Edition #94 – 11/15/2006
Sounds like a pretty bold claim, doesn’t it?
Don’t worry, I’m NOT trying to sell you something today.
If I were, I wouldn’t be making that claim. As many of you know, I do not believe ANY one product is going to make you a successful person. Likewise, I don’t believe that neglecting to buy any particular product will cause you to be a failure.
What I’m talking about today is something intangible, yet it is absolutely vital to your success.
I’m talking about VISION.
What is vision? I’m NOT talking about the ability to see with your eyes. Let’s see if I can explain it…
I would describe it as being able to “see” a clear picture of your fulfilled goals in your mind. First of all, most people don’t even have goals. But even fewer have a clear vision of seeing those goals achieved.
Imagine your life as a very difficult jigsaw puzzle. Your vision would be kind of like looking at the box cover with the finished picture, while putting together the puzzle.
Without that box cover, you could go through long periods of confusion and difficulty before getting the pieces put together properly. If the puzzle was large and difficult enough, you could spend your entire life putting it together. But with the box cover, you have a road map. You know where you’re going, and you can chart your path to get there.
Back when I was in college, I read the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. Out of the seven habits, “Habit #2” has stuck with me more than any of others. That habit is simply this…
“Begin with the end in mind.”
I can honestly say that virtually every success in my life has come AFTER having a vision for it. I was blessed to learn this lesson at a young age, and as my vision continues to grow, I find myself in new places I wouldn’t have previously imagined.
A decade ago I was still in high school. I was a distance runner. At the beginning of the track season I made a goal to become the 2-mile state champion. But it was much more than just a goal. I had a clear vision of myself crossing the finish line first, and standing on the top of the awards stand.
That vision never faded, and I kept it in my mind almost constantly as I trained. When I won the state championship at the end of the season, it was like a fulfillment of destiny. I had already been there in my mind, and now I was just living it out.
So has every one of my visions in life been fulfilled as I expected them to?
Certainly not, but many of them have. If I hadn’t won that race, it wouldn’t have negated the entire value of the vision. After all, the vision was a large part of what motivated my training. The point is that if I HADN’T had a vision, I wouldn’t have achieved that goal.
The same is completely true of my business life, family life, and other parts of my life. Long before any of my successful product launches, I had a vision of them. Before even starting to create a product, I had a vision of the end result. I could “see” the product, the sales page, and even the amount of profit that I would make from it.
If you’re trying to build your business without a clear vision of where you’re going, it could end in disaster. The Bible also talks about it…
“Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)
I’ve heard that 93% of new online businesses fail. I think the biggest cause of those failures is a lack of vision.
Maybe you can’t see past your next mortgage payment or rent payment, and as a result you’re focused on NOW, just trying to get by. Or perhaps you can’t really see yourself quitting your job.
I mean seriously… do you have a clear picture of yourself handing your resignation to your boss? Do you see yourself getting up the next morning and running your business with complete freedom? You need to, if you want it to happen.
And beyond these “micro” visions, what about your “macro” vision? In other words, what is your vision for your LIFE?
Regardless of how young or old you are, you need to start seeing it now, or you will not end up where you want to be.
My personal challenge to you…
I want you to take a moment to tell about me your vision.
It can be a vision for part of your life (like your business, family, or fitness level), or it could be the overall vision you have for your life.
It’s important to write down your vision. So I want you to write it write now and post it to the comments of my blog.
This is YOUR vision, and there is NO wrong answer. Nobody is going to make fun of it. It can be detrimental to share your vision with weak-minded individuals who may try to discourage you. On the other hand, it can be very helpful to share your vision with someone who can encourage you and keep you accountable.
I’m not going to follow up with you or keep you personally accountable, but I want you to post your vision for three reasons.
1) It will cause you to put a little thought into it, and clearly define your vision.
2) We can inspire others, and be inspired. No matter how big or small your vision currently is, someone may be impacted by it.
