PURPOSE, VISION, GOALS II

Once you have found your purpose, how do you express it? By creating and maintaining a vision. Vision is what you do with your life. Vision is the strategy behind the fulfillment of your purpose. You accomplish this strategy by creating several short-term goals to keep you on course. You can think about this process just like climbing a mountain. Your purpose is to reach the top of the mountain.

Vision is much like a plan or map. It is the direction you will travel and the terrain you will navigate on your journey. Goals are the individual steps that get you there. You set goals that will get you to the next level. Then you stop and look at your map again.

Your purpose is still to get to the top of that mountain; the map shows that you are traveling in the right direction. So you set several more goals that will help you climb even higher. It also keeps you from wandering around trying different things that are unrelated to what you are trying to achieve. If, at any point, you are not moving forward, it also allows you to step back, refocus on your purpose, and see if you have gotten off course. That way, you can quickly correct the situation.

Do not think that every single step has to be clear before you begin—it will not be. Often, you will find that striving toward your purpose is much like driving in a thick fog—you cannot see more than three feet in front of you. But as long as you know where you are going, you can make the entire journey this way, one step at a time.

Another common mistake is that people get so completely carried away with the details of plotting the goals and steps within their vision that they never progress beyond the planning stage. They talk about their plan and it sounds great, but they never put it into action because they are always trying to work out one more detail, one more unknown. This is often referred to as ‘Analysis Paralysis.’

Finally, do not lose sight of the fact that you are beginning an incredible journey. It is not just about reaching the top of the peak. It is about enjoying the climb. You will meet wonderful people who will add untold joy to your life as you travel your unique path. Take the time to cultivate those friendships and relationships that add to your quality of life.

Vision Can Take Many Routes

Do not confuse your purpose with your vision. If we go back to the example of climbing the mountain, your purpose is to reach the peak. It does not change in any way. However, there may be many ways to climb that mountain other than the one you are on right now.

There are often directional indicators that are trying to alert you to the fact that you are going in the wrong direction. When you are not on the correct path to your purpose, or when your vision is unclear, you will feel badly about yourself and what you are doing. This is a clear indication that you are no longer making progress toward your purpose. Your intuitive mind is telling you that something is not right.

There is a difference between encountering solid barriers and resistance as you pursue your dreams. When resistance arises, your old beliefs may temporarily come back to life to assure you that you are on the wrong path. They will argue that it would not be this difficult if you were on the right path.

While resistance is exasperating, it is not negative, and you will feel that within your soul. This is your intuition telling you the difference. If you were on the wrong path, your intuition would allow negative emotions and feelings to arise as an indication that you have taken a misstep or wrong turn.

When you are on purpose, your vision guides you toward the good you desire and, through the ‘Laws of Vibration’and ‘Attraction,’ the good you desire moves in your direction as well. As long as you feel good about what you are doing, you should continue to push through resistance to reach your goals.

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

More often than not, people have difficulty being focused on what their true purpose is because they are already doing something exhausting repeatedly. It is not their purpose, but it takes all their time and because of that, they are convinced they are on the right track because they have some money in their pockets.“Just because you have a 9-to-5 obligation and your bills are getting paid does not mean that you have figured out your true purpose.”

Some people feel stuck in their present circumstances and are afraid or reluctant to make a move because they just cannot see how their purpose will provide for them and their family. When you add in the fact that we have all been programmed to believe it is better to be “safe than sorry,” then it becomes very difficult. “When you think about creating wealth, it is not better to be safe than sorry.”

When you picture yourself reaching the end of your life, do you think you will be happy because you had a safe trip or will you regret all the things you never did because you were afraid to try? Since you never stepped into the ring, you end up wondering what would have happened if you had taken the chance and molded your own future.

You may have a wonderful job that earns you large amounts of money. However, Bob Proctor believes that, any time that you work for someone else and trade your time for money, you always run the risk of becoming expendable. Companies fold up and lay off employees frequently. These employees have often invested their whole lives to get nothing but a severance package in the end. “Just because your salary comes from someone else’s bank account that is no guarantee that it will be there a year from now, or next month—or even tomorrow.”

You cannot pursue your purpose and focus on what you want if you do not meet your basic needs of life.A number of people quit their full-time jobs because they want to devote more time and energy to building up their plan. Within weeks, when they begin to see that their basic needs are not being met, they immediately worry about “making ends meet.” This worry attracts disaster due to the ‘Law of Attraction.’

When your needs are met, you have the freedom to take action where and when appropriate. You do not feel forced or desperate. When you are enjoying this freedom, you are also free of the worry and fear that will rob your creativity.

The Bottom Line

What are you willing to sacrifice or endure in order to live your dream? The fact is, no matter how easily your purpose comes to you, you will have to make sacrifices in order to achieve it. If you never make your dream a priority or carve out any time to devote to it, it just will not happen. There is a common misconception that the word “sacrifice” is bad—that it means you are losing something. You are not losing here. When you choose to sacrifice something in order to move your life to a higher level, you just give up something of a lower nature to allow room for something of a higher nature.

Ambition is the expression of your desire—it is the fuel that gets you from one point to another. Unfortunately, some people see ambition as a dirty word and equate it with greed. This is entirely incorrect. You are not competing with anyone else—there is an infinite supply for us all! If you use your wealth and money to create more, then you are circulating—not stagnating—and the result is that more will come to you.

The only struggle is with your own limiting beliefs. You must be ready to battle them for your dream. You must focus and expect great results. Desire without expectation is nothing but wishful thinking. As long as your belief is steady and you focus on your purpose, you will be able to create a vision and goals to get you there.