Vision planning is a life planning method that many people do not understand. Yet, it is so important. Even before you begin goal setting, you should first have a clear vision of your life and what it looks like.

If you want to listen instead of read, here’s the podcast episode that goes along with this post: Create a Dream Life Vision

What is Vision Planning & Why Is It Important?

Have you ever wondered why you’re setting so many goals, but you’re having a hard time achieve them? Do you even feel aligned to the goals you set at all?

Even before goal setting, first you need to create your ideal life vision.

Vision planning is the action that helps you create the overall big picture of your ideal life. This includes finding out what’s important to you, what you value, what principles do you live by, and what does your best life look like.

It is about creating that vision/ that idea of your best life as vividly and in as much detail as possible, so you know exactly what you want and what you’re aiming for.

GOAL SETTING VS. VISION PLANNING

Goal setting, on the other hand, is about setting actionable steps that lead to the results you want to achieve.

Most people do not spend that much effort to plan their vision. They only set goals. What often happens is that 3 years, 5 years, or 10 years down the road, they realize that they’ve been working so hard all along for the wrong goals. Because they were not looking at the big picture, which is what vision planning is all about.

Ultimately, vision planning and goal setting work together.

You need to be super clear about your vision, so you can set the right goals, and achieve right results that align with what you really want.

I created a free 4 Days to Daring Living Training that will guide you through the steps of creating an ideal life vision, and figuring out your obstacles along the way.

How Do You Create An Ideal Life Vision?

1. Discover Yourself

Building strong self awareness is the FOUNDATION to designing the dream life for yourself. You need to know exactly who you really are, what you want, and what’s important to you. This includes acknowledging where you are in life right now, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and letting go of things that no longer serve you.

> Related Post: How to Improve Self Awareness

A great way to consciously practice self awareness is to ask yourself good questions, then journal out your answers.

Here are some great questions to get you started:

1. 1. • What is important to me?

      • What am I good at?

      • Describe a time when I feel like myself. Why did I feel like myself?

      • What do I need to improve on? What do I want to learn more about?

      • What are some things that scare me and excite me at the same time?

      • What does success look like for me?

      • Who/ what do I want to invite into my life?

> Related Post: 7 Ways to Journal

2. Create Your Ideal Day

Create an ideal day in your best life. What does that one day look like? Try to list everything out (you can write it out, type it out, in paragraphs or in point forms) in as much detail as possible, from the moment you wake up in the morning to when you go to bed at night.

You need to be super clear and specific about your ideal day.

The more clarity you have, the more you can actively aim for that and create it into reality.

So think about what time do you wake up in the morning? What do you hear when you first wake up? What do you see? What does your room look like? What does your home look like? Where do you live? What do you eat for breakfast? What does the rest of your day look like? Who are you with? Where do you work? Write in as much detail as possible.

Remember to write your words in PRESENT tense, as if you’re living that life right now.

If you use future tense (ex. I “will” instead of I “am”),  it feels a bit distant and when you read it afterward, and you can feel that gap.

So, write it in present tense as if you’re really living that life now and as you read if over and over again,  imagine and feel that day in vivid detail. Again, the more clear and specific you are about your ideal day, the clearer you know what you need to do to achieve that.

> Related Post: How To Create a Vision Board That Actually Works

3. Create Your Ideal Thoughts and Emotions

In order to really live your best life, you have believe and think AS IF you are already living that life already.

All of our actions and results first started as thoughts.

We have a certain thought about something, then those thoughts create the feelings, then we take actions and we get the results we want.

So if you have big dreams for yourself, you have to start thinking a certain way and feeling certain emotions on a much higher level. This is how you can think big, feel excited and motivated about it, and then take those big bold actions to create your idea life.

Remember that you can consciously choose to feel those thoughts and emotions for yourself.

In your best life, what kind of emotions do you want to be feeling? How do you want to feel?

Some example feelings may be:

• Determined

• Ambitious

• Committed

• Peaceful

• Inspired

• Joyful

• Loved

Likewise, what kind of thoughts do you want to be thinking about?

Here are some examples:

• How to empower others and how to lift people up

• How to expand your business

• How to give back to the community

Do you see how these emotions and thoughts can really help you create the dream life?

Hope you find these exercises helpful!

Next, you will need to consciously set daily triggers and actions to remind you of your ideal emotions and thoughts so you can deliberately choose to live that ideal life EVERY DAY.

In my guided vision planning course, I go further into more exercises and steps to help you learn more about yourself and create your ideal life.

Sign up for the course below:

Rooting for you,

More related posts:

• What is intention setting & how to live with more intention

• How to create a vision board that works

• 5 Steps to envision your ideal life

How do you feel about creating a life vision? Have you tried any of these exercises for yourself? Let me know in the comments below.

Shirley Huang is a Certified Life Coach, Podcast Host, and online educator. She provides weekly resources to help people become leaders in their life, while loving themselves and having fun a long the way. Check out her Life Coaching Programs here.