Hold a Vision
As some of your may know, my second home, my creative space, my healing place is in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thirty years ago, through passion and single minded focus, I bought a one-bedroom condo. It was the most frightening thing I had ever done, especially since I had very little money and a career that had not yet sprung forth. As it turned out, it was also one of the wisest moves I have every made. St. Thomas is not only where some of my best ideas have germinated, it is where most of my first book, Quantum Leap Thinking: An Owner’s Guide to the Mind, was written.
How I Hold a Vision: An Example In The Real World
After a full day of writing, my wife and I like to go for a long afternoon swim in the beautiful blue Caribbean. We need to work out the kinks after sitting for hours in front of a computer. And, quite a long swim it is.
Before I begin to stroke my way across the bay, I always fix my sight on the furthest corner of one of the hillside homes. Once I chose my direction, I look down through my mask searching for the stray sea turtle or manta ray. After a few strokes, I look up to check my destination and inevitably see that I have veered off course. I adjust my direction and, after a couple of dozen hard strokes, look up again only to once again notice that I am yet again off course. I adjust, get distracted by another wonder of the sea and – yes – course correct again. And, so it goes until I reach my destination. If I hadn’t constantly checked and readjusted my direction, hadn’t held my vision firmly in my mind’s eye and hadn’t kept my focus, I would have simply been – lost.
Hold a vision – choose where you want to go, focus on the vision, take action and check to see if you are moving in the right direction.
Living an exceptional life demands the same process. You must choose to create a realistic, sensible vision of where you want to go, focus on the vision, take action and check to see if you are moving in the right direction. If not, course correct, refocus and take action again until – you achieve what you want to achieve.
James Mapes is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, coach and hypnotist. His most recent book IMAGINE THAT! Igniting Your Brain for Creativity and Peak Performance is the first web-supported book with access to 21 video-coaching clips.
James Mapes is the founder of Quantum Leap Thinking™, creator of The Transformational Coach™, expert on the psychology of “applied imagination,” best-selling author, highly acclaimed business speaker, consultant, seminar leader and personal excellence coach.