You know that guy that shows up to the tennis court with a big tennis bag over his shoulder, a headband, and a $200 racket - but then can't actually hit the ball over the net?
That was me with this blog last year.
I left my job half way through the year to free up more time. I redesigned the website. I played with the wording.
All to go on and publish 4 pieces of content over the next 7 months.
While I did have other projects going on, I had all this new free time on my hands and my content output levels didn't change a bit.
Heading into this year, something had to give.
I knew I needed to try to push through and work on creating the necessary habit loops, but I was confused as to why I wasn't feeling any magnetic pull.
If I was so passionate about the concept behind Can't Wait Till Monday, why was I struggling to find the motivation to even just get off the ground?
Setting Your Vision
I realized that it might be because I had no idea who I wanted to talk to with my content. It's hard to create something of value when you can't easily identify who you're trying to create value for.
So while on 'workation' in Austin in December, I tried to map this thing out.
What did I want to do, and who did I want to do it for?
Having just attended a conference that was all about thinking big, I was in the perfect frame of mind for this type of exercise.
I had learned from Geoff Woods that when he became VP of The ONE Thing and first arrived in Gary Keller's offices, his very first task was to map out his Disney Vision for the company.
What's a Disney Vision, you might ask?
Well, most people don't realize that Disney as you know it today, did not happen by fluke.
This was Walt Disney's mind map, created in 1957:
Where most people would stop at movie production company or theme park for kids, his vision went WAY beyond. He had set a clear destination, and every milestone could be determined simply by working backwards.
To accomplish your 25 year goal, what is the ONE THING you would have to accomplish in the next 10 years?
To accomplish your 10 year goal, what is the ONE THING you would have to accomplish in the next 5 years?
To accomplish your 5 year goal, what is the ONE THING you would have to accomplish in the next year?
To accomplish your yearly goal, what is the ONE THING you would have to accomplish in the next month?
To accomplish your monthly goal, what is the ONE THING you would have to accomplish this week?
To accomplish your weekly goal, what is the ONE THING you would have to accomplish TODAY?
Mapping My Mickey
So I began to create a map of my own.
Initially, it was exciting. It was giving me clarity into the next 25 years of my life.
But the more I thought about the plan I was putting forward, the more I realized I wasn't able to think big enough, because I wasn't yet clear on what I wanted.
I had a general idea, but I wasn't yet settled on the form I wanted it to take.
When I hit this roadblock, I ran it by one of my mentors.
He said "when I started XYZ company, do you think I knew I'd be running ABC company a few years later?"
So when should you create your 25 year vision?
It was too early for me.
I think if you don't know what you want your next TWO YEARS to look like, it will be difficult to create any kind of Disney Vision.
And that's perfectly ok. Walt Disney would have been 56 (!) when that vision was published (at least the version we have access to).
The most important thing is to take action - even if you're not sure it is the right action. That's the only way things can begin to evolve.
If you find yourself working on something that doesn't get you up in the morning, you are still one step closer to finding out what does than if you would've taken no action at all.
For me, I'm going to focus on creating a community of entrepreneurs who are on a mission to build beautiful business, live optimal lives, and impact the world - and see where that goes.
What that even means, I'm not too sure yet. I'm just going to try try try, taste taste taste, and let life lead me down the path of what feels right.
And if at some point I uncover what I perceive to be my life's purpose, then I can unlock the power of creating a Disney Vision.
*I’ll be sharing more insights like this, along with case studies and strategies that you can put into practice. Want to follow along for the ride? Just leave your email in the box below!