“Excuse me, I need directions. Can you tell me where I am going?”

I talk with many people in business and often the conversation leads to talk about the future of their work. I casually ask the other person what his business and personal life is going to look like in three years.

Sometimes the answer is a general comment like, “ I’m going to make lots of money.” Sometimes there is a well designed plan. Often there is no answer; just a blank stare for a response.

Mapping out the future of your business and personal life is a process that is often halted by fear. Fear of the future and fear of failure to accomplish goals will put any mapmaking for business or personal lives on the back, back burner.

Creating your business and personal vision for the next three years is very much like taking a road trip. It involves some thought, planning, review and charting.

Take for example, driving from New York to San Francisco. The route is planned on maps first and the possibility and merit of side trips along the way is talked about. The amount of time at each stop is allotted in consideration of the time deadline for the final destination. The itinerary is agreed on, put in writing and made public to others involved. A budget is put together for the costs of getting to California.

Now think about how the trip to San Fran would go without any planning. No deadline for arrival, no thought about stops, not even a map with the route to follow. Choice after choice, decision after decision has to be made. Forks in the road would create significant demands on energy for decisions. Wrong turns, wasted time, unnecessary side trips, frustration and wasted opportunity and money would be the theme of the journey.

Often, businesses that have not created a three-year vision are much like the person who decides to take a cross-country road trip without a plan. The countless forks in the road and side trips are exhausting and often frightening. The important stops and side trips along the way are forfeited because of delays from traffic jams and railroad crossings. The consequence of not having a three year vision for your business is often having to have your vehicle of business towed home.

How do you create a business vision for the next 36 months?

To get started, answer these four questions on a single page with bulleted statements or a 5000 word narrative:

1. Where am I and the business going?
2. Why am I going there?
3. Who is going with me?
4. How am I going to get there?

Short or long, it doesn’t really matter; if you have desire to make changes in your business and personal life, start writing your vision today.

"It is a bad plan that admits of no modification." -- Publilius Syrus

"Maps encourage boldness. They're like cryptic love letters. They make anything seem possible." -- Mark Jenkins

"Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean that it's useless." -- Thomas A. Edison

Being aware of the wizardry of G.P.S. technology, I'm still a "map guy". Maps need no batteries, always boot and create the visual I need to get to a new or fuzzy destination.

Part of that is habit developed as a kid. Once, while travelling by car, I asked Mom and Dad how many more minutes one too many times, they threw the map to me in the back seat and said, " You figure it out." I eventually did.

Of course maps don't have a pronounciation guide and on one trip, my pronounciation of the New York State city, Schenectady, (pronounced Ska-neck-ta-dee) came out "Shena ka taddy."

Good for a lot of laughs then and I still laugh about it today. Happy navigating.

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