Speech deliver by Mr.

Badmus
TOPIC: CREATE A PERSONAL VISION STATEMENT AND CHANGE YOUR
LIFE

A vision statement can help clarify what motivates you and give you meaning and direction.
Our lives and careers are a complex mix of elements. Sometimes we feel as though we’re
exactly where we are supposed to be. Other times, we feel like we should  start over in life.
A personal vision statement can help when we don’t have a sense of how our external and
internal worlds are connected.

We often feel overwhelmed and lost when we aren't sure of our purpose. And though life is
full of ups and downs, identifying your north star can help keep you moving in a direction
that aligns with your values.

What is a personal vision statement?

“There is no favorable wind for the sailor who doesn’t know where to go”

Imagine finding a compass that tells you precisely where you have to go. You can easily
choose between one thing and another, thanks to this extraordinary tool. This would be
great, right? And this is exactly what a personal vision statement does.

A personal vision statement is a statement that describes your personal values, your

strengths, and your goals.
It can be focused on life or professional goals, and it is intended to  orient you toward your
long-term dreams. It is a tool to help guide your actions when important decisions have to
be made or in particular transition moments.

Eight (8) examples of personal vision statements

Defining your own personal vision statement takes a few steps. It is a personal process, and
each person’s statement is unique to them. Here are eight examples of personal vision
statements to spark your imagination as you create your own.
Please note that these are just samples to offer you a framework, but your statement should
be something connected to your uniqueness.

1. “My personal vision is to be a lifelong adventurer, traveling the world and exploring
new cultures and experiences. I will work towards building a life that allows me to
embrace my curiosity and take risks.”
2. “I envision a future where I am a successful entrepreneur, using my creativity and
innovation to make a positive impact on society. I will strive to build a business that
aligns with my values and creates opportunities for others.”
3. “My personal vision is to be a leader in my field, using my expertise to create
positive change in the world. I will work towards developing my skills and building
meaningful connections with others in my industry.”
4. “I envision a life filled with purpose and meaning, where I can make a difference in
the lives of others. I will prioritize my relationships with loved ones and dedicate my
time and resources to helping those in need.”
5. “My personal vision is to live a life of balance and harmony, where I am able to
pursue my passions while also prioritizing my physical, emotional, and spiritual
health. I will work towards creating a lifestyle that allows me to thrive in all areas of
my life.”
6. “I want to help infants grow in a comfortable and learning environment. This
connects me to my empathy and sense of caring. I feel this is something important
because infants of today are adults of tomorrow, and a happy baby becomes a happy
adult.”
7. “I want to do research in the legal field. I am driven by a love for knowledge and
innate curiosity. What motivates me is knowing that thanks to my research, people
will live a more justice-driven life as citizens.”
8. “I want to help sensitive people overcome the fear of speaking through coaching.
This is important to me because it makes me feel useful to other people, and it
connects me to my sensitivity.”

Benefits of creating a personal vision statement

Research has shown that a personal vision statement can help people pass from a cycle of
stress to one of more balance.

When you are in a state of stress, you can feel as though you do not have control over what
is happening in your life or career and can fall into reaction-based behavior. In contrast,
when you move into a more balanced state, you have a sense of inner control about what is
happening in your life. We can also equate these to states of high or low locus of control.

In a state of balance, we sense we’re living a life and a career that are the consequence of
decisions that we have made over time. This doesn’t mean we have control over the results.
There are always external circumstances that impact our trajectories. However, this balance
puts us in the driver’s seat as the owner of our responses. If these responses are aligned to
who we are and to our values, we have a sense of joy and fulfillment.

Here are five specific benefits that come from having a personal vision statement and using
it to find balance:

1.  It becomes easier to make decisions.

If you find yourself in a particular moment of your life or career in which important and
complex decisions need to be made, having a personal vision statement can be a compass
for you. It will remind you of your inner qualities, values, and purposes that will help you
identify the best path for you.

2. It provides you with a sense of direction.

We, as humans, need to feel that what we are doing (in our lives and work) has meaning. To
find motivation for actions, we need to know that what we are doing is worthy and that will
drive us somewhere. A personal statement connected to your vision can bring clarity to
where you are going and what you want to achieve.

3. It helps you determine your long-term and short-term goals.

This sense of direction can be broken down into long-term and short-term goals. After
creating your personal statement, you will have a clear long-term goal that will help you set
short-term goals and actionable steps to achieve them. The long-term goal will mostly
remain stable throughout the years and will inform short-term goals that will change as time
passes.

4. It will provide you with motivation during tough times.

When times become hard, it is difficult to maintain motivation and keep doing your job or
investing in your personal life with passion. Having a written statement can help you remind
yourself of your whys and bring you back on track.

5. It will help you live a balanced life.

A well-written statement contains different aspects of your life, both personal and
professional, spiritual and day-by-day oriented. Reminding yourself of your statement will
help you live a more balanced life.

