Archive for the ‘Future’ Category
Second Time Around Visioning
September 29th, 2009 | 
Author: Saturday’s all-day visioning workshop included people who had created vision boards before, either with the Bridging Futures techniques or at other stages of their lives.
We’ve been curious to find out what some of our ‘repeat’ visioneers got out of their second or third visioning experience in a single year. It might seem natural that once a year is enough to propel you forward with a thousand things to implement!
What’s fascinating, however, is that our folks are telling us that each “repeat visioning” experience was richer than the last.
Why? Here are some early readings:
- Comfort level with visioning from the inside out and using yourself as your personal guide leads to more comfort with more visioning
- Successful results from earlier visioning creates the desire to get clearer and more specific on the next go round!
- Excitement and anticipation to focus on one area–e.g. a medical career or travel–flows perfectly into a visioning experience”
COMFORT
Repeat visioneers found a natural flow for finding images and arranging them in patterns that corresponded to their visions. They also helped others who were new to the process. Sharing knowledge of how to bring mental visions into an actual visualized artifact with new people was a powerful element of the day. Conversations sprung up about the symbolism of visual images and how they fit into the overall vision of each participant.
Visioning the path toward the vision.
CLARITY AND EXCITEMENT
Repeat visioneers presenting their vision boards contrasted their experience making their first vision board with their new board.
In one case the previous vision board was filled completely, jammed with potential directions, reflecting a confused state of mind yet an openness to many directions.
In contrast, Saturday’s board was on a confident bright red backing with organized collections of visual symbols and words contrasted by open clean spaces heading in a specific direction. This arrangement really showed off the elements carefully selected and clearly arranged on the board. The message was I am getting somewhere fast, and this is where I’m going, and this is how I’m going to get there. This visioneer had a plan and this vision board was a visual outline of the plan clearly showing the excitement and drive toward the vision. I am sure this board will be framed and hang in the office to inspire and re-energize.
TAKE TIME FOR YOUR VISION
Is your personal or business vision constant? Do the elements change as you learn more about where you are going and your options to achieve your goals? Many people find that taking the time to sketch out ideas visually, recognize patterns and interrelated elements is time well spent. A visioning session is a time of reflection and goal setting. We’ve found that people who sign up for repeat visioning sessions feel that setting appointments for visioning is time well scheduled.
BUSINESS AND TEAM VISIONS
Do you know that Bridging Futures Visioning sessions are productive for teams, organizations, and conference break out sessions? Ask Bridging Futures about how business and non-profit visioning services fit with your organization.
GHTime Code(s): cc69a 46800 cc2d1 28dfc b8a97 b303b
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Your vision is the DNA for your business!
Anna Carroll and her Vision Board Summer 2009
Lots of people we all know have the wish or dream to start a business or professional practice of their own–as they blast away from corporate roles through choice or forced layoff. On that path, it’s easy to focus on the logistics of going into business—LLC or corporation? Advertising? How do I convert that garage into an office, etc. All important, but not an exciting VISION that can catapult you to success.
Your vision is the DNA for your business, and can brand it as unique and draw attention to the way you do what you do! What do people out there need that you can provide? How will service be provided? How do you and your customers and employees interact? A vision helps you identify and describe TO YOURSELF your business’s unique areas of strength and helps you develop and deliver the right mix of products and services, a mix that plays to your strength.
The best way to envision the future is to actually do it visually, through a drawing or collage that shows you the key elements of your inner vision. Some call it “vision boarding”–a process in which people create a poster size collection of words and images to describe what they are attracted to.
Taking some time to tune into your vision is what you really need to do BEFORE getting lost and frightened with the logistics.
– Anna Carroll
GHTime Code(s): 5be9fVision adventures get mapped
This session produces road maps to a selected vision.
Your Vision on Hot Wheels was a great success. Participants were able to use the Hot Wheels techniques to evaluate possibilities and priorities, consider steps and directions, and create a map leading toward the realization of their vision. Each map was unique and each vision-bound adventure is on the way. GHTime Code(s): 73781
Your Vision on Hot Wheels
Vision boards can shift your vision, reveal new yous, and redirect your future! The period after a Vision Board experience is a time for reflection. It takes time for the revelations of an intense vision board creation to become integrated into your reality. Once you accept specific visions as clearly viable alternatives for your life or your business, the next step is to realize your visions. Recognizing a need for next steps support, Sherry Anna and I developed a next steps workshop for people who have already completed a visioning session, creating a vision board or a vision statement. We wondered what to call the new offering. We wanted a catchy title that captures the idea of potential to really move with the vision once you understand and plan the steps. Finally we settled on the theme of hot wheels to hint that your visions can really take off and take you places more quickly that you’d imagine.
Do you have another suggestion for the name of the Vision Board Workshop follow up?
If you are ready to focus on removing blocks and achieving your visions you are welcome to register for the first Your Vision on Hot Wheels session on Saturday, July 18th 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Austin, TX. For more information call Sherry at (512) 527-0097.
GHTime Code(s): 91f8fCrystal Ball Gazing
In a spirit of fun, Bridging Futures founders recently peered into the crystal ball of business futures and make a couple of predictions.
WORK N SEARCH in the World of Speedy Employment-Layoff Cycles by Anna Carroll
In the first future vision there is a Coming Soon announcement.
Combo Temp Agency, co-working space, training center and employment agency. Beautiful open space work environment for people between jobs. Lounge environment with work-friendly ambient music. In one corner is the Work Shop, where you see a desk or counter and “work leader.” There you pick up a paid work assignment that matches your skills, for an hourly amount that’s not as good as a full-time job but better than sitting home being unemployed. Data entry, customer interviewing, web design, proofreading, financial tracking and many other assignments are available. You can do your paid work around a table with others who may be talking, sit alone with your computer in the coffee area, or take it home. Company contract managers may actually come in part time or co-locate there to get work done flexibly and at a bargain rate. You leave Work N Search with a pay check.
In another corner is the Employment Shop where you can search job postings, get help with resume or prepare for interviews. In the Learning Shop, there are regular classes on commonly used software, technical or management skills in greatest demand.
Most appealing is great coffee, lighting, design, colors, furniture, music and design elements that keep you comfy, happy, and feeling connected. Internet connectivity is of course easy and fast and printing, copying, and faxing readily available. You even have co-workers to tease and gossip with. You may decide to stay here several years!
Tags: ROI for Enjoyment
How much does it cost to live, eat, work, and play in the spaces that bring you the most joy? In evaluating your options, it may be best to compare your personal joy return. Instead of living in a large vintage home you re-modeled, it may be better to love closer-in—nearer to art, architecture, and artistic people. Smaller space, yes, but you can have fun fixing it up within space limits that residents of Paris, NYC, or Tokyo have had to face forever.
Who are the friends you’d most prefer being with? Should you invest more time with them? What about food, fitness, spiritual, hobby or other interests you’d like your life to be more filled with? Health care, nutrition, or alternative medicine? What about traffic, gossip, dogma, ugly landscapes, politics, isolation, and other things you want to get away from? All of these things can be weighted compared, sliced and diced to analyze the best ways of getting more enjoyment.
Richard Florida’s Who’s Your City: How the Creative Economy is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life gets into the geography of where you soak up the most creative energy. And in that decision process, you can add on weightings and ratings for how you most like to spend time, whether for work, play, learning, or creating.
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