1: Because: What gets measured gets done.
Vision. Strategy. Implementation. Results. Or, VSIR.
These four integrated elements are the essential ingredients of living a creative rather than a reactive life, Dr. Daniel Friedland writes in Leading Well from Within.
Yesterday, we explored the idea of vision. We outlined the key elements of a “life well lived.”
In the VSIR cycle, our strategies and implementation are our calls to action to manifest the results we want to see on our journey towards our vision, Danny notes. However, “rather than proceed directly to the strategy for making [our] vision a reality,” we clarify the results we want to achieve while our vision is fresh in our brain.
2: To clarify our desired results, Danny recommends a modified version of SMART goals. Yes, we outline results that are Specific, Measurable, Realistic, and Time-framed. “However, the ‘A’ is different,” he writes. “Instead of Attainable, it stands for Aligned. It reminds [us] to reflect on whether the results [we] are aiming towards are indeed congruent with our vision.”
Using the modified SMART framework is wise because it anchors our “inspired vision on solid ground so [we] can more clearly identify the specific actions” we will need to take. What gets measured gets done. Indeed.
Danny suggests we define our results in terms of our health, broadly defined as “energy-optimized,” relationships, and productivity. He references the Cantril Ladder, “an imaginary ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top, with 0 representing the worst possible life and 10 representing the best.”
For each element, health, relationships, and productivity, “we quantify which rung of the ladder [we] are currently standing on and then which rung of the ladder [we] would realistically like to see [ourselves] standing on at specific points in the future.”
We imagine where we want to be in each area in one week, one month, one year, and five years, or whatever timeline makes the best sense.
3: We assign specific targets for each timeframe. Our goal is to identify one or two key changes we’d like to commit to in each area and then build upon our success. “For example, in health, [we] could set a target weight or exercise level,” writes Danny.
For our relationships, “it could be a special trip, renewing [our] vows, or funding [our] children’s college tuition at a specific amount,” he writes. For productivity, “it could be a revenue target, job title, completion of a major project, or the number of clients or patients [we] are serving.”
Some of the targets are short-term, while others are longer-term. We continually reset our short-term targets as we move toward our imagined future.
We allow ourselves “to be bold in declaring [our] specific results and don’t worry too much about the ‘how’ for now,” Danny writes. “At the same time, be mindful not to overload [ourselves] with too many targets, especially if they involve new behaviors that require willpower to get started.”
Once we’ve specified our desired results, we are now poised to consider the final two elements in the VSIR framework: Strategy and Implementation.
More tomorrow!
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Reflection: What are the most important and inspiring Specific, Measurable, Aligned, Realistic, and Time-framed results I see for myself over the new week, month, year, and five-year period?
Action: Journal about the specific results I am committed to achieving.
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