3) It will give me an overall idea of what kind of things I need to focus on to help my readers achieve their goals.
So go ahead, post your vision below.
Have a great day!
Hello Eric, sorry eric but my english is very bad
bests regards.
Manuel
PD. thanks for you help.
Hi Eric,
My vision is probably the same as thousands, if not millions of people, and that is to be able to work at home on my laptop and create enough money so I do not have to sell my time for $s anymore.
I have recently returned from a family re-union in Bali, Indonesia and wonder why I have to put up with the cold weather of Southern Ontario for the next 5 months when I could be setting up my home office in warmer climes for the duration of the Canadian winter.
My biggest problem has been “information overload”. Everyday my “in box” is filled with all sorts of money making schemes and I have subscribed to hundreds. Needless to say I have made very little return on investment. I am not blaming anyone but myself because I have been lacking the vision to take ONE project through to completion before taking on the next.
With that said, my vision now is to concentrate totally on ONE project and give it the time and effort it needs to return an income.
I know there will be adjustments etc. required en-route but that is the nature of business and if I am managing ONE project at a time, these necessary adjustments will fall into place.
In summation, my vision is to be in a position to work anywhere in the world I choose with laptop in tow and create enough income that I do not require a 9-5 job anymore.
This I WILL ACHIEVE in Mid 2007
Eric,
Excellent article to motivate us to fulfill our dreams, a few weeks ago I went into a convention and I heard something helpful too:
“IF WHAT YOU SEE NOW, IN YOUR REAL LIFE, IS NOT WHAT YOU SAW, IN YOUR VISION, KEEP ON WALKING, KEEP ON WALKING, BECAUSE WHAT YOU SEE NOW IS TEMPORARY”
Thank you again for all your tips.
My vision is in three parts, each building off the other. First, to have a home by the ocean and be totally and completely financially free. It’s just way too hard to be as creative as I know I can be when the stress of wondering where this week’s grocery money is coming from. Once we are ensconced in the house by the sea and I am walking on the beach every morning, then the business of publishing comes to mind. I shall have a real world publishing company that has been totally financed by my online publishing company, and these two in turn will finance a conference/retreat center for holding seminars, conferences, workshops, etc. for writers, artists, and whomever else wants to share my space, and these will in turn finance two charitable foundations, the first one for providing scholarships for children who want to do art, sports, music, whatever their hearts desire … I never want to see a child go without because his/her parents are not financially able; and second a foundation to help people pay their vet bills because it hurts too much to know that you can’t give a pet the medical care he needs because the financial cost is too much and there’s no help available. This is my vision and I fully expect the online ventures to have financed a house and a move for us within the next six to seven months with everything being completed and on auto pilot by 2012. (Of course, I’d like it all tomorrow but I’m learning not to over-estimate what i can get done in a day!)
Hi Eric
That was a profound blog. A thought provoking one…
Ok so my vision…
When i purchased Yours and Joel’s IAT – 1, I had a vision that i would create several adsense websites…but somewhere down the road, that vision got blurred. Then came IAT -2. My vision was refreshed, and i vowed to do something about it this time. I purchased it.
Within around 15 days, i created exactly 100 websites and put them under one generic domain…it was really great to have achieved what i had planned initially. 15 days ago, my adsense income was averaging not even $1 per day from one of my sites. But believe it or not, my stats have skyrocketed. Just today, i got my highest earning ever $98.98 in a day. I know this is not much for you. But for someone earning $1, its quite a lot. I get traffic to my 100 sites using Adsense Arbitrage. So even after deducting my costs, i save a decent amount.
But this is just the begnning….my slight success has boosted up my confidence, and i now have bigger vision than ever…
Regards
Abhishek
For way too long, I have had an inner conviction that I could not succeed. I have dragged my feet on so many things, or have only done things halfway. I set up a web site with grand plans and then never followed through. I’ve spent more effort helping my siblings succeed than I have spent on my own success.
