2020 was an extraordinary year
It was a challenge for everybody. For many, it was tragic. Some lost dear ones. Others lost their confidence in being able to achieve their personal vision. A lot of people see it as a lost year: “Let’s get this over and hope for a better 2021.”
Hope is fine. However, the world does not get better just because it is spinning. We won’t change anything if we won’t change ourselves.
Times of crisis can also hold an opportunity
An opportunity for questioning the status quo. A time to redefine our personal vision. For reorientation and for setting directions towards a brighter future. A time to redefine our personal vision.
With just three weeks till 2021, the holiday season on our doors and most of Europe in a partial lockdown it is time to do just that:
Define your personal vision of the future of your life and work.
We do not just need to get better in what we are doing. We need to do the right things.
When thinking about productivity we talk a lot about the way we organize our work. We question if the design of our days and our daily routines support us in getting more done. We also work on our habits. We want to develop a more productive, more healthy or more satisfying lifestyle.
When done right, all this will boost our efficiency to unknown heights.
Still, this is all about “how” we do things. From time to time, we should also question “what” we do, “why” we do it and “where” we want to go. That is our personal vision.
Do we climb a great mountain or we racing in full speed into a dead-end rabbit hole?
This time can be now. A time for reflection and vision.
How to develop your personal vision 2021 and beyond
There are three weekends left in 2020. Use them to develop your personal vision for 2021 and beyond. [Edit: if you missed thisin 2020, you can for sure start now! Do not wait until 2022]
Weekend 1: Reflect
Ask yourself, what have you learned from this crazy year? Look inward and outward.
Look Inward for your priorities and feelings. What is really important too you? Whom did you miss most in times of social distancing? Ask yourself what your goals in life are. Do the things you do each day really contribute to achieving them?
Also look to the outward: How has the world, your business, your job, your private life changed this year? Will these changes persist after the pandemic or get back to the old normal? Which trends will be accelerated which will be stopped? What are the uncertainties you need to deal with next year?
Weekend 2: Envision
When reviewing your results of weekend 1, develop options for your future self. Project yourself into the future:
- How do you want to be?
- What do you want to do?
- What do you want to have?
Think about December 2021, but also beyond. What could be a vision of yourself in 2025 or 2030? When doing this, think big. Dare to be bold. We humans systematically underestimate the possibilities in long time horizons. Also think in alternatives. Developing several potential versions of your future self will help you to decide where to go. It will give you certainty that what you chose is the right path.
At the end of the weekend chose the vision that appeals most to you and fits well into your expectations about the future.
Weekend 3: Plan and organize
First review your decision from weekend 2. Does it still feel right? Good! Now is the time to set yourself up for success in 2021. Set a few short-term goals for January and define the next actions.
Make sure to setup or refine your personal productivity system to support you on a daily basis.
Clean your desk from any open issues left from 2020. And one last tough part: What will you stop doing from January 1st onward to free up time and resources for your new goals.
With this you have built a foundation for a successful recalibration. Your daily actions are realigned with of your goals and the personal vision of your life. It’s up to you to make the most out of it.
Make sure to revisit and readjust your results every couple of weeks over the next year.
A final small advice for personal vision thinking
Make sure to keep track of your results each weekend. Whether you use your journal, mind mapping or any other means is not important. Whatever you use. Whether you write it or draw it. I don’t care if it’s on paper or digital. Just make sure to bring your thoughts out of your head and onto a page. Your thinking will be clearer, more concrete and of lasting value.