The Essence of Vision: Differentiating Between Benchmarks and Ultimate Goals with Melissa Stock

 One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of vision is the difference between vision and benchmarks and how they fit together. Think about a game of Monopoly. Everyone loves Monopoly. (I get to be the banker!) The objective of the game–the vision–is to own the most property and make the most money and then, I don’t know, stick it in your ears. In order to do that, you’ve got to start accumulating those properties. Maybe you’re a high roller type, put all your efforts toward getting Boardwalk and Park Place, the crown jewels of the board. Maybe you like the cheapies, Baltic and Mediterranean, where you get those hotels up lickety-split. Or maybe you just have to have those railroads and utilities.

Point is, whatever strategy you like to employ, the steps are the same: buy up all the properties in a color group, start with your houses, then step up to hotels. You keep that up, and you collect your rents, and with a little bit of luck from the dice, you take all the other players for every penny they’re worth. See, the buying of the properties, the building of the houses, then the hotels–those are the benchmarks of the game. Those are the steps you need to take to achieve the vision: Total domination. But people who are new to the game can sometimes get a little mixed up. They can put so much focus on getting, say, all the green properties that they lose sight of the larger objective. The vision. They miss obvious opportunities because all they’re thinking is, If I can just get Pacific Avenue, the world is my oyster. Meanwhile, they’re shelling out rents on all the other properties they passed over.

I see this kind of thing with clients all the time. They mistake hitting a benchmark with achieving vision. Mark has a vision for health and vitality. He sets a benchmark of being able to do 100 pushups a day. Awesome! He works at it everyday, the commitment, the intention is there. Mark’s firing on all cylinders. He hits the benchmark. 100 pushups a day. And he’s certainly in better shape than when he started, but there’s still something missing. Because Mark was so focused on those pushups, he started to mistake them for his overall vision: health and vitality. In Mark’s mind, 100 pushups = health and vitality. But vision is much bigger than that.

Maya has a vision of having vibrant relationships in her life. An early benchmark for her is to repair a long strained relationship with her sister, Chez. Maya works at it, really makes every effort to build that vibrant relationship with Chez. But, for whatever reasons, Chez is not having it and the relationship actually grows more strained. Maya’s at a loss. Desperate. Convinced now that vibrant, healthy relationships just aren’t in the cards for her. Because she mistook a benchmark for vision. She came to believe that fixing the relationship with Chez would create the vision of vibrant relationships. When Chez rebuffed her, that translated for Maya as: Vision unattainable. But vision is much bigger than that.

Or, here’s one as old as time. Javier sets a benchmark: One million dollars, liquid, in the bank (well, definitely not the bank, but well-invested…and that’s a lesson for another day). It’s part of an overall vision of financial freedom. He sets benchmarks for his benchmark, and benchmarks for the benchmarks. He strategizes, creates an action plan. He puts himself all in, and what do you know? Within five years, he’s got it. A million buckaroos, his to do with however he pleases. Now, the million bucks was just one benchmark on the way to the place called financial freedom, but once Javier sees that seven figure number in his bank account, something interesting happens. He wants more. And hey, I don’t begrudge anyone wanting to add more zeros on the plus side of the ledger, the problem here is that Javier has narrowed his focus on simply the accumulation of money. And he’s going to find that a vision of true financial freedom is much bigger than that.

So when we talk about vision, what do we really mean? The short answer is: Vision is Everything. First and foremost, vision is how you want to feel. Do you want to be inspired? Confident? Peaceful? Vision is the thoughts, beliefs and values that fuel how you want to feel–your beliefs about money, your thoughts about daily exercise, values like honesty and integrity. Vision is about the things you're doing, the experiences you're having. Maybe you like walking in nature, or spending a week every spring in the English countryside, or just talking about your day around the dinner table. Finally, it’s about the stuff, the things you have: a certain amount of money in your investment account, a house by the water, your Peloton. 

AND, vision includes the benchmarks you set for yourself. I can do 100 pushups. I’m at peace with my relationship with my sister 90% of the time. I have a million dollars well-invested. None of those things alone equate to vision, but put them all together and now you’re cooking with gas. Your emotional and mental state, the stuff you’re up to, the relationships you have, the career you want, the body you want, the sense of fulfillment, duty, and meaning. THAT’s vision. When you start to relate to your entire experience of being alive as your Vision, then…well… everything is possible.

The best place to get clear on benchmarks and vision and how they work together is to join us for a Power Series. Our curriculum is designed specifically to guide you toward naming your vision, then setting and reaching the benchmarks that will bring your vision into reality. We provide all the tools, techniques, and strategies you’ll need to create the life you want. Click HERE to learn more about the Power Series and sign up today!