My vision is that I’m going to stop thinking I don’t deserve to make it. I am going to start putting my own future first. I need to stop wasting away the hours checking email and piddling around looking at other people’s web sites and envying other people’s success and finding excuses for why I’m not writing my own e-books as I have planned to do for a long time.
I have already said that I want to take a trip up the Nile when I’m 60. I’ll be 56 in just a few days. There is still plenty of time to make that dream come true.
More great stuff my friend! Once again, you have begun with the roots
and worked your way up! ( Even though you began at 30,000 feet! 😉 )
This all ties in with my next post on my blog. It will be all about goals. I am
asking for permission to use part of your post from today (11-20-2006) as
an intro to mine to tie it all together. Of course I will link back to here.
After reading all of the above posts, many have the same vision as I, this is
my main vision for 2006 and beyond:
To help others be successful on the internet. To that end, I have already created
a site in order to accomplish this. A free membership site complete with a blog,
forum, support desk, and downloads. Much more in the making. The blog is the
only thing usable at this time. I expect to have everything else completed this week.
Once again Eric, YOU DONE GOOD!
You continue to help others in a unselfish way!
Thanks!!
GB
Walter Gavurnik
My vision is one day I will open my own business and it will be a seccessful one and get out of dept. My business will flurouse and be great. The reason why I want my own business because I can stay home with my child- kinda what I mean is that I can go to the job and check on it thorugh out the day I don’t have to stay there all 8 hours. And it will be good also when I adopt. 🙂
Kristine
I won’t to earn one million dollars net profit this next year. I won’t to be free to go around the United States seeing to that kids right here in our own country doesn’t go to bed hungry.
Hi Eric,
You always get your readers juices flowing by your blog writings, it sure gives us something to thnk about. This one is no exception for sure.
Like many, I too have been caught up in the “information overload” camp, skipping and jumping from one program to another and wasting my money and time on buying these “must have! one of it’s kind products” which will make my life easier. If I read every ebook, listened to every audio, watched every video that I purchased & put them all to use, I’d be a multimillionaire by now ( just like you Eric, lol ) with thousands of affiliates working for me, earning me the fortunes I dream about.
I’m a struggling wannabee, financially worse off than I was 12 months ago.
Yes you are so right, “Vision of the end result is the starting point to acquiring your goal”
My vision is:- to be financially free of debt and thus free of stress
To have plenty of money in the bank.
To set my 6 children and 3+ grandchildren (1 more on the way) up financially that they don’t have to worry about money ever.
To buy a bigger house here & one in Spain
To take my wife & family on cruises & luxury holidays
To have new cars on the drive
Be a Santa Claus type person for those in need
Provide aid to Childrens Charities (locally & 3rd world)
Over the past couple of weeks I realised I was not focused, I have read of it so many times & it has just sunk in to my aging brain. Losing focus to email reading, drat!
I am getting closer to building my first self-made website, then I’ll build on that until I have achieved my goal, my vision, my dream.
I thank God for my health, now I just need the wealth. lol
God Bless you & all your readers who ask for help to realise their vision & I hope everyone receives their goal.
Martin D.
I have had a dream of being wealthy all of my life, however…
Dreams are elusive.
Dreams aren’t real.
Dreams evaporate as soon as the harsh sunlight of reality shines .
Dreams are an excuse for things undone… a tomorrow that never comes.
I know that my dream had to die.
Instead of being bereft, I rejoice.
Because the death of my dream means the birth of my vision.
Vision is born out of actions.
Sometimes repitious…
Sometimes boring…
Sometimes intimidating…
Sometimes overwhelmingly frightenening…
and sometimes joyous…
Simple actions, one step in front of the other, making my way, focusing my energies for that one purpose, taking as many with me as I can.
So I guess my vision is simple and I intend never to lose sight of it. I haven’t for over 30+ years.
