreams that appear to have drifted into the mists of time.

Repurposing it has been a great opportunity to think about how I now like to plan. Asking what works for me and inviting the notion of a  living vision into my life.

I realised that having a vision which I regularly review is important to me and I wanted this vision to live in me. I wanted a living vision. Having a vision statement feels stagnant and inflexible now, but of course has a place.

Using my planner in this way with a living vision to read, reflect and play with has meant that the vision for my life has come alive. It flows and it feels like it is living.

Visions work when they are living. There is a certain excitement and energy around them.

How does a living vision work?

At the start of every month you take the time to write about your perfect day. I like the perfect day exercise as it allows me to play with my imagination. You may to choose to write it in another way and it is important that it works for you.

I sit for a while, tap into my writing muse and allow him or her to share their thoughts around what perhaps a perfect day might look like. Then I start to write without censure.

What I wonder would be in your perfect day?

Would you be head banging to Nirvana while swigging a cheeky vino, a designer beer or perhaps a real ale at the end of your Thursday. Because of course you’d only work three days a week in your job. The rest of the time you would be creating a different kind of business for yourself.

Maybe you are spending a few hours walking around your estate with your dogs and partner as you plan your next product launch. Perhaps you are discussing some other investment or early retirement and driving around Europe?

Is there a beach, a mountain, a city or maybe all three in your vision?

Perhaps these are silly and stuff like this wouldn't make its way into your thoughts. However, there is nothing wrong in whatever you write if it is something you desire.

What about how you work and your business?

You could have only the right kind of clients who always pay on time, who love working with you. and telling all their influential friends that you are awesome.

There could be reinvention, diversification and innovation. All you have to do is let your imagination free.

I get that there could be flights of fantasy. Like the novel I haven’t written, but the truth is just by focusing on it has meant that I have now committed to doing NaNoWriMo this November. So something is working.

What I found with my living vision was that with each iteration it felt real. It felt achievable. I found myself being able to be realistic with priorities, timeframes with what I could and wanted to achieve (as long as I take action).

Living visions require us to use our imagination, but also to consider how this makes us feel and what has to happen to inspire action. I have found myself being far more productive and I can see products, courses and books coming alive far more than at the beginning of the year.

Stuff is getting done.

You may have a book that you want to write and it could feel like it is a long way away. You may consider that you don’t have the resources or the time. You may even be unclear what the book is really about.

A living vision will help you to envision this book, which will get you questioning if it aligns with your brand and business. The more you play and ponder the closer you will get.

A perfect day could be that you find a way to write your book while you build your brand. That might mean creating an outline and blogging your book. In your envisioning you see yourself getting fabulous feedback which allows you to refine your outline and as your ideal customer gets a feel for you, more work comes in.

The perfect day is your eureka day and you have the right idea and content which aligns with everything in your vision.

A perfect day might be further away. It’s the day a publisher says yes and later you are a bestseller.

Ok this example is a book, but it could easily be your brand - who you are and what you want to be known for, or your business, doing what you love. It can be all three or something quite different, it's your vision and your life.

My invitation is…

My invitation to you is to allow your imagination to feed your monthly, weekly and daily planning. Write often about your perfect day and allow yourself to dream. As you create more of a living vision the more you will live your vision.

Remember to take action, appropriate action, consider your priorities and if your priorities change then one would hope that’s a move in the right direction.

If you find yourself procrastinating it may well be that this vision and subsequent action plan are not aligned.

The living vision is working for me and I hope that it does for you. I wonder what I’ll think in a years time when I look back on my first perfect day exercise.

The original vision board is on the move into my office where I can see it every day alongside my current vision board which is evolving.

When you have stuff on your mind that needs clarity please book in for a sounding board session and let’s see if we can get you closer to what you want.

PS: The Novel is called Moving In. Please nag me and ask how it's going.