Have you ever been excited about a vacation to a place you’d never been to before? You’d done all of the Internet research, talked to all of your family and friends, created a loose schedule for your fun activities, studied a map, and even started packing bags days in advance.

The only thing that could’ve ruined the trip was somehow getting lost and not being able to get there. Even in the age of the Internet, it happens. A destination is nothing without a map of how to get there.

In business, vision is the destination, and the strategic plan is the map. We can have all the vision in the world, but if we don’t create and implement a plan, we set ourselves up for failure.  Strategic plans are the roadmap for your success in fulfilling the vision in your heart.

One practical exercise that has helped me and many others in their personal and business lives is the Strategic Vision Plan exercise:

• Have a dream session and imagine where you want to be in the next five years, 10 years, etc.

• Create your top five outcomes for the next 12 months.

• Identify barriers that could keep me from those outcomes.

• Determine the actions that you’re going to take to overcome those barriers.

• Create a timeline of actions for each quarter, month, and week that are going to help you reach the outcomes.

I’m a dreamer. Thinking about the big picture energizes me, and provides tremendous meaning and passion in my life. Because of this, I’ve committed my life to helping coach, train, and empower individuals with that same purpose and vision.

This exercise works. It will give you momentum towards your destination.

By Robb Holman