How to create a vision for your work (and life)
Updated: Aug 7
Photo by Sema Martin on Unsplash
It goes something like this.
In the morning I walk into the garden. It's a walled garden, with our vegetable patch and greenhouse on the left.
I drink my coffee. Walk into my studio and office, on the right hand side of the garden. The walls are white, there are a number of easels and a great big table in the middle. All my art materials are easy to get to. To the back there is an office. Plenty of space. A desk. A comfortable desk chair. A sofa. A standing table. Book shelves. A whiteboard.
I do some office work in the morning, coaching calls in the afternoon, perhaps into the early evening. Studio work on Fridays. On occasion I'll invite a group of women to join me for an art and coaching holiday.
I have a little shop on site, with artwork, art supplies and haberdashery, open on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. My partner has his workshop in the back of the garden. That's where he'll disappear to, to build musical instruments and furniture and teach others to do that too. I walk around in jeans, on bare feet. The tiles are cool on my feet.
We have lunch in the garden, dinner as well. Fresh vegetables. A big salad. New potatoes. Loads of courgettes. Even more runner beans.
We do a bit of gardening in the evening. The dog is running around playing, chasing birds. The cat can't be bothered with such mundane activities and washes his paws whilst looking at us with disdain. The sun slowly goes down.
OK, so it hasn't quite materialised.
But did you feel it? Did you see it?
I did. It's not the first time I've written it down either. I've even made a drawing of it once.
Parts of it are crystallising. Parts of it are work in progress. After the 2-3 years since I first started envisioning this the picture is as vivid as it ever was!
You see, the point of the picture I've just painted you is that I never would be where I am today if it wasn't for that vision, that story, that picture.
Because your brain is amazing.
It treats what you're IMAGINING as actually HAPPENING. The more detailed the better.
Because if you say OUT LOUD what you want the universe has a way of responding.
You ACTIVELY start to work towards that vision.
People start helping you and start bringing you opportunities.
You know what you want, and what DOESN'T fit into this vision.
Decisions become easier. You focus.
The power of a vision. Down to the smallest detail.
So that you can SEE where you're going.
So that you FEEL how you'd be in that scenario.
So that you can engage OTHERS in it too.
So that you can make it happen.
What vision do YOU have for your career (and life)?
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Tineke Tammes is an ICF credentialed Career Coach, who supports professional women in making successful transitions to careers of Freedom, Flexibility and Fulfilment! Besides that she is also a lifelong feminist, part-time portrait artist, never-only-read-one-book-at-any-time reader, and obsessive doodler. Oh, and she knows a bit about change management too.
Join her now in Pick 'n Mix - the FREE community for creative, multi-passionate women.
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