PERSONAL
VISION
EXERCISE
Completion Time: 2-3 hours
Created by:
Michael Terrell
Managing Partner & Executive Coach
Terrell Leadership Group
VISION PACKET
I. Values Reflection
The following questions are designed to help you reflect on what matters most to
you so that you can hone in on a list of your core values. Though the questions
are straight-forward, spend some dedicated time to fully explore your answers.
1. Describe moments where you truly come alive.
2. What's meaningful about these "alive" moments?
3. On your best day, how do you show up? What version of you do you present?
4. Who are the two people you respect and admire most? Describe what you
admire about them.
5. What types of situations/moments do you actively dislike?
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6. If, at the end of your life, you had lived the way you most wanted, how would
others describe you?
7. What would be inscribed on your tombstone?
8. Examine your answers to the questions above. What themes or patterns do you
see?
II. Values Sort
9. Look at these themes next to the “Core Values List” on the next page. What are
your core values? Write out the top ones in ranked order—describing next to
them what they mean in action (the virtue).
Ex: Adventure – I live this value by seeking thrilling new opportunities on a regular basis. I say yes
to things that are outside my comfort zone and actively try to meet new people. I bring this sense
with me into my day-to-day work by always remembering that there are new possibilities around
every corner.
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Core%Values%List!
All#of#the#following#values#are#worthwhile.#Examine#the#list#and#choose#the#5910#that#are#most#important#to#you.#Put#
them#in#rank#order#to#the#extent#that#you#can.#If#any#of#your#top#values#aren't#on#the#list,#feel#free#to#write#them#in.#
Accomplishment!
Adventure!
Affiliation!
Artistic!Expression!
Authority!
Autonomy!
Balance!
Beauty!!
Challenge!
Community!
Competence!
Competition!
Contribution!
Control!
Cooperation!
Creativity!
Curiosity!
Diversity!
Duty!
Faith!
Family!!
Friendship!
Fun!
Harmony!
Health!
High!Earnings!
Honesty!
Humility!!
Independence!
!
Influence!
Integrity!
Justice!
Knowledge!
Leadership!
Learning!
Leisure!
Love!
Loyalty!
Moderation!
Nature!
Pleasure!!
Predictability!!
Recognition!
Respect!
Responsibility!
RiskETaking!
SelfEDiscipline!
SelfERestraint!
Service!
Spirituality!!
Stability!!
Status!
Structure!
Team!Work!!
Time!Freedom!
Trust!
Variety!
Wisdom!
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III. Talk It Over
At this point, I recommend talking through your answers and reflections from the
first two sections with someone who you think will listen with an open and
curious mind, and will help you dig into patterns in your responses. This should be
someone who is invested in helping you reach clarity but isn’t over-anchored to
one particular outcome. Ideally, they’ll be insightful and perceptive as you
connect the dots.
After your back-and-forth discussion with this person, be sure to capture any
takeaways in your notes.
IV. Vision Drafts
As you prepare to write a draft of your Vision Statement, I want to give you a tool
called the C3PO Rule to help you along the way (if you’re a Star Wars fan, this
should be an easy one to remember). The C3PO Rule is that your Vision Statement
should be:
1. Clear. It should be specific and articulate. Strive to make it easily
understood, directive, and action-oriented. Create a clean map for
yourself.
2. Compelling. This is a big one. Does your Vision Statement inspire and move
you? It must be motivational and far-reaching enough to pull you through
difficult and uncertain times. Strive to capture that highest voice within
you—that part of you that can see the gift and opportunity that surrounds
you.
3. Concise. While there is no precise length limit, your Vision Statement
should be written in as few words as you think are needed. If it gets over a
paragraph or two, you could probably be more concise.
4. Present Tense. This is a subtle but important point. Writing your Vision
Statement in the present tense gives it power and immediately holds you
to the standard you set for yourself. Minimize the “I will …” or “One day …”
language. Your vision lives in you now. Write it that way. Write “I am …”
5. Others. Your Vision Statement always has implications beyond yourself.
When you change your behavior, you automatically start affecting and
leading others differently. Be cognizant of that fact and make thoughtful
considerations of how you can better affect others as part of your vision.
Including others is a powerful move and, in the long run, can be very
rewarding.
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Below is an example of C3PO in action by way of my Vision Statement. It’s by no
means the way you must capture your Vision Statement, but I hope it helps to
have something to react to.
My passion is empowering others to be more effective leaders, loving
partners, and fulfilled people through authentic and thoughtful
connection. I seek to help others change and be changed by them as
well. I am committed to realizing dreams—for both myself and those
who cross my path. Above all else, I am committed to leading a life of
love, thoughtfulness, and happiness.
Keeping this in mind, go ahead and take several passes at writing a few versions
of a Vision Statement below. Free yourself from any pressure to be perfect—just
focus on giving yourself some drafts to react to. When you’re done, take a break
and revisit your drafts later. When you can, take the pieces of each that speak
most to you and combine into a version that you’ll hold onto. Write it down and
tape it somewhere you’ll see it often. Or do as I did initially and write it in dry
erase marker on your shower wall. Learn it. Internalize it. And bit by bit, look at
your life, work, and/or upcoming decisions through its lens and see what you find.
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