Every January, I reflect on all that has passed and I set intentions for the year to come. I’ve moved away from specific goal setting as it can often be rigid and onerous, plus when you run your own business you need to be nimble and I have found that the best way to be open to success is to focus on Story Visioning. Four years ago, I started vision boarding and it has not only impacted the growth of my business, it has also impacted the way I live my life.
As a passionate social entrepreneur, I see no division between my business life and my personal life. Everything is connected and every piece impacts the whole. My professional development sheds light on my personal life, and my personal relationships foster new work collaborations. Everything feeds into the same system: me. So when I started vision boarding, it wasn’t about just one area of my life; it all intersects, and it is at that intersection that true power can be harnessed.
We all live many story lines; some stories fill us with pride and others hold us back. Each story we tell ourselves is indicative of how we live our lives. From the different roles we play, to the different people we serve, it can be overwhelming to try and set a goal or an intention when you are not exactly sure what aspect of your life you are considering. Story Visioning is meant to help you understand and embrace all of the story lines you hold and find that sweet spot where everything intersects. That is where true power and influence is born, at that spot where everything you love, everything you do, everything you want to be, is acknowledged and appreciated.
Story Visioning is a technique I am developing with a friend and colleague Theodora Lamb. Together, we are launching an event for female entrepreneurs in Vancouver focused on exploration and intention setting. This one-day event is the first step of a larger initiative to support female entrepreneurs by creating space, online and offline, to acknowledge and appreciate our many stories.
Understanding the narrative of our business is vital; understanding our own story in relation to that narrative is equally important.