Clearly defining the vision you have for your life requires more than just thinking about it. You need to write it down. The act of writing something down and then reading it daily reinforces the message and makes it more real. Even better, print out your personal vision statement and post it where you can see it frequently. This reminder will increase your motivation and foster the self-growth you desire.
What Is a Personal Vision Statement?
A personal vision statement is a clear, concise summary of your personal goals and dreams for the future. It serves as an anchor when life pulls you in different directions. It is also a guide for making decisions based on your values, and it helps you stay focused on the goals you want to achieve. The process of writing one compels you to think about the purpose of your life and how to achieve that. You’ll identify your most important guiding principles and describe how you intend to apply them to your life. Your statement also introduces you to the power of setting concrete goals. Research by psychologist Gail Matthews found that people who wrote down their goals succeeded 33% more often than people who only thought about their goals. If you want to live the life you envision, you need to avoid the trap of abandoning your dreams in the realm of the abstract. Writing down your vision is the best way to actualize it. To get started, you can study personal vision statement examples to get ideas about how to write yours.
How to Write a Personal Vision Statement
Writing a personal vision statement begins with free writing. At this point, you simply ask yourself questions and write down whatever comes to mind. Don’t impose any judgments at this point because you want to uncover your hopes and dreams for the future. It’s important to keep your vision statement as a single paragraph. This way, you’ll be able to read it easily and frequently. If you want to write more paragraphs to address specific goals, that’s fine, but these would be supplemental to your main vision statement.
11 Personal Vision Statement Examples
Here are several vision statement examples you can use to help you brainstorm your own. There are no strict rules here related to the words you choose and the concepts you include. But if any of the statements in these examples resonate with you, feel free to make them your own and rewrite them to suit your goals and dreams. How To Write A Personal Mission Statement In 8 Steps Do You Have These 11 Highly Useful Traits of a Hardworking Personality? 13 Essential Emotional Goals to Set In 2023 and How to Reach Them
Personal Vision Statement Template
If you’d like some additional help in writing your personal vision statement, please download our free template. Download (PDF) 11 Personal Vision Statement Examples
Final thoughts
Are you ready to write your personal vision statement? Philosophers may argue about the existence of free will, but the truth is that you have plenty of control over the direction of your life. The time that you invest in crafting a personal vision statement will keep you grounded amid the endless distractions of life. As you can see in the personal vision statement examples presented here, your vision doesn’t have to follow any particular direction. Let your heart define your purpose and values, and then use your mind to pursue your values-based goals.
