“You won’t get anything unless you have the vision to imagine it.” John Lennon
Congratulations on embracing the courage to become an entrepreneur! Not an easy decision, especially for someone 
who probably fears being seen and heard, shying away from the spotlight, a place that is key to finding success in your business.
This article is part one in a series dedicated to you. In this series, you’ll learn how to capitalize on your introverted nature and how certain tools can build undiscovered skills into your best year ever as a woman entrepreneur.
First up we will explore how to develop a vision for your business–both short and long term. Future articles will help you set goals, understand and eliminate roadblocks to moving forward, turn your qualities as an introvert into advantages, creating opportunities for the success you long for, and more.
Create your vision: Start by listing what you want in your business and in your life; how can they work together? What do you ache for, dream about? What excites and motivates you to get out of bed in the morning? Does curiosity about making your dream real seem limitless? Then you’re on the right track.
Make your vision vivid: create a full-color snapshot of your deepest desires. Include all five senses in your description. What do you See, Taste, Feel, Smell, Hear? Most important, how do you picture yourself in your vision? Ask yourself:
What do I have to offer the world?
What impact do I want to make?
As a child, I knew I wanted to make an impact on the world, but I was very shy. I preferred observing while others took the lead. In my twenties, through a small business venture, I realized my passion was to work with women like myself. Women with big visions and big hearts, struggling to make a bigger impact, but lacking confidence in themselves, their goals, and dreams. This realization meant I had to hold a bigger vision for myself and do my own inner confidence building.
Build for the short and long-term: begin with your big, long-term vision then create a smaller one to work on during this series and 2016, which will move you towards your big vision. In five or ten years…what do you see? Who will you be?
Part of my long-term vision is to own a beach house where I can hold women’s retreats. Here is how I used my five senses to create my vision:
It’s early morning at the beach house. I sit quietly in my blue lounge chair on the sand, listening to the waves lapping the shore. A cool breeze blows across my legs, but as the sun rises higher, my body warms. I wiggle my toes in the sand, take a sip of my hot coffee, and breathe in the fresh, ocean air. Seagulls glide above as I envision my home filled with women entrepreneurs who arrive in a few short hours, excited for a weekend retreat of confidence and community building.
Do you see how I used all of the senses? Could you “see” the vision? The more crystal-clear you are, the easier you’ll find it to stay motivated, on track and moving forward.
Once you’ve written your vision: Commit to it. Concentrate on your vision for at least a minute twice-a-day—before getting out of bed, and before going to sleep. Research shows your brain does not know the difference between actually doing something and just visualizing it. Consistently reimagining your vision helps strengthen your ability to achieve it.
Next week we will look at some of the blocks to achieving the amazing life you’ve laid out. I’ll also suggest ways to breakthrough the barriers so you achieve more success in 2016 and beyond.
Want to learn more about becoming a confident, successful entrepreneur? Join my free teleclass, “The Successful Introvert: How to Use Your Introversion for More Success. Learn more and register at www.erinsumm.com/thesuccessfulintrovert
I look forward to connecting with you.