Building a Personal Work Vision and Creating an Execution Pathway
Today, the focus is on the concepts of Process and Journey, two important concepts of life. Work can be described as an activity that constitutes your daily livelihood. However, work on its own, is meaningless and becomes mere activity if it is not purposeful or appealing to your core human desires. If you have ever worked in an organization where your work does not echo your essence, your desires, your cravings and what you really want to do, you may understand how it feels to spend every day of your precious life doing unfulfilling work. Or maybe you are that person who began running their business solely because you wanted something to do? This might also resound with you.
Meriam Webster Dictionary defines Work as a job or activity that you do regularly especially in order to earn money. Free Dictionary defines it as a physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something. All these definitions say something about work being an activity, that you do daily and it sure has an end to it.
I have come to realize that it is in work that man finds fulfilment. Whatever you do to give expression to your abilities and fulfil your desires either as an employees or a business owner is a form of work. Now, what really should matter to you is your response to the question, “Am I purposeful about what I am doing at this time?” While working, do you have a goal in mind or are you just working to survive? You need to determine if there is a method to what you do. Is there a desire you want to fulfil, an inner craving or a goal?
* Work itself is not the problem, you can do anything and exert your effort on it. However, to align with your life’s purpose, your work must matter to you. Doing work that matters to you is the real deal.
#TheRealDeal – Giving meaningful expression to your work by doing what your heart craves to do, fulfilling what you desire to see.
Evaluate what you currently do. Your work, is it mere work, or something you really are passionate about? Do you have dreams about achieving great things with your work? If you have not answered this question, you are merely exerting your energy to put food on your table and pay your bills. In the long run, what will matter is the satisfaction that you get from doing your work.
So how do you create a personal work vision?
” Vision is what sets you apart from the pack. It defines your path and helps you develop a sense of priority. The personal work vision is your individual operating system. It stems from what is important to you – your values and principles, what sets you on fire every day and makes you get up each morning to go to work. In creating your work vision, you discover you.
* Self discovery is a process and it is a journey. It happens to us every day. Know that your level of self-awareness at every stage will help you in determining where to go in the future.
So, you can begin to create your personal work vision right from where you are right now in life.
* To discover yourself, go to the Scriptures. In the process of self-discovery, you will discover purpose.
“Your revealed person points you to your life purpose”.
When you discover purpose, it is easy for you to decide what career to choose. And believe me, everything suddenly becomes unmistakeable at this point. You begin to see possibilities influenced by your consecration to purpose. The journey becomes clearer and you have a sure knowing and a desire that tells you what lies ahead of you in the days or years to come
* So, begin to write down your vision every day. Write it down – what you see, what you desire, what you are imagining, your cravings – get them all on paper. A written vision is easily executed.
* Have a development plan in order to build capacity. Desires are what they are until you are able to get them done.
Build emotional capacity – your ability to stay focused when you’re not getting the desired result, as well as your ability to relate well with people.
Build intellectual capacity – It is a time to gather knowledge and be an expert in your chosen field. Invest in yourself in every way possible. Leverage free and paid learning opportunities – seminars, coaching programs, conferences, structured training programs, MOOCs etc.
* Build mental capacity – A time where what you know is being utilized towards getting a desired result. Train your brain to do and know more.
* In execution, aside having a plan and building capacity, while in that process, render service. Volunteer, help someone. Use someone else’s need as an opportunity to give your ability and potential some expression. If no one gives you the platform for expression, create one, pick yourself and begin to see the end in mind. Keep talking about and reviewing your plan and vision.
As you execute an item, tick it off. In creating a platform for yourself, utilize the social media platforms, get your work out there, get noticed and keep doing.
* Get a mentor and build a network of trusted friends to whom you can voice your vision and plans all the time.
Lastly, always remember that while you work, it must be because you are fulfilling purpose in God and to humanity.
Frederick Buechner says “The place God calls you to, is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.
Writer – Adenike Leke-Akinbode