A long term vision is your greatest tool for success – George Ambler
Virtually every entrepreneur starts an enterprise was established to accomplish a set goal; this business goal is generally referred to as the Vision of the Organization. “A vision outlines the values you hold and the more meaningful contribution people can have as they pursue that vision,” explains John Michela, an organizational psychologist at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.
There are short term, medium term and long term visions. The first two are important but more important are the long-term visions. Many entrepreneurs and business owners easily lose sight of thelong termas they focus more on current results premised on short/medium term visions. The core of an organization in all its plans is actually the long term visions. Every business evolves with time and trends but what will keep the structural and functional running of the organization are the long term vision. Infact, the existence of the short and medium term goals is premised on the long term vision.
Short and medium term goals are very important because they illustrate the steady progress made in a business. Short/medium term goals are just like little bricks put together to accomplish the construction of a building. For instance, a builder can’t stop at a level of construction, probably the foundation and begin to rejoice at the completion of the building; that’s how it is with the short/medium term visions, they never complete the process. On the other hand, long term vision helps complete the process; it is akin to the final structure of the building after completion.
Short and medium term goals help a business accomplish immediate successes but they won’t keep the sustenance of the business. What makes a business relevant is its sustainability; your business should always be growing. Therefore, You should strive to turn your fledgling business into a burgeoning one; this takes a careful planning of your long term goals. Therefore,take a look at the future of your business, what do you see? You can only get there with a good long term vision.
In his book The Unheavenly City , Dr. Edward Banfield, an author and sociologist of Harvard University wrote, “people who looked to the future were more likely to become financially independent than those with a short-term perspective”.
Consequently, success is journey (long term), not a destination (short/medium term); every goal accomplished is an opportunity to grow more, spread some tentacles and get new opportunities. How far do you want to go as an entrepreneur? This is dependent on the strategic long term goals of your business. It is never too late to plan your long term vision; so do it now. You can have a 20-30 years plan atleast.
Remember, the longevity of your business is premised on your long term goals and plans.