What does an effective personal vision statement include?

A well-formed personal vision statement has to respond to these questions: 

 What do you want to do? 

 Why? 
 How will you do that? 

You may want to consider your values, strengths, and skills to form your goals. Considering
these will offer valuable insight into your whys and how you do what other people do
differently.

A personal vision statement should contain:

1. Your interests
What are you passionate about? A vision statement should contain your interests and
passions, what you enjoy doing in your free time, and what you would do all day long if
money was not a factor.

2. Your skills

A well-formed statement should include what you are good at. It can include professional
and personal skills based on your personal observations and on feedback received through
years from family members, friends, and coworkers.

3. Your values

What are you driven by? A powerful statement connects to your driving values. They are
usually expressed in a general form (such as love, creativity, justice) and are those values
without which life (for you) doesn’t make any sense.

5. What the world needs

What does the world need, in your opinion? The answer to this question should definitely be
part of your personal statement because it tells something about what is important for you
and what can make a difference for everyone.

6. Your ultimate goal

If you know who you are, what drives you, and what the world needs, you are ready to
identify your goal. This is what Japanese philosophy addresses as ikigai, which is a long-
term goal aligned to all the areas above. Your ikigai can provide you with a sense of
purpose and direction. Some people call it life’s purpose.

Some questions to ask yourself before drafting your personal vision statement

Creating a personal vision statement can be quite an introspective work. Reserving  10
minutes of reflection before drafting it can help clarify your ideas and dive faster into the 4-
step process outlined below. 
There, you’ll find some important questions to guide your reflection and preparation for the
creation of the statement. If you are more action-oriented, you can jump into the 4-step
process and use these questions as needed.

 What have you done since you were a child that still gives you a lot of satisfaction?
 In which activities do you feel fully energized?
 What are you good at?
 Without which values (min 3 – max 6) does life make no sense?
 What does the world need?
 How would you like to be remembered at the end of your days?
 According to your previous answers, what could be a life/career goal which makes
total sense to you?

How to write a personal vision statement in 4 steps

This 4-step process is something I created after almost 10 years of experience with more
than 100 highly talented employees in development centers aimed to help them define a goal
and develop their potential. This is an evidence-based process based on well-known
psychologists and researchers (above all: logical levels by Robert Dilts, appreciative
inquiry by Positive Psychology, and Bob Proctor’s visioning process).

The entire process takes about 40 minutes of reflection. Ideally, all the steps are done
together, but breaking reflection into phases won’t inhibit the process.

Step 1: Letter from the future (approximately 15 minutes)

This is a phase in which you can completely let your imagination go and your creativity
flow.

Imagine yourself at 90 years old and having lived a dream life with a dream job.

Take a sheet of paper and a pen and write a letter to you of today from you of the future.
Describe everything you have accomplished in your personal life and work, how these
accomplishments make you feel, and what you are most proud of.
Step 2: List of successes (10 minutes)

What do you define as success? Take time to think of four successes in your life. They can
be personal (get married, travel the world) or professional (get promoted, find a new job).
Ideally, you’ll want to include both. Describe your successes, what you have done to make
them real, and why they are meaningful to you.

Step 3: Collecting data (8 minutes)

In this step, we want to collect both elements from the letter from the future and the list of
successes. Read both again and circle keywords related to the following fields: environment,
skills, emotions, beliefs, values, and purpose.

 Environment: This refers to everything that has to do with the environment you

envisioned (warm, supportive, etc.).
 Skills: They refer to competencies such as problem-solving, decision-making,
creativity, and so on.
 Emotions: They relate to the emotional context. You can likely find some emotions
described in your letter (joy, satisfaction, etc.).
 Beliefs: These are your thoughts expressed in a general way. For example, “When I
work hard, I achieve what I want” or “When I ask people for help, they support me.”
 Values: They are universal driving values such as love, kindness, justice, and so on.
 Purpose: It relates to your mission. You may find it expressed as an answer to the
question: how do you want to make a difference in the world?

Step 4: Writing down your vision statement (6 minutes)

Now you have all the keywords to write down your personal vision statement. If you
are a visual person, you can even create a drawing with these keywords, but it is
recommended to have it in a written form too. In order for the vision statement to be
effective, it should be as detailed as you can make it.
Put it into practice
This article's purpose has been to help orient you to your personal vision statement.
After reading this, 3 things are important to keep in mind:

 Your personal vision statement can change through the years. Be sure to
check it from time to time.
 It doesn’t have to be perfect. Begin with a statement that makes sense to you
and you can always make changes if needed.
 Keep it in a close place and read it from time to time. It will help you stay on
track with your goals.

If this reading made you curious, take time for yourself and begin the work of self-
discovery and future visioning. Engaging in this work will help you live life with
clarity and purpose!