• Emotional Intelligence

What is your vision of yourself?

When they read your eulogy, what would you like them to say about you? To be the person you want to be, you must have a vision that guides you daily. The following exercise will help you set your vision.

There are natural principles that make up our physical environment. There are also principles that govern our personal development. Those principles impact our ability to produce results and our ability to achieve.

 Some of these principles include; Empowerment, Encouragement, Excellence, Fairness, Growth, Honesty, Dignity, Humility, Integrity, Patience, Potential, Quality, Service, Trustworthiness, … etc.

Pick four words that represent the principles you value or most closely align with your life. List them by importance, so #1 is your first choice, #2 is your second choice, etc.

Understanding Your Values

Values are different from principles. Values are the items most important to us. Principles are guidelines for conduct that have enduring permanent value. If our values don’t guide our principles, we may not be able to produce the results we seek in our lives.

Think about the values that are most important to you. The words listed below may help stimulate your thoughts. They are powerful motivators that influence our choices, habits, and lifestyles. Select four

Contribution	Lifestyle
Diversity	Order
Effort	Peace of mind
Fame	Personal growth
Family	Productivity
Financial security	Purpose of life
Free time	Relationships
Friends	Respect
Frugality	Security
Fulfillment	Sense of accomplishment
Generosity	Sincerity
Happiness	Spiritual
Health	Travel
Justice	Truth
Learning	Wealth
Life	Work

 

Identify Your Influences

We have known people that have had a profound effect on us. They have helped nurture us and helped us grow as individuals. They may not know the effect they had on us. Some were teachers who influenced us in a way that made us want to achieve. They saw something in us we couldn’t see in ourselves. Sometimes it was a friend or a boss who saw something special and gave us the chance to grow and excel.

List at least two people who had a profound effect on you.

What do you admire about them? (Hereunder some qualities that you may have admired. You can have others if your own too.

 

Ambitious	Loyal
Balanced	Moral
Caring	Organized
Committed	Patient
Compassionate	Powerful
Courageous	Principle-centered
Creative	Pro-active
Dependable	Respectful
Educated	Responsible
Fair	Selfless
Faithful	Self-reliant
Forgiving	Sensitive
Fun	Thankful
Giving	Tolerant
Industrious	Truthful
Intelligent	Wise

 

Identify Your Strengths and Talents

We all have strengths and talents that enable us to achieve certain levels. Consider your strengths and talents, both the ones other people recognize and strengths that others may not see.

Pick from the list below or come up with another of your own.

Adaptable	Insightful
Articulate	Intelligent
Artistic	Kind
Athletic	A leader
Clever	Open-minded
A communicator	Optimistic
Confident	A philosopher
Dexterous	Practical
Diplomatic	Sincere
Energetic	Skillful
Entertaining	Spiritual
Generous	A teacher
Grateful	Trustworthy
Hard-working	Understanding
Imaginative	A visionary

 

What stands in your way?

Just as you have strengths and talents that enable you to achieve, you may have habits or tendencies preventing you from doing your best. Which ones hold you back from achieving what you want?

Choose from the list below or create your own.

Antisocial	Pessimistic
Fearful	Pretentious
Compulsive	Prideful
Dishonest	Procrastinator
Disorganized	Reactive
Distrustful	Selfish
Egotistical	Prejudiced
Excessive	Unaware
Impulsive	Uncharitable
Inflexible	Uncommitted
Insecure	Unenthusiastic
Intolerant	Ungrateful
Irresponsible	Unmotivated
Narrow-minded	Unreliable
Obsessive	Vague

 

Think about Relationships

Another way to think about your life is to think about the connections you have with others that influence you. Identify four people you consider being very important in your work and personal life.

o   Boss

o   Peer or co-worker

o   Patient, client, or subordinate

o   Friend or family member

 

Now, you can create Your Vision Statement

Here’s a draft for how you can craft your vision statement to become the best version you can be …

To become the best person I can be I will:

 

LEAD a life centered around the principles of _______________, ­­____________, _______________, ___________________.

 

REMEMBER that what is important in life is _________________, _______________, ______________________________, and ____________________________.

 

RESPECT admirable characteristics in others such as being _______________, _______________, ___________________, ____________________, and ___________, and implement similar traits in my life.

 

RECOGNIZE my strengths and develop talents as a person who is _____________, __________________, _______________, ____________, and _________________.

 

ACKNOWLEDGE that I can be __________________, __________________, and ________________, and be constantly striving to change my weaknesses into strengths.

 

ENVISION myself becoming a person who:

o   _________________ (name of boss) thinks is ______________, ____________, and ______________________.

o   _____________ (name of peer) thinks is _______________, _____________, and __________________.

o   _____________ (name of patient/client) thinks is _______________, _____________, and __________________.

o   _____________ (name of friend or family member) thinks is _______________, _____________, and __________________.