In the British Open Championship, Darren Clarke was asked if he ever thought he’d be in the winner’s circle again at the age of 42. His response was, “Of course. I always had the vision”.
All professional golfers stand behind the ball and visualize it going exactly where they want. Is this just wishful thinking? Undoubtedly the shot doesn’t always happen precisely as planned, but then imagining the ball going into the water hazard wouldn’t exactly help either.
In golf, as in work and life in general, to achieve really positive results it’s important to imagine the best outcome.
I’ve known or followed a number of CEOs in my career. The successful ones, and the ones who were the most fun to work with, had the clearest vision of what success meant to them. They held their vision up for all to see and made it very clear where they were going and what needed to be done to get there.
Of course there were always obstacles along the way to achieving their goals, but overcoming the bumps in the road helped everyone recognize that progress was being made. Was the original vision always achieved? Not necessarily. But as long as they weren’t tilting at windmills (it’s a fine line sometimes), the clarity of purpose invariably yielded success in some form. As Terry Matthews says, “If I can live with the worst then I’ll plan for the best”.
In your work, are you more inclined to imagine the project or campaign you’re working on failing or succeeding? How does your frame of mind affect the outcome of your endeavours? When planning for success, it is best to write down your desired outcomes as a commitment to yourself to continually strive to make them happen.
How about in your life and career? Do you think clearly about where you want to be in five or ten years? Having a vision helps guide your actions towards your destination. Although your idea of success may evolve along the way, once the general direction is set, a positive outcome becomes within your reach.
I’m inspired by other peoples’ stories of success! Please share with us how your vision has led you, perhaps circuitously, to where you are today in your life or career.
This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.