The 5-Year Vision That Makes Tough Decisions Easy
One document was a seismic shift in my decision-making process. Here's how you can create yours in just an hour or two.
How do you make your decisions?
I mean, when presented with options, how do you decide which way to go?
I’m not talking about moral decisions.
Or obvious decisions.
I’m talking about the “both of the options look good and I just can’t decide” decisions. Or, their evil twin, the “neither of these options is very good, but I have to make a tough call here” decisions.
How do you make those decisions?
I was asking myself this very question a few years back, at one of my “Escape to Solitude” Think Weeks. (More on this in weeks to come. Subscribe, people!)
Here’s where I landed: I wrote a story. About me. In the future. Five years in the future, to be exact.
I chose a date five years in the future (for me, it was December 31 of the year 5 years out), selected a setting (a New Year’s trip with friends and family), and then started writing. After an hour or so, I looked up, and I had 4-5 pages. It was an odd feeling; the time had gone by so quickly. It felt like minutes.
I was engrossed in this story. I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out! Odd. Because it was about me! (Technically, “us,” since 80% of it focused on my life as it related to relationships...)
“But Scott,” you might be asking, “what does this have to do with decisions?”
Once I wrote this vision, all the decisions became crystal clear.
When we have clarity of purpose, difficult decisions often become easy decisions. If not easy, they become easier, at least.
“Should I do this or that?”
Well, which gets you closer to your vision document?
Want to try this?
Here’s how:
Step 1: Get Away
Find a quiet place. This could be a home office, a coffee shop, or a day away at the beach. Heck, maybe it’s a Think Week! Regardless, give yourself 1-2 hours with your phone off and no distractions.
Step 2: Open a “Quiet” form Of Writing
When I say “quiet,” I mean distraction-free. Perhaps you like to write by hand, and a journal will do the trick. Or maybe you prefer a reMarkable like I do. Or, how about the Microsoft Notepad on your laptop?
Regardless, use a device with notifications turned off. Interuptions will kill your mojo fast.
Step 3: Write
This can be intimidating for some, so here are the questions I asked myself when creating my 5-year vision document. Remember, and this is critical: answer these questions as you see yourself five years from now, not you today. Build your absolute best version of your future. Dream. Be generous. Be positive.
Set the Scene
What date (exact date) are you imagining?
Where are you?
Who are you with?
How do you feel about your life? (Let me encourage you to imagine the most positive version of these feelings you can!)
Personal
What are you like, physically, spiritually, emotionally?
Where do you live?
What do you do for fun?
What new interests, hobbies, or projects are you working on?
Family
What are each of your immediate family members like? (Describe them one at a time...)
What is your relationship like with your immediate family?
How do you feel about these relationships?
What is your relationship like with your extended family?
Who in your family are you closer to in the future than you are now?
Friends
Who are your closest friends?
What do you love about them?
What do you do together?
Community
To what extent are you involved in your community?
How do you serve your community in ways that bring you joy and benefit others?
What church, clubs, and organizations do you belong to? What is your role?
Profession
How do you spend your “work day?”
What do you enjoy most about your work?
What have you accomplished in the last five years that you’re most proud of?
What is your compensation like? How has it changed over the previous five years?
Future Future
What are you looking forward to in the next 5, 10, 15 years? (Meaning, 10, 15, or 20 years from the day you are writing this document.)
How would you describe the trajectory of your life?
Wrap Up
These questions aren’t mandatory; they are a starting point.
The goal is to create a written vision of your future, five years from now, that inspires, excites, and provides clarity, regardless of the method used.
Once this document is complete, set a monthly reminder to read through it. Completely.
This monthly review is a jolt of inspiration while I’m living the very life I’ve described.
And when those decision inflection points pop up? Well, now you have a clear vision to use as a filter for your decisions.
The answer is: which decision gets me closer to my five-year vision!
And lastly, when I’ve shared this process with others, many ask, “How often should I update or re-do my 5-year vision?” I update it annually, during my October Think Week. That’s what works for me, but you do you!
Thanks for reading this post. I appreciate you. In return, please share this with those you know who may be interested.
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