We Go Where Our Vision Is
Why You Must Slow Down to Move Forward
Do you ever wonder why your business is struggling to provide you with the financial success and time freedom you desire? In the fast-paced world of professional service firms managing projects and customer deliverables, something always demands immediate attention. Project deadlines, team coordination, controlling job costs, and managing scope creep can make every day like a firefight. If you're like many firm owners, it’s easy to operate in reaction mode, moving from one urgent task to the next.
But as Dr. Joseph Murphy wisely said, “We go where our vision is.” The question is—where is your vision leading you?
If you don’t slow down long enough to set a clear vision and then regularly spend time reviewing your progress toward it, you might be leading your business in circles or, worse, down a path that won’t support your long-term goals. The truth is that vision isn’t just about having a dream for the future. It’s about aligning your daily actions with that dream so you can move your business in the right direction, intentionally and strategically. I’m sure you had a solid vision when you started your business. When did you last revisit it and evaluate your progress toward your ideal future?
The Consequences of Reactionary Leadership
In reaction mode, you focus on immediate problems rather than long-term strategy. Tell me if this sounds familiar:
Firefighting over planