“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

                                        The Cheshire Cat
                                               Alice in Wonderland

Do you know where you’re going?  Do you have a clear vision for your business – and your life?

As business owners, we’ve always been told we need a plan, and I agree.  We do need a plan.  But there’s one thing you must do before your fingers hit the keyboard to create your plan.  You must figure out where you want to go, the target you want to reach. 

Here’s why:

If you go into your garage, get in your car, back out of the driveway, and don’t know where you’re going, what

would happen? What if you didn’t know if you wanted to go to Miami or Malibu?  You could end up in the middle of nowhere. You must have a destination.

What would happen if you went to the ticket counter in Grand Central Station and asked “Can I have a ticket?”  The ticket agent will ask where you want to go.

It’s plain and simple: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”  …and you may end up someplace you don’t want to be.

According to Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the second habit of successful people is to “begin with the end in mind.”  In other words, start with a clear understanding of your ultimate destination. 

So the very first step in planning for your business and your life, isn’t creating the plan. Step number one is to create your vision, your “big picture” of what you want your business and your life to look like. 

Your future vision should be in writing.  If you have the picture in your mind, you’ll find it will become even clearer when you put it in writing.  If you don’t have a vision at all, there’s no better time than the present to create one.