Jan Luckenbach
The Virtual Entrepreneur
Hi Eric
My vision, which I share with my two wonderful business parrtners, is to run the best community for writers on the WWW. EditRed.com already offers up and coming writers more show-casing, promotional and workshopping capabilities than any other site out there. Our vision has hardened into concrete results. It has taken a lot of guts and a lot of energy, but if you love drama, every second has been a blast (of one kind or other).
I think our success has been largely down to a clear vision. It takes a lot off discussion and constant negotiation to share a vision amongst three people. It means you never lose sight of where you’re going. This keeps energy levels and motivation high.
There’s only one thing more potent than a vision, and that’s a shared vision.
(>>creak
My goal is to find financial independent for myself. Right now I am on disability. There are many rules to follow Know one likes being told what they can and can’t do with their money. This source of income will run out soon and I am young enough to find another way to earn a living. The internet is a big place I want find my piece of the pie. I want to learn how to make money work for me and not work for money.
With Vision comes commitment.
I have vision for my future but it’s commitment that stands in the way of accomplishment.
We have to overcome our in born excuses before we become committed. We cannot live with vision alone. It must be accompanied with action.
I have a vision of helping others to obtain their dreams. I have a vision of increasing my properties value. I dream of travel to exotic places. I have a vision of better health and more wealth.
I’m on the board of a foundation for cross learning between youth and the elderly. The completion of this dream is so far into the future that I’ve lost enthusiasm for it.
The paint sits on the floor in the hallway because I’m not committed to picking up the paint brush.
I’m not committed to exercise to regain my health. I have severe back pain which in it self is not an excuse. The exercise would diminish the pain.
Health problems stand in the way of travel to the lands of our forefathers.
As far as more wealth, I believe that will come with the territory.
I also have the vision of finishing writing my books. To this I am committed. I have two books in progress, One book is about building a legacy and the other is a fiction story that takes place in Scotland. I know my books will be successful because I feel it.
Where do I come from?
I was born during the great depression. I suffered from malnutrition, rickets and jaundice.
I was considered mentally handicapped.
I was picked on and taunted so I hated school. I flunked first grade.
When I was in junior high school I received a job where my dad worked. This was cleaning floors and dusting the racks. Then came the horror of horrors, I was asked to wait on customers.
The rest of my story is in a finished manuscript called “Ouchâ€. At present I’m doing the art work for it.
I retired early from corporate America. When I retired I was President of the fourth largest business of its type in the world.
One side note: I’ve had a computer repair business for about twenty years which I’ve recently closed.
My Motto:
“YOU CAN BE OR DO ANYTHING THAT YOU HOLD IN YOUR HEART TO DOâ€
Carl Allen
Walter – thanks for the comments! Yes you may use part of my post with a link back.
Take care, Eric
Since getting started on the “get rich quick” trail 30 years ago (Amway!) I have read every “Dream Book” ever written I think, but none of the did it for me.
My life changed 6 months ago when I watched an Australian made movie/video named “The Secret”
After that I bought a scrap book, and started pasting pictures of where and what I wanted to be and have, One of my dreams has always been to own an Island, so I looksed online for islands for sale. I found hundreds for sale world-wide from $500,000 to $5,000,000 but I decided if I was going to follow this Dream book theory through I needed a bigger dream than that, so I kept looking. And I found my “Dream Island” that was for sale… for $120,000,000… yup, $120MILLION smacka’s! I printed it out and stuck it on page one of my dream book. My island has a mini golf course, boats, yachts, coral reefs and 286 bedrooms… http://www.daydreamisland.com
I want a nice car… a Porsche… not just any porsche, a 911 Twin turbo, my screen saver is a porsche 911 turbo valued at AUS$327,000 http://www.porsche.com/australia/models/911/911-turbo/gallery/
WAnt a motor bike? My dream bike is a Boss Hoss trike… powered by a 8.2 liter Chevy V8 pumping out 502 HP http://www.bosshoss.net
Since starting my dream book my online ventures have taken a massive turn for the better. I’m no longer doing adsense or affiliate sites… I’m now a professional currency trader (I was already a trader), I’ve retired from my J.O.B. and I’m getting an income that these SEO guru’s only dream of… high 5 figures monthly, and on track for a monthly 6 figure income by January or February.
