| ing a strong financial foundation entails taking steps that | | | | your plan and settle in. |
| will clearly reveal your current financial situation. | | | | How different would this scenario play out if your |
| Once you know where you are, determining where | | | | general dream of “Philadelphia” became |
| you want to wind up is the next step. Your ultimate | | | | an actual vision of what your life would be when you |
| goal is almost as important as your starting point; after | | | | got there? What if you had researched and found the |
| all it gives you a concrete goal on which to set your | | | | exact house you wanted? What if you had already |
| sites. Take a moment to think about an entrepreneur | | | | determined the purchase price, the mortgage |
| you look up to, someone who is successfully running a | | | | payments, what your view would be, where the good |
| business with the size, scope and profits that you | | | | local restaurants are, what schools you would send |
| would like for yourself. You can be confident that he | | | | your kids to? You knew friends there, what car you |
| or she has a behind-the-scenes business plan in place; | | | | would drive, what you would wear out on the town. If |
| one that is based on a concrete vision and has | | | | your idea of your life in Philadelphia encompassed |
| probably been around since the inception of the | | | | everything, from lifestyle to partner, business success |
| business. That successful entrepreneur is likely to have | | | | to financial abundance, would you still be just as happy |
| articulated where he wants to be in one year, three | | | | to settle in New York? Chances are, no. Yet, we all do |
| years and five years with very specific goals in mind. | | | | this over and over again when we get somewhere. |
| Many small business owners don’t take these | | | | After all, it’s better than where we were. And |
| necessary steps. They fall into the trap of a vision that | | | | the immediate effort it might take to move on |
| doesn’t go further than wanting more money. | | | | overshadows the fact that we’re settling for |
| The bills are mounting and we’re tired of being | | | | less than we intended. |
| buried in debt. But our desire to change things | | | | At Abundance Bound, we encourage entrepreneurs to |
| isn’t SPECIFIC so our plans wind up equally | | | | create a “3-Year Vision.” This entails |
| vague. There’s no mystery. That’s | | | | actually writing down a detailed vision of what they |
| exactly why these plans often go without ever being | | | | want their life to be like three years in the future. |
| implemented. | | | | It’s an important part of the process to be as |
| Compare your financial life to a road trip. You know | | | | specific as possible. “I will be rich” is too |
| where you’re starting. Let’s just say | | | | vague. You need to spell out what that means to you. |
| it’s Atlanta. It wouldn’t make much | | | | Some may consider a passive income of $8,000 per |
| sense to get in your car and start driving without | | | | month, living in a nice condo in a safe part of town and |
| knowing where you want to wind up. But, now, | | | | driving a new Jetta to be the high life. Others want to |
| let’s say you choose to go Philadelphia. Well, | | | | pull in $20,000 per month and live in a house in Beverly |
| now that you have both a starting AND an ending | | | | Hills with a Porsche. Still, for others, that would only be |
| point, you can map out exactly how to proceed. You | | | | halfway there. When you read your personal Vision, it |
| may plan stops along the way. You may even make | | | | should make you feel good. You should get excited |
| a wrong turn or two. But, now that you know where | | | | and joyful as you imagine a vivid picture of what you |
| you’re going, it’s easy to get back on | | | | want for your future. Let that excitement fuel you as |
| track again. | | | | you move ahead. |
| Continuing this analogy, let’s say that you do | | | | The process of putting your Vision down on paper |
| actually make a wrong turn on your way to | | | | plays a huge part in whether you achieve your goals. |
| Philadelphia and end up in New York. You may wind | | | | Your action plan will spring from this. It gets easier |
| up liking it there, possibly even enough to consider | | | | once you break your journey down into manageable |
| staying and forgetting about Philadelphia altogether. | | | | pieces with measurable goals for each step. Fully |
| There’s so much to do, so much to see. If your | | | | visualizing the end result is a must. Vividly knowing |
| reason for choosing Philadelphia is simply good cheese | | | | where you want to go will allow you to draw your |
| steak, then you may be happy to stay where you | | | | own road map from point A to point B and never be |
| ended up, because you find the pizza in New York | | | | surprised by an unexpected toll booth. You will benefit |
| quite tasty too. Does it really matter if the lifestyle | | | | from all your careful planning and hard |
| isn’t exactly what you were thinking? Or your | | | | work—both along the way and once you get to |
| living quarters are a bit smaller than you imagined? You | | | | your destination! |
| still like it better than where you were, so you change | | | | |