"simplifying Your Journey"  (it's All About The Thinking)

Life is a sustained journey composed of a range of journeys. Some are personal and individual. Others are shared. Still others involve teams, groups, organizations, and even nations. Each journey, large or small, begins with the seeing of a destination. This seeing is commonly referred to as the vision, a future destination to be achieved. Until the vision is clear, you cannot move forward.

DEFINING THE VISION  Ask yourself, "Where do I want to go?" Just remember each destination is different. Paris is not Rome is not Athens is not Cairo is not Bombay is not Tokyo and is not San Francisco. Beneath the ocean is not outer space. The moon is not Mars. Physical destinations simply represent, metaphorically, all kinds of destinations. Fame, fortune, success, money, titles, power, control  all are destinations that can be achieved.

Whatever your choice, you must describe the destination in terms that allow you to recognize your arrival at the destination. What do you expect to see when you arrive? Think in terms of physical images, images that represent some part of the vision. Think with your visual vocabulary. Do you see concrete facts, processes, organizational structures, theories, attitudes, behaviors? Do you see products, people, structures, geographical features? Do you see challenges, opportunities, possibilities?

Focus on SEE. Let each answer to the questions take some physical form that you can visualize, you can actually see. The seeing itself simplifies your journey. You know where you are going.

ESTABLISHING THE MISSION  With "Mission" the questions change to focus on, "Why do you want take this journey, to reach this destination?" Why does this journey matter? To whom does the journey matter? What will change as a result of the journey? What is the purpose of the journey?

As you answer the questions, strive for answers that inspire others to participate. Remember JFK's 1961 pledge, "Put a man on the moon by the end of the decade." This mission statement laid out the path to be taken to arrive at the destination, the vision, of being the first to the moon. As the answers emerge, let them sit for awhile. Return to your answers periodically to see if you can make them easier for others to understand, to grasp, to embrace, to take the journey. Peter Drucker claims, "The mission statement is short and sharply focused. It should fit on a T-shirt." What belongs on your T-shirt?

PLANNING THE ITINERARY  In business and warfare, this planning is called strategy. You want to plan how you will achieve the desired end, the destination. You have to question what you will need on the journey. This questioning forces you to evaluate resources --- human, financial, skill, competence, and commitment. This questioning also requires that you identify the steps that are to be taken and in what order. Goals identify the stops along the journey. Objectives inside each goal establish the details for each stop, for the accomplishment. You will have ways to measure that accomplishment.

CONVERTING VISION INTO ACTION  With a clear vision in place, the mission defined, and the itinerary planned, you can now do the appropriate map-making to show the simplified details of how to get to your destination. In business and warfare, this simplification is called tactics. Each action to be taken is clearly stated with its accompanying measurement of the results. You now know how to reach your destination. Success is your outcome.

All of this thinking positions you correctly to make a difference in the world. This thinking skillfully guides you in all of the necessary decision-making. When opportunities present themselves, you can quickly decide if they are appropriate to your vision. When challenges appear, you can easily decide their impact on your vision. When conditions change, you can refocus your thinking. Enjoy your journey, with all of its decision-making. The simplicity is magical.

By: Virginia McBride

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Virginia L. McBride, The Haven Maven Founder, EPROW Images Creator, "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE THINKING" Virginia builds personalized "thinking environments" to strengthen innovative thought. Working with EPROW Images, clients define visions, missions, and itineraries. They convert their visions into simplified journeys. To qualify for a free 30-minute consultation, submit a "pitch" through EPROW's PAPPY program => www.eprowimages.com