Nothing disappoints me more than hearing people filled with big dreams but without goals or vision to make them a reality. Having a vision comes down to one thing: Do you know where you want to go? You have to be clear about your vision because it will drive everything else you do.
Here’s a quote that I love from Albert Einstein: “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Your imagination is everything. If your focus is on where you are right now, then your right now becomes your forever. Until you change your focus and elevate your imagination, your present situation will define you. If imagination is everything, we have to start by changing how we view the coming attractions.
No matter how much we achieve, we have to keep pushing our imagination. Back in 2001, one of the things I really wanted was my own plane. Tyler Perry had the exact plane that I wanted, so I reached out to him to get the interior sketches for his plane. I immediately showed the picture to one of my partners. “I’m never flying in a commercial plane domestically ever again,” I said.
It may not be your vision to fly privately, but why not create a vision to fly first class? Get out of your comfort zone and treat yourself to a first-class ticket for your next business trip or vacation. Once you experience first class, keep up the work to make that your regular reality. If you don’t think any higher of yourself, why should anyone else?
Now, don’t get stuck on the airline analogy. If flying privately or first class isn’t important to you, that’s okay. Your interpretation of first class may be different. First class may simply be achieving the financial wherewithal to take a vacation once a year, especially as you haven’t been on a vacation in years. But what about having a first-class vision for your life? What about providing a first-class education for your children? What about creating a first-class business? How about imagining a first-class marriage? First-class appearance? You cannot get to the first-class life if your imagination will allow you to see only visions of coach.
If first class is important to you in some areas, why not make it important in all areas? Flying first class may not be important to you now, but one day it will be. Once you do enough first-class things, second class doesn’t even fit your image anymore. Once you taste first class enough times, second class will never do.
I’m not sitting in the back where they hand out half a Coke and a little pack of peanuts. I don’t want to have to buy the sandwiches. I want to be where they are giving out three or four sandwiches. Dick Gregory taught that to me. He said, “Steve, just go see first class. It will condition your mind to settle for nothing less.”
First class conditions your mind. Treat yourself every now and then. Go on a nice vacation somewhere. Quit going to your family reunion every year. Drive down to Mississippi to sit under a tree. Dick said to me, “Sometimes you have to take your family somewhere really nice, and watch what happens after that. You’ll start dreaming about that real nice all the time and so will your kids.”
When kids let their imaginations go, they come up with some ideas that are out of this world. Kids don’t think about what is logical, practical, or even doable. They just let their imaginations rip. Get back to that space of being like a kid and let your heart and desires guide your vision. There will be time and space for logic down the road. But for now, allow your imagination to take you into that first-class vision that moves you beyond where you are now.
Your vision will matter only when it is connected to your gift. If your vision is disconnected from your purpose, you will be working in opposition to the bigger picture for your life. I am a husband and a father. Those are priorities that are bigger than anything else I do. I can’t create a vision that gets in the way of my responsibilities as a husband and a father and think that it will lead me to my best future. Make sure you are clear about what your gift is before you create a vision, because you don’t want to be on a first-class flight to the wrong city.
God bestowed upon you a gift and placed in you a vision for your gift that does not harm others, because he wants you to have your heart’s desire. Do not limit your vision because you don’t think you are in the right place or know the right people. The greatest thing about creating your vision is that it is as expansive as your imagination. You deserve a first-class future, and your vision should reflect this belief. Even if you had a past filled with failure, you can create a new vision now. Let go of the past and think toward the future. Leave a history of mistakes behind and dream of wonderful, successful tomorrows.
This written expression of your vision for your life is a literal manifestation of the lifestyle you will attain. In writing your vision down in your journal, it gains momentum.
I took writing down my dreams further by building a vision board. Not only did I want to read about my vision, I wanted to see my vision. When I first started building my vision board, most people around me didn’t understand. Some people said, “Steve, you have plenty of money; what are you doing with a vision board?” But let me tell you something: I don’t rest on my laurels. I want to spend my entire life growing and learning. This may be the case for all successful people I know. Their life is not about getting more; it is about doing more. I have a vision board to offer my life continued direction. There are still things I want to accomplish. I have learned from my past that the best way for me to accomplish my goals is to put them in front of me where I can see them at all times.
