How to Write a Vision Statement and Manifest Your Dreams

Walt Disney’s vision was simple, but powerful. It was simply to make people happy.

Remember the very first Mickey Mouse bit? It was titled Plane Crazy, and it was a clear product of his attempt to make viewers smile.

What’s brilliant about his vision statement is that it was incredibly simple, but exceedingly potent. You’ll notice that every extraordinary individual has taken the trouble to write the vision that has these very characteristics.

So, how to write a vision statement that’s inspiring and powerful?

You can begin by ensuring it is:

1. Purpose-driven
2. Inspiring
3. Worth the grind
4. Simple
5. Challenging

What Is a Good Vision?

Anything that effectively drives you to achieve a worthwhile goal is a good vision.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s vision is, simply: A world without Multiple Sclerosis.

What is the problem that you’re trying to solve? Envision a world without that problem, and you’ll have your vision.

However, arriving at that clarity can be tricky if you don’t have a deep-rooted purpose driving you. Your vision could be related to either your personal or professional life.

Here are a few techniques that could help guide you on how to write a vision statement:

1. Envision your ideal life.
2. Ponder what keeps you up at night.
3. Analyze your deepest desires.

Ideally, your vision should bring to life what drives you the most. The more deeply you desire an outcome, the more likely you are to make it a reality.

What Are Your Top 3 Personal Values?

More often than not, your personal values are closely connected to what your vision could be.

For instance, people who have seen their parents struggle with poverty and health disorders may have the vision of creating a comfortable life for them (and people like them).

Your personal values are also deeply influenced by the challenges that you have faced in life. Your challenges and personal values define your personality and your purpose in life.

Here are a few examples of personal values:

1. Integrity
2. Commitment
3. Honesty
4. Boldness
5. Competency
6. Balance
7. Autonomy
8. Faith
9. Humor
10. Optimism
11. Poise

Which ones do you strongly follow?

Any positive attribute of yours could be a personal value. These values are the fuel that can help envision goals.

How Do You Write a Vision Statement?

Inspiration enables effective creation. So, let’s explore a few vision statements before we embark on your journey to create one.

Consider the Human Rights Campaign. It’s vision is simple: Equality for everyone.

The World Wildlife Fund seeks to: Save a planet, a world of life.

What is that one slogan that describes what drives you in life? That’s what your aim should be to create as a vision statement.

Here are a set of pointers that can help you write the vision statement:

1. Make it short and clear. Brevity is always a plus. If you like saying it and reading it, you’ll imbibe the vision better.
2. Steer clear of generic, vague words. Your vision statement shouldn’t be to be successful. Answer what you want to succeed at specifically and to what extent. For instance, say you want to reduce accidents on the road. You could do that by creating more protective gear or enabling safety devices within vehicles.
3. Ensure that your vision statement aligns with your personal values.

How Do You Write A Personal Mission Statement?

Before we explore how you can write a personal mission statement, let’s differentiate between mission and vision.

In Marketing expert Jamie Falkowski’s words, “A vision is an aspiration. A mission is actionable.”

Your vision statement should be a description of what it would be like after you have achieved your goal. Your mission statement, on the other hand, should describe how you want to achieve that goal or what you wish to create.

Here’s an example to clarify the distinction between a personal vision statement and a personal mission statement.

Your vision could be: A world without poverty.

Your mission could be: To provide nutrition to those in need.

Here are a few pointers to help you write a personal mission statement.

1. Ensure that it is aligned with your envisioned future.
2. Stay true to your personal values and beliefs.
3. Describe the impact you wish to have.