Develop Your Personal Vision! – 11 Tips

When was the last time you thought about where you want to be in five or ten years? Do you have a clear vision of your future self? What if you had a personal vision so powerful that it guided every decision you make? How would that change your life?

Welcome to a new episode of Self-Leadership with Dr. Bensmann, where we explore how mastering self-leadership helps you thrive across all areas of your life.

Creating a compelling personal vision that pulls you forward can be exciting and inspiring. But how do we do it practically? Which methods work? And more importantly, which approach is best suited for you? Because as you’ll discover, finding a vision isn’t about following a template—it’s about finding what resonates with you personally. So, let’s dive into today’s episode.** Today, I want to focus on personal vision—specifically, how you can create one for yourself. **And as we move forward, I want you to think about this:** Why do you need a vision? What difference could it make in your life, and how would it shape the decisions you make day to day?
To guide you, I’ll share eleven practical and actionable tips that you can use right away to start crafting your vision. For even more in-depth guidance, practical ideas, and plenty of background knowledge, check out my book Self-Leadership: The Key To Being Effective.
But before we dive into the tips, let me first clarify the difference between mission and vision, two concepts that are often confused.

What is Mission? Mission is your core purpose, the reason you’re here. It answers the question: Why am I on this earth? What meaning and purpose do I associate with my life?
What is Vision? Vision is a powerful, clear, and desirable image of the future that is both achievable and challenging. It answers questions like: What attracts me? What is my life goal? What do I want to be proud of at the end of my life?

Now, why do we even need a vision? You might be wondering—can’t I just set goals and go after them? Well, not quite. I believe that having a personal vision is like having a North Star. Just as the North Star stays fixed while everything else seems to move around it, your vision provides reliable direction, even when everything around you is changing. Your vision will ideally reflect your values and show how you can expand on your mission in a meaningful direction. Without a vision, you might be making progress, but toward what? A clear vision keeps you on course, especially when distractions or challenges come your way.

A personal vision is not just about goal-setting—it strengthens your sense of agency and self-efficacy. By setting and pursuing meaningful goals, you build confidence in your abilities and your power to shape your own life. You become the creator of your life, rather than a victim of circumstances.

So, are you ready to dive into the eleven tips for creating your personal vision?

Tip 1: Scenarios

If you find it difficult to define a clear and specific vision, try working with scenarios. Take a pen and paper, and sketch out different, distinct, and desirable future scenarios. These scenarios shouldn’t just range from best-case to worst-case but should instead describe various potential futures from different perspectives. Think about the possibilities—where could your life take you in the next ten years? For example, are you wondering if you’ll still be living in the same country ten years from now? Then create different scenarios—perhaps one where you’re living in your current city and another where you’ve moved abroad. Don’t rush to judge or dismiss any scenario at this stage. Let them evolve, and only later apply your personal selection criteria to choose the one that feels most aligned with you.

Tip 2: Reverse Engineering Your Future 

Another powerful approach is to work backward from your ideal future—a process known as “reverse engineering.” Picture yourself living the life you dream of. Now, ask yourself: How did I get there? What were the key decisions, steps, or breakthroughs that led to this point? Then, map out a timeline that takes you from today to your envisioned future. Start by identifying immediate actions you can take. By starting with the end in mind, you can map out a more concrete and realistic path. Instead of simply hoping for a better future, you’ll see the exact steps needed to get there.

Tip 3: Vision Board  

A vision board is a very tangible tool. Take a board, pinboard, or magnetic surface, and start collecting images, symbols, and words that resonate with your evolving vision. Over time, you can organize these fragments into different patterns and see what resonates. While it might sound trivial, having a visual representation of your vision can be incredibly motivating. Every time you pass by it, it reminds you of where you’re headed. Even if you don’t consciously look at it every day, it will still serve as a subconscious anchor, helping you stay connected to your long-term goals.

Tip 4: Visualization 

This is related to the vision board but slightly different. In this step, choose or create an image that encapsulates your desired future. Close your eyes for a moment—can you picture yourself living your ideal life? For instance, I once used a photo of myself on the rocky shores of Lanzarote, capturing a moment where I was working on a video project. The photo was taken by my wife. That image symbolized my desire to spend more time in such a place and engage in creative work. Over time, this vision became a reality, and I now live not too far  from that very spot. This type of visualization allows you to focus your energy on a specific image that represents your future.

Tip 5: Mind Mapping  

Mind mapping is another creative approach to organizing your thoughts about your vision. Start with the word “Vision” in the center of a blank page, and then draw branches for key areas of your life: relationships, learning, security, inner growth—whatever is important to you. This process is like letting your mind explore freely—it helps you gather and organize your thoughts, giving you a clearer sense of your priorities as you build toward your vision.

Tip 6: Daily Visualization Practice  

A powerful addition to mind mapping and vision boards is a daily visualization practice. Take five to ten minutes each morning or evening to picture yourself living your future. Imagine all the details—how it feels, what you see, what you hear. The more vividly you can picture your vision, the more real it will become, and the more focused your actions will be. This practice strengthens your focus, helping you align your daily decisions with your long-term goals.

Tip 7: Journaling  

Journaling is an excellent tool for exploring your thoughts and ideas around your vision. Whether you follow a structured approach like the Bullet Journal or prefer free-form writing, journaling helps you collect, reflect on, and organize your thoughts. Think of it as a conversation with yourself—a way to clarify what you really want in life. As part of my morning routine, I often reflect on key questions and jot down my thoughts. Over time, this practice can help you gain clarity on your vision.

Tip 8: Storytelling 

Your personal vision can be shaped as a story. Why not turn your future into a narrative? By turning your vision into a story, you engage all your senses and emotions, making the vision more compelling and meaningful. You can even involve a trusted friend or coach as a sparring partner to help refine your story. Imagine your future self—five or ten years from now. Where are you? What does your environment look like? What does your life feel like? By writing your vision as a story, you bring it to life in a powerful way.

Tip 9: Future Self Interview  

A twist on storytelling is to interview your future self. Imagine sitting down with the person you’ll be in five or ten years—someone who has achieved everything you dream of. Ask him or her questions: What challenges did I face? What decisions were most critical? How did I stay motivated? As an additional step, consider recording this interview as a voice memo and listen to it occasionally to reinforce your long-term vision. 

Tip 10: Accountability Partner 

As powerful as vision work is, it can be even more effective when you share it with someone. Find an accountability partner—a friend, mentor, or colleague—who will check in with you regularly. Discuss your vision and the progress you’re making. An accountability partner can keep you motivated and help you stay on track, especially when challenges arise. To ensure consistency, set up regular meetings or check-ins. Weekly or monthly reviews can help you stay committed and focused.

Tip 11: Guided Reflection  

Finally, if you feel stuck, consider working with a professional coach or mentor who can guide you through the reflection process. A structured reflection—whether guided by a book, course, or professional—can help you explore your past, understand your strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately articulate your future vision. A good coach can also challenge your thinking and help you expand your possibilities. In my own experience, I went through such a process with a trusted advisor and found it incredibly helpful in clarifying my long-term vision.

These are eleven proven tips to help you craft your personal vision. Which of these tips resonates most with you? Which one will you start with? I’ll be revisiting the topic of vision work in future episodes, where I’ll also discuss potential pitfalls to watch out for. 

But for now, get started! Use the tips from this episode to begin shaping your own vision.

And if you find today’s episode valuable, share it with someone who could benefit from mastering their self-leadership. Better yet, challenge a friend or colleague to develop their own vision, and hold each other accountable. Imagine the powerful conversations that could come from this!