Are You Drifting? How to Create a Vision That Guides You
Jim Huling
Executive Coach | Author #1 Worldwide Bestseller The 4 Disciplines of Execution | Strategy and Execution Consultant | ???????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ???????????????? ??????????
Without a Vision, People Wander
Ancient proverb
?If I told you that a defining moment of my life happened at a Marriott Courtyard in a small town in Alabama, you’d think I was setting up a funny story. But the punchline is that it’s true.
?I was on a long-term consulting assignment, one of the hundreds of nights I had spent far from home and those I loved—and in a moment of genuine frustration I remember yelling out loud to the empty room, “This is not the life I want!”
?You know when you start talking to an empty hotel room, things are serious. But then, I “heard” a voice in response ask,
?“What is the life you want?”
?Whether the voice was audible or internal, I can’t say, and I honestly don’t care, because it was the question that rocked me.
?In that moment, I realized that I didn’t know the answer—at least not with any clarity. Like anyone, I could rattle off a shopping list of desires, but I had no real vision for my life.
?I was living reactively—responding to demands, to schedules, to expectations—but not proactively, not in a way that reflected who I really was and what I truly wanted.
?That night, sitting in that small hotel room, I filled 11 pages front and back with all of the hopes and dreams I had for my life as a father, a husband, a friend, and a leader. For the first time, I felt alive with purpose.
?It was the most vision-filled moment I had ever experienced.
?When I woke the next morning, I felt a shift. Something inside me had changed. Those pages weren’t just idle thoughts—they had become a roadmap.
?And from that day forward, I began the intentional, daily pursuit of everything those pages described.
?It’s a pursuit that pulls me forward to this day.
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Living with Vision
What I’ve discovered over the years is that vision isn’t a once-and-done exercise. It’s something you refine as you grow, something that deepens with time.
?My vision has evolved significantly over the years, but what’s stayed constant is the clarity I gained that night—clarity that gave me direction and energy.
?We’ve all had moments like this, right? Where we look up and wonder how we got here.
?The daily grind has a way of pulling us into autopilot, and before we know it, we’re wandering. Moving through life without a clear direction, hoping that somehow things will just fall into place.
?But here’s the truth: they don’t.
Not without vision.
?Without a clear picture of where you’re going, you’re just drifting, reacting to what life throws at you, instead of actively shaping it.
?It’s like being on a road trip without a map. You’ll end up somewhere, but is it where you wanted to go?
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?That’s the difference between living intentionally and just going through the motions.
?It’s the difference between being pulled forward by a vision and being pushed around by circumstances.
?I’ve lived both, and I can tell you, there’s no comparison. When you’re living without vision, it feels like you’re constantly putting out fires, just trying to survive the day. But when you have a vision, it’s like a compass that points you in the right direction, even when the path isn’t perfectly clear.
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Creating Your Own Vision
?Creating a vision doesn’t mean you have all the answers. It doesn’t mean you won’t make mistakes or get off track. But it does mean you know where you’re headed—and that makes all the difference.
?If your vision isn’t clear, here are three questions that will get you started:
1. Who are you at your core? (Not the roles you play or the titles you hold, but the person you are deep down. Strip away the expectations, the labels, and ask yourself, who are you really?)
??2. What do you really want from your life? (This is the question that rocked me. Don’t let it go unanswered.) Get specific. What do you want to experience, achieve, contribute, and become? Start writing it down now.
??3. How committed are you? Vision without commitment is just a dream. How much are you willing to invest—time, energy, effort—to make it happen? What are you willing to let go of to free up time and capacity?
?Don’t settle for a life of wandering.
?Create a vision that compels you to live it out.
?If we remain narrow of vision we can never be big in heart.
Start today, not tomorrow. Life is too short to drift, and too precious to leave to chance. There’s something incredibly powerful about living with intention—about knowing that every step you take is leading you somewhere meaningful.
?A vision, no matter how small or grand, brings meaning to each day.
?Take the time to create your unique vision, and then live it out with everything you’ve got.
?#purpose #happiness #coaching #vision #heroic #thrivehive
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I’m Jim Huling . I’ve spent my career helping people create a life filled with purpose and joy. If this reflection resonated with you, I’d be happy to help you find ways to clarify and pursue the vision that pulls you forward. Click the link in my bio ?if you’re ready to start exploring what that might look like for you.
?And thank you for ??reposting this message for others who might find it meaningful.
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Husband & Dad | Educator | Author | Leadership/Effectiveness Consultant | Strategy Execution & Change Practitioner | Executive Coach | Keynote Speaker | Snow & Water Sport Enthusiast | Mountainbiker
3 个月Another translation says the people "perish." People thirst for vision. They hunger for it. If they don't have a vision for themselves or a vision for the organization that they are bought into and believe in their spirit will slowly die. A good vision, one that stretches us and one that is verifiable, will inspire us - will literally "breath life into us." [see the etymology of the word inspire]
Love this!
Driving AI & Digital Innovation | Scaling SaaS & Cloud | Cybersecurity/Risk/AML | Transforming Data into Growth | Award-Winning CIO/CTO | High-Growth Exec | Keynote Speaker | Board Advisor
3 个月Great article Jim Huling Throughout our lives, we’re shaped by outside forces that teach us to approach things objectively rather than subjectively. We fall into the trap of believing our path is set in stone, bound to a destiny we can’t escape. This builds resistance to change, a comfort with the familiar, a reluctance to challenge the status quo. Years ago, while I was miles offshore on a fishing trip, a Captain shared advice that stayed with me: keep your gaze on the horizon. This helps avoid seasickness, spot storms, see birds circling—signaling fish below—and keeps you grounded amidst endless water and unyielding sun. The same principle applies to life. Once you set a vision—a deep reflection on who you are and where you want to go—you realize that your future isn’t fixed. Embracing transformation opens the door to new opportunities, helping you identify what you truly want for yourself and in the life you share with others, revealing possibilities you never dreamed.
Executive Transformation Coach | Guiding Senior Leaders Through Personal & Professional Crossroads | Psychologist & Leadership Consultant |
3 个月Amazing article Jim! Knowing what you want is the most important discovery! Most people know what they don’t want, what’s the struggle - which is good to know, but that itself doesn’t fuel us wirh energy to move forward, because it comes from the place of scarcity. Knowing what we want is a driver, a force of abundance. With that clarity it gets easier to find answers how to get there! Btw. I’m writing about the very same thing today in my post. Sharing an interesting excercise you most probably know??would love to hear your thoughts on that when it goes out.
People Partner & Facilitator | HR, Leadership, Mindset Development | Help organization to build High Performance Culture
3 个月Thanks for the great insight, Jim. It resonates with my current situation. Having a strong determination makes me believe that whatever steps I take will lead me to have meaningful moments.