Saturday, July 23, 2011

The Importance of Vision

I tend to be one of those people who, in the face of a decision, hesitates, waits, observes, weighs all available 
options...and then, confronted with uncertainty and questionable success, I do nothing by default. 

My head knows that any action, even mistaken action, is almost always better than inaction, but my instinctual desire to avoid failure at all costs often wins out over the option of following a trail with an unclear destination.

Thoughtfulness and caution are the building blocks of wise decisions, certainly. But I'm beginning to learn that cautious decision-making can be a pitfall when not done under the umbrella of a clear, overarching vision.

Andy Stanley sums this up by saying, "As a leader, you rarely have certainty, but you should always have clarity."

A clear vision of who we are and where we are going makes decisions easier and failure less fatal. Mistakes are inevitable and uncertainty is a reality, but a clear vision puts mistakes and decisions into perspective for the perfectionist.

A person with a clear vision can confidently forge ahead, secure in her vision of the future. Decisions are simply small pieces of a larger puzzle. 

Without a clear vision, though, suddenly, every decision re-determines one's direction. Each decision has the potential to change the ultimate future, to take one down an entirely different path. Every new choice takes on immense impact and has the potential to utterly alter the future. Thus, of course, every decision is weighty and direction-altering.

Do you have a clear vision?

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Of Life? No. :-)

baybay202mph said...
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