Keep Your Vision Alive
April 27th, 2009 Posted in Leadership, Newsletter“90% of the game is half mental.” -Yogi Berra
Here’s a question I bet you’ve never been asked before. At what mile do most people quit a marathon? If you are like me you would probably say the 26th mile. After all that’s when runners should be the most physically drained and exhausted. But like most things in life, there’s more to the story. Besides the first mile, the 26th is when the least amount of people quit. While there could be a hundred explanations as to why this is, I believe one reason stands in front of all the others. This reason is Vision and the power of the mind.
Most runners don’t quit during the 26th mile because they have a vision of where they are going. They see the end in sight so they keep striving for it. Sure they are physically exhausted but their vision fuels them and tells them to keep going to reach their destination.
Most runners quit a marathon at the 20th mile because this is when they lose sight of their vision. This is when they are both physically exhausted and mentally drained. This is when runners feel they have come so far and yet still have so far to go. This is when their goal fades away and their mental power dissipates. Where there is no vision the people perish.
This underscores and important principle that is a key to success, health and happiness. We must keep our vision alive. We must stay mentally and emotionally strong and spiritually fit.
After all, there will be days when our bodies say no and we need our mind to say yes. There will be times when it seems that everything in life conspires to sabotage our goals and dreams. And there will be weeks or even months when we feel like we are hitting the 20th mile. The answer is to maintain your vision and focus on it. Keep your vision alive and it will keep you alive. Don’t give up. Keep striving towards the vision planted in your mind and heart.
Here’s a simple 3 step process to keep your vision alive.
1. Write down your Vision for your life and career.
2. Know your WHY. Why is this vision significant to you? What do you hope for? What is the bigger reason for your vision? Your why is your purpose and you must know it because vision without purpose is like trying to drive to New York without the gas to get you there. Purpose fuels your vision and it fuels you. Write down your WHY.
3. Read your vision and your “why” statements each morning. Remember if you keep your vision alive it will keep you alive.
How will you keep your vision alive? Post your comments here.
Stay Positive!
Jon
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Tags: business, jon gordon, keep your vision alive, Leadership, success, tip, vision, vision casting
16 Responses to “Keep Your Vision Alive”
By Robert Tatham on Apr 27, 2009
I often become discouraged with my dream of becoming a Farmers Insurance Career Agent and I am so close. The economy and the disposition of the people that I talk to daily are like walking in thick tar. I just want to say no way and move on. I hope my faith in God will push me on. This is the only hope that is left.
Robert Tatham
By Mary Ellen on Apr 27, 2009
My Why is to make money to improve the quality of life. My goal is to secure financial retirement.
By Anna Choi on Apr 27, 2009
My purpose is to share my love, contribute my heart and be real. I provide tools to strengthen families, so they become a collaborative family of leaders communicating powerfully around life and money.
By Wendee McGee on Apr 27, 2009
This is so true. I just ran the Oklahoma City Memorial marathon yesterday. This was my fourth marathon. Miles 19-22 are hardest because you are physically and mentally drained and your body is shutting down. The miles before keep you going because your vision of finishing is in your head. You want to accomplish your goal. But those few toward the end are tough because you are beaten down and feel like you have given your all, but can’t go on any longer. Like a vision you have to take baby steps and make it to the end. Then the feeling of accomplishment can’t be replaced by anything else. You are the champion!
By Penny Justice on Apr 27, 2009
Thank you,Jon, for reminding me of the importance of mental and emotional strength and spirtual fitness. Balance is not the key; but strengh & fitness are. You have inspired me to commit to journaling everyday, planning my realistic personal & career goals everyday and strivng to meet them. Every day IS a present! You are a blessing!
By CK on Apr 27, 2009
“90% of the game is half mental.” -Yogi Berra
Whaaaa?
Math skills were not his strength.
By CK on Apr 27, 2009
“90% of the game is half mental.” -Yogi Berra
What?
Math was not Yogi’s strength and such a head-shaking quote was not
a good lead in….
By Karla on Apr 27, 2009
My Whys are:
I want financial abundance so I may more fully contribute to the fantastic relationship with my future husband and his children. To experience building our new home designed for just two (and some beagle dogs and kitties, too)! I enjoy achievements. I want to utilize my tremendous analytical skills and my brand-new college degree to become a credit analyst with one of our local, fantastic-to-work for, banks!
By Karla on Apr 27, 2009
My “Whys” are:
I want financial abundance so I may more fully contribute to the fantastic relationship with my future husband and his children. To experience the joy of designing and building our own home - made just for two - and some beagle dogs and kitties, too! I enjoy achievements. I want to utilize my awesome analytical skills and my brand-new college degree to become a credit analyst at one of our locally-owned, fantastic-to-work for banks!
By Niles. Wang on Apr 27, 2009
I’m a Chinese university student and a fresh man here, I hope to got my schoolarship in my second year. Then I can go to liverpool university in my grade 3, which only the first 10% students have this chance. I want to get my master degree in Oxford or Cambridge. After graduated I can enter Siemens or GE company(I’m studying electronic engineering) at the age of 23. Then study MBA in Harverd from 25 to 27. Get a job in BCG as a business stragtage maker and when I come to the age of 30, I would consider further about whether open my own company or keep working in big companies. I wanna be the big thing.
By Katleen on Apr 27, 2009
I have many visions and goals. How appropriate that you would like about the marathon this week. On Sunday I will be running the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I first started with this team in 1996, training for marathons and raising money for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancer research. It is a very worthwhile cause and I have continued to be a part of it since that time. In the past 13+ years blood cancer survival rates have improved as a result of research that is partly funded by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training. If you would like to help me in my fund raising for this cause please visit my site at http://pages.teamintraining.org/soh/flypig09/kfussinger
By bola shankar on Apr 29, 2009
keep your vision alive
It’s like remembering the dead each day, memorise the moments we spent alongwith them and remembering the vision that is set, minimum 20 times a day, think about your vision daily for 2 minutes early in the morning in silence.
then the vision stays with us till dead.
By vas on Apr 30, 2009
my vision is own a community centre where,
single mothers, elderly people , teenagers
and others have a place to go to and mingle around and encourage each other and enrich their lives and also others.It will be the best meeting place for anyone who wants to enrich their lives without spending money.
I would like to invite experts in different fields to speak so the participants or centre
members occupy their time wisely and develop an interest and create a hobby which could turn into additional income for them.
Children can play with their friends without parents worrying about them mixing with wrong party.
This community centre will be mainly for the underprivileged people to receive and more priviledge people to give or sharing. Both parties will have a win-win situation.
But first I have to improve my financial
status so that my vision of running the centre without help of government achieves.
By Heriberto Vizcarra on May 15, 2009
My Vision is to keep myself busy, walk 10,000 steps a day and beat chronic anxiety at its game.
By Gary Grimm on May 30, 2009
I always liked the statement, “your attitude sets your altitude”.
Gary
By Nettie Friesen on Jun 9, 2009
My vision is to manage/own a Retreat Centre… for people who really need to get away for some inner quiet time where money will not be an issue if they don’t have it. I have no idea how provision will come about for this but I keep this before me everyday. It keeps me going. When things in life don’t go so well I think of my life purpose and those other things become incidental. I need to put my vision out there so others know about it and somehow provision will come in the right time in the right place in the right way for every detail.