Brave Vision vs. Brave Actualization

When I was little, we lived with my grandparents for a few years while my mom got on her feet as a single mom.

That was fine with me. I was an only child. My grandmother was (is) everything to me. (She turns 90 next month.)

My grandparents lived on a huge property with 50 sprawling acres of forest and creeks — and this may explain a lot about who I am now.

On weekends, I spent hours in the woods with my best friend from birth. She and I would envision elaborate forts in the trees. She had her rooms. I had mine.

Our vision was amazing for two 8-year-old very imaginative girls.

Our vision was bold, creative, and unlimited.

Our execution was pretty pathetic.

Our reality was that we had limited resources.

This is what happens with a lot of creative entrepreneurs I know.

Your vision doesn’t always match the reality of your life circumstances - and that’s OK.

It’s like those business goals you set for 2022?

They didn't happen the way you thought, did they?

You didn’t get the social media traction you thought?

You didn’t finish the project you wanted to finish?

That piece, that offer, that sales page — it didn’t do the idea justice, did it?

Actualization is tricky.

It's tricky because we're human beings, not human doings.

We are not computers with perfect computing and execution.

We are living, breathing souls with life circumstances to account for every single day.

• The senior dog needs let out.
• The puppy needs attention.
• Heartbroken kids need to be tended to.
• Health issues that rock our world.
• Insomnia.
• Complex relationships and emotions

So, what I mean is … we're all?carrying quite a load?and it’s no wonder actualization doesn’t always match the vision.?We must remain bendy.

My Brave YES Mindset reminder for you this week is this:

When you are building, creating, or starting anything, the final product may not match the vision you had in your mind -- the one you so clearly mapped out and put into the planning of it all.

Your plan was just your ideal vision on paper.

That's where the work begins.

This is the glass butterfly effect Elizabeth Gilbert talks about in her book?Big Magic.

As artists, creators, thought leaders, consultants and business owners we put an offer, a product, an idea out there but the final product is never quite like the one we had dreamed up, schemed up in our heads.

Because, people.

Because, timing.

Because, exhaustion.

Because, life.

Because, limited resources.

Because, imperfection.

Actualization is messy. It’s hard. It’s complicated.

NEED HELP ACTUALIZING??Let’s set AUDACIOUS goals together & create the strategy you need to get there. That’s what I do as a Business Design Strategist and Courage Coach!?Learn more about my private coaching program here.

To see something to the end is courageous.

The Courage Move: So what if everything doesn't go as planned?

On Friday, I led a?Brave Business Vision?masterclass for a group of entrepreneurs. I am passionate about visioning and have been for a very long time. I lead my clients through Brave YES Vision Quests all. the. time.

You need a BRAVE vision to start anything. You must know where you want to go. You must be able to see it, taste it, and feel it to believe in it.

The more vivid the vision, the more clearly you can actualize it.

But, you must be willing to allow that vision to change with the pulses of life and reality — and the resources you have in place.

You must be OK when life hits and hits hard and there were bumps and the final product didn't get done on time -- or at all like you thought it would.

There were detours and breakdowns. There were rest stops and flat tires.

And, most certainly, the destination doesn't look like the version you had in your head.

That’s OK.

Because the final version is better than the original vision because it’s the one YOU were BRAVE enough to put out there. The Brave YES is where you were courageous enough to say “YES, this is good enough … time to let it go.”