Anson Dorrance once said, “The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion when no one else is looking”.
Great feats are accomplished, not by mere serendipity, but by careful, thoughtful pursuit of prioritized actions and a clear mental picture of a preferable future.
Whilst certain inventions had occurred by accident, they had occurred in the act of accomplishing a specific goal. Through the pursuit of a grand vision, certain outcomes and opportunities had manifested itself for the greater good in the process.
For instance, Alexander Fleming in the pursuit of his vision to research antibiotics to cure diseases led to the chance discovery of penicillin which eventually became a medicine for treating some bacteria causing diseases. See, the pursuit of a particular vision not only guard our actions but opens different doors of opportunities that we had not initially envisaged.
Accordingly, our financial vision cannot be ignored if we are to be financially independent and economically free. In this contest, vision is therefore a clear mental picture of a preferable financial future. Proverbs 29:18,”Where there is no vision, the people perish. To illustrate, one can envision:
- A condition in which one has no bad debt and good debt within one’s means or no debt at all.
- A financial situation in which one has accumulated enough savings and capital to expand investment options when the opportunity arises.
The question is; how do you develop a financial vision and an attitude and the discipline to accomplish this. The below prerequisites should be there or need to be inspired to start envisioning.
- The passion to succeed
- An unrest to prevent the worst side of the human condition
- A purpose driven to improve one’s self and others
- Values that emanate from our good nature and a sense to do the right thing
- Imagine your loved one or yourself being seriously ill to the point of death but the only way to save is your ability to afford a particular medication but is inadequate. Or finding yourself in a legal mess that you are completely innocent but cannot afford a good attorney to make your case. Be inspired to dream.
“Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall at last unveil”, John Ruskin.
Once these prerequisites are in place, then there is the need to fully understand the human whole and the impact of ignorance of the vision on one part on the other. To have an integrated view point of the human whole means, for instance, don’t ignore the vision of your health in pursuing a venture that increases your wealth. You might lose your life in the process or you might spend a good deal of your fortune seeking medical intervention.
However in the pursuit of financial vision, the vision of the below should also not be ignored as they are interdependent on your long term financial stability. Therefore, you should also focus and have a vision of:
- Physical well-being
- Spiritual focus
- Mental health and intelligence
- Emotional stability and intelligence
- Social relationships
- Regulatory and legal literacy
- Choice of spouse
- Career choice
Once this foundation is strongly established and an integrated mindset developed then a stepwise approach in reaching your financial vision is in good view.
Very insightful and inspiring.