How big can you dream?
Here is a link to a free download of The Secret… EVERY PERSON ever born should watch this movie… show it to your kids if you don’t believe this stuff, then they’ll be able to support you in your old age.
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=6862002847956530561
hi eric,
i coudn’y still earn money in internet,but i will try.
i must make more money because i would like to countinue my study in la,
i am to far to la,i should set my apportment of my life puzzel correctly.
thanks for your letters,
best regards,
sajede,
Eric,
Several months ago I wrote out a vision kind of scenario that started at the end; where my son and daughter have come back to my home, and with reflective smiles on their faces are remembering – I believe it probably is about me, since I don’t see myself physically there. Anyway, the backward look was quite sobering, in that it forced me to look more realistically at my whole life, rather than just a segment in the not too distant future.
To swing this back to the current period, I’ve noted that like a lot of other things, we as human beings tend to trend. Several weeks ago someone else commented on unfocused goals and undisciplined direction, referring specifically to creating business online. If the statistics displayed regarding failure in business makes most of us like lemmings marching to the edge of the water without knowing why or for what purpose, then perhaps, not only those of us who follow, but also those who purport to teach should establish some sort of focused approach that states their purpose, other than flat out making more money for their individual selves. In the end the so-called historians will look back at our era and note whether we individually gorged ourselves first, or collectively considered the entire party. Like the oil moguls who swear that the only reason they’re making conspicuously large amounts of money is that the market is setup that way, never mind everybody around them suffering because of the effects of higher prices at the pump that skyrocket costs of other goods and services while income barely moves except downward in lost value; then those of us who profit conspicuously online may be feeling a bit bared, especially when the photographer shows us the pictures displaying food dribbling off our fat bellies next to someone who obviously doesn’t even know how to line up to get into the food line.
Wow. Didn’t know that was coming, but I guess I’m just stating a kind of sentiment that was also displayed in the recent midterm elections. I don’t think anyone wants a handout, or reward without effort, but somehow the chaos and gluttony has to be balanced with some order for this society to progress. Sooner or later if the barbarians are hungry enough, they’ll storm the gates. I don’t see anyone rich enough or with thick enough walls to stop that.
How’s that for a vision?
I see women in their 60s, 70s and 80s looking good – not like 20-somethings, but good, better even than in their 20s, better because they have ripened, matured and grown inwardly and found the means to make their outside match the beauty of their inside. I see Little Old Ladies disappearing from the universe and being replaced by Beautiful Wise Women.
Jan’s post is important. What was said is true, to a point!
Please read this publication I wrote in 2004. It may clarify some things for you on goals and dreams.
http://www.internet-marketology.com/marketology/free/Goals.pdf
No! There are no marketing gimicks or OTO’s involved. Just the how’s and why’s to create goals, visions, or dreams.
All 3 are pretty much the same. Please read and enjoy.
Walter Gavurnik
hi eric,
i just want earn enough money to continue my study in university in la.
i m to far to it but i must.
thank you for your tips,
sajedeh,
My vision is to create Multiple Sources of Income by helping others to fulfil their dreams. Only by helping others to achieve their dreams will my vision be met, and that the Multiple Sources of Income will then enable my wife and myself to travel extensively in our retirement doing things that we enjoy.
I am currently working on three projects to achieve this goal:
Share and Option Trading EBook
Adsense Websites
Internet Marketing
I am working to integrate these ideas into a steady cash flow.
Interesting…
The vision I would look forward to, would be as simple as knowing everything about a masqeto… which is impossible… Go figure! Why?
Also, I would be glad to discover who controls the univerise is and steers it into perfection and completion… which unknown… Why? Go figure…
Moreover, I would love to know the mere secret of exsistence, how it existed and whether it is going to re-exist after extention… How? Go figure…
Very interesting indeed…