Today we are going to focus on making the rubber meet the road in our life strategic plan by developing a vision statement.
Story from last week: Dr Ken Berry - https://www.youtube.com/user/KenDBerry
>>What I realized
Main topic of the Show: Develop Personal Vision
Set: The difference between vision and purpose is both simple and complex: Your purpose is your why. Your vision is your so what. And both of them have some “how” built in. This is why we so often see overlap in these statements.
But your vision defines your true north. It is the one flag you can set. I am going here so that these things will happen. And your purpose comes along to add “because this is why I exist.” Today we are going to focus on making the rubber meet the road in our life strategic plan.
This phase will take some work as you go through it. I have found that it is much faster to come to a conclusion on vision if I have a coach poking holes in what I say. A coach asking the same questions we will ask in this podcast. And a coach willing to tell me “That is bullshit” or “I dont understand what you are trying to say.” So as you embark on this, think about who you can use as a sounding board.
Two weeks ago, we agreed to build our own success no matter what our environment. We talked about it the day before the election. A day before people started calling for lists of Trump Supporters so that they could be tracked down and punished for their support. A day before the nation, once again saw an election that was so close that it was impossible to know who won. We are divided despite the fact that most of us want mostly the same things in life. We just think we are different. We think that our differing opinions are vast chasms rather than slight leanings. And once we are so divided, it is easy to control us by eliciting emotional reactions.
And that is ScaryAF because you and I know that most will not wake up until it is too late for them.
But you and I are different. We are willing to do the work now to set ourselves up for stability and success.
We are willing to ask ourselves hard questions.
We are willing to set a goal post, and to walk toward it no matter what the environment.
We will take the steps we need to take to make our lives as good as they can be and own that we sometimes will make mistakes and have to deal with them.
And we will stop blaming things in the environment when we stumble. Because that is a waste of energy. A waste of energy that you can use to get up faster and keep moving.
Two weeks ago, we ran through developing a life purpose. Did you do it? Or was it just another podcast porn episode where you wish you would someday maybe think about getting started on something for you. I know you might be tired. Hell -- I am super tired. But even though you are tired. Take an extra few minutes to go back and work on that purpose if you have not.
Because purpose is your why.
Why? Why are you here? Why is your family here? This was the question you answered in our last show about developing your family or personal strategic plan. Or more straightforwardly: You answered your aspirational why.
Holler Homestead’s Why:
OLD: The holler provides an inviting, supportive place where hollerites can rejuvenate, learn, grow, and prosper as well as connect with people who are truly free. (It will be clunky, that is ok)
NEW: The holler provides an inviting, supportive place where aspiring agorists and homesteaders can connect, rejuvenate, share best practices, and prosper together in freedom.
Today is the day to embark on discovering your “So What” or vision and the process is much easier after you have a life purpose articulated. Basically you now know what you “do.” But what does it mean that you are doing this? We broached this topic last go around by asking what has changed in the world because of your family or yourself.
The best way to find your vision is to keep asking but what has changed because of our work? Do people have better access to truly healthy vegetables because our farm is a local alternative to big ag? And because of this, what is better? Are people healthier? Is my local community more stable? And as a result of that, are other families providing value to the community because they are in a better place?
You see how this goes? It becomes iterative.
In fact, if like me you are the journaling kind, this is a great thing to write on. Always asking your self -- but so what? How are things better? What other things are better. Do this over a period of time until you have a collection of things you have positively impacted. It can be that your kids are a benefit to society rather than a weight. It can be that people in your community can count on getting support through the loss of a loved one. It can be that there are no longer stray dogs in your area. The key here is go back to your purpose and hammer on each element and bring in the SO WHAT factor.
Here is how this goes for the Holler Family:
Purpose: The holler provides an inviting, supportive place where aspiring agorists and homesteaders can connect, rejuvenate, share best practices, and prosper together in freedom.
Elements:
Inviting Place
Supporting Environment
Connection for aspiring agorists
Connection for aspiring homesteaders
Rejuvenation and Healing
Best Practices
Mutual Aid
True Freedom
The So What 1.0:
The holler is an alternative option to ruling a society through violence, mob rule, and enforcement. (True Freedom, Mutual Aid)
What is missing? (LOTS OF STUFF and the SO WHAT)
Next Try:
The Holler community supports prosperity so you need not rely on violent systems put in place to control us, and so that we prosper together.
It’s getting there.
Here is what we covered
Supporting Environment
Connection for aspiring agorists
Best Practices
Mutual Aid
True Freedom
Here is what is missing:
Inviting Place
Connection for aspiring homesteaders
Rejuvenation and Healing
For some reason, I am riffing on the freedom for this and not the rejuvenation. But if we are not healing and growing together, will we ever get where we need to be.
This is something to think on, go for a walk with that in your mind. Journal about it in the evenings as you take some time to work through your vision. Talk about it over dinner. Challenge those around you to make this vision statement better.
Then give it another go…
Next Try:
The Holler community supports healing and mutual prosperity by tapping into and connecting the resources and knowledge of agorists and homesteaders who wish to build an alternative to the violent systems currently used to support our society.
What is missing on this one?
True Freedom could be better articulated but it is in there. The sentence is too damn long though.
From here, I go back and bold or underline the words that need improvement. For example, our “So What” is a negative statement rather than a description of the alternative. I would prefer to adjust that toward a positive description.
On the other hand, we are witnessing a move, worldwide, toward a society that inflicts controls on we the people in order to serve a twisted vision that is disguised as the “greater good.” And it is kind of scary because at this point, they are saying what they want to do and people are not al all alarmed. Sort of like -- so we want to kill you and your friends slowly to reduce population so we save the earth.
And that is scary. The pretty words hide what they really want to do and folks are just too lazy to figure out what things really mean. One day we may do a show on that.
Like with your purpose, setting your vision takes iteration and sharing. When you get that clunky phrase as I have above, the next step is to let it percolate. Look at it every day. Run it by each other. Run it by other people.
Ask yourself these questions about it:
Once you have spent a week with your vision, you will find that it is a little different than it was before, but a much stronger (and hopefully shorter) sentence.
And yes. ONE sentence. One for your vision, one for your purpose.
There is extra credit at this point if it help you - the mission marrys in one sentence your purpose and vision. You do not have to have one, but some people find it nice to put in the extra work to get both their vision and purpose into one sentence.
Next Monday, we will attack strategies, then move into 2021 goals.
Make it a great week!
Song: Wolf by Sauce
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
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