Last week, Easter Sunday, Christians celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. My goal in writing this is not to debate Christianity, but to point out the purpose and importance of the "Resurrection of Jesus Christ" to the Christian Faith. That purpose...A VISION OF HOPE...as stated in the Bible (1 Peter 1:3), God has given Christians "a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Were it not for this HOPE, Christians would feel this life a futile, self-serving, momentary and fleeting existence. Yet, through the Resurrection, it is anything but that, it is HOPE FILLED!

In STRATEGIC PLANNING, having a hopeful future vision is equally important. Zig Ziglar says to go as far as you can see and you will always be able to see a little further. In his book, Many Miles to Go, Brian Tracy explains how when crossing the Sahara Desert, you cross it "one oil barrel at a time." Though simple, those are strategic visions or long-term goals, those markers in time that you are striving toward. In the Bible, it also says "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18) This could probably be rewritten to say, Where there is no HOPE, the people perish. In other words, if you have no HOPE, no VISION of the MEANINGFUL POSSIBILITY in your FUTURE, you will lose your reason to get out of bed each morning. You'll have nothing to strive for, no "oil barrel" on the horizon.

So, what do you want to be, do and have in the future? If you project out 3-5 years, what would your "ideal" (i.e. Perfect) life, career or business look like? Remember...BE SPECIFIC! What would you be doing most of the time? What would your revenues or income be? What would your products or services be? Who would your customers be? What type of employees would you have? Etc., etc., etc.

Now, come back from the future and answer this question: "What would have to happen?" What new skills would you or your company need? What challenges would you or your company have to overcome? What would you have to...start doing, stop doing, do more of, do less of? Keep asking these types of questions, then, make a strategic plan to begin moving toward your future vision and "Just Do It!"

Continuing Success! Ron