Visualizing goals can help you achieve them

Getty Images: marrio31/iStock / Getty Images Plus

Perhaps you have heard the old saying, “There are businesses that have been in business for 10 years … and others that have repeated the same year for the past 10 years.”

As a successful pest control business owner and now coach, I’m a continual learner. When one thing doesn’t work, I try something else. I constantly adapt and evolve to meet my clients’ needs. If I don’t, I’m doomed to repeat failures.

You are the CEO of your pest control company. The same responsibility falls to you.

Your team looks to you for solutions and change. They depend on you to navigate. You must know where your business is going and captain the helm as course adjustments are made. You can’t do that if you don’t know your destination.

For me, “Vivid Vision” is my go-to navigation tool.

Picture your goal

A Vivid Vision is a self-made photo of your destination.

Cameron Herold, author of the book Vivid Vision, introduces the idea to business owners. He likens it to the visualization technique used by Olympic athletes, where they picture winning the gold medal in full detail.

A written Vivid Vision becomes the visual goal for your company in three years. It creates something all team members share. It primes them to make decisions and take actions to reach their destination collectively. It’s a document you can use regularly to stay on course and maintain accountability. I recommend making it part of your morning routine and building it into onboarding, training and staff maintenance.

Sheri Spencer Bachman

Create a blueprint

As I have advised before, focus on what, not how.

What do you want personally and for your business? What needs to happen for you to achieve your dreams?

How it will be achieved happens later. You must first define the what to devise a plan around how to achieve your goals.
Your personal vision will influence your company’s Vivid Vision, so start by asking:

1. What do I want for my future?
2. What will my business provide — income, vacation, freedom, etc. — for my family and me?
3. What will my day look like, from hours worked to time spent on personal development and me?
4. What will my family time look like?
5. What core values will be realized and visible?

Your task is to outline your goals from these questions. Then, turn it over to a business consultant (like me, for example). They will help you create a formalized Vivid Vision to integrate into your routine and business as an indispensable navigation tool.

The Game Plan

As you answer the five vision questions in this column, put yourself in the moment three years from now as if walking into work. Take note of what you see, hear and feel:

• What does the office look like?
• What does your team look like?
• What does daily office life look like?
• What are clients saying?
• What is the media writing about your company?
• What is the industry buzz about your business?
• What does your marketing look like?
• What processes are in place, so your company runs smoothly?
• What is the company providing you and your employees?