Wherever I am—whether I’m sitting at my computer in Atlanta or Chicago or checking my iPhone—the first thing that pops up on all of these screens is my vision board. Regardless of where I am, I want all of my visions to be at the forefront of my mind and in my spirit.
And not only is my vision board visible everywhere I look; every vision I have is directly connected to advancing the areas of my life that are most important to me, and I find ways to make those visions live beyond the screen. Some of the current images on my board include the following:
• EARNING A 3.5 RATING FOR THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW. I’m at a 1.9 right now; Dr. Phil is at a 3.4 and Ellen DeGeneres is at a 2.9. I’ve been to both of their houses, and I can tell you that I’m ready for a 3.5 kind of lifestyle.
• MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN AFRICA. Right next to my “3.5” is a map of Africa. My goal is to make millions so that I can help millions of people on the continent. I don’t know what that looks like yet, but that’s the beauty of the vision board. I am open to this vision, and I am talking to people about Africa in ways that I never have before. I am confident that as I keep this vision in front of me, the right opportunity will come along at the right time.
• PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS. Next to my map of Africa, I have a picture of college students that represents the ten thousand kids who will receive full college scholarships from me and my wife. I plan to give $10 million of my own money to my foundation. I am already on my way to achieving this goal, and the more I focus on it, the more God sends me partners to make this a reality.
I have a few more pictures with my wife, my family, and some major financial goals, but those are personal, and it’s important for you to keep some of your visions protected and private for only the people closest to you.
I don’t know how I’m going to send ten thousand kids to college or how I will make a difference in Africa or how The Steve Harvey Show will reach a 3.5. All I have to do is keep my vision board in front of me and ask, believe, work, and get ready to receive. My vision board helps me to let my imagination go, push every boundary out of the way, and get tuned in to my gift and purpose for being here on Earth.
By using my vision board, I have encouraged others around me to reach their own pinnacles of success. What will you put on your board? Here are some practical tips to help you get started.
Now that you are clear about your vision and your focus, write down five to seven scenarios that represent different areas of your life. Make sure that all of your goals aren’t just focused on career and financial gain. Your completed vision should reflect all the areas in your life that are important to you, including family, friends, and relationships; your spiritual, mental, and physical health; being of service; and yes, even those vacations and material things you desire. It’s important that you have five to seven visions that reflect several of these areas. This will prevent you from focusing completely on one area of your life while ignoring others. When you look at your completed vision board, it should be a reflection of the whole you.
1. Arrange photos and other images on your board in such a way that it will speak to you and make you want to look at it on a daily basis. You can make it as plain or as elaborate as you want. The key is to make sure that it motivates and inspires you to achieve your dreams. I actually just have pictures and a few words that have great meaning to me. I know others whose boards look like a bedazzled masterpiece. It’s all about what works for you.
Do you want your board to be physical or virtual? This is totally about your lifestyle. If you are like most people, your phone is a lifeline. If that is the case, you should have a digital vision board. That doesn’t mean that you don’t print it out and place it in your bedroom, office, or even in your car. The beauty of a digital board is that you can have both. If you choose to go old school and simply print pictures and paste them to a piece of paper, the outcome is the same.
2. Pull your pictures or video for your board. As long as the image represents your destination, it will work. Don’t be abstract. When you look at this, it should be a clear representation of what you want and where you want to end up.
3. Place the board in as many places as possible. This is important. I know people who have created boards—beautiful vision boards—that they never look at. The point is for you to remind yourself of what you are living and working toward. Don’t just let your board gather dust somewhere or become just another screen saver. Make sure you put it where you can see it and keep it in the forefront of your mind. The whole point of having a vision board is for you to create a life worth living.
I truly believe your vision board will help you to lead a better life. Some visions may take longer than others to reach, but if you stay focused and work hard, I am a witness that what you believe will come to pass. There will be some things that you know how to get and other things that you need to leave in God’s hands. People of faith often say, “Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will direct your path.” When you focus on your vision and connect it to your gift, you are on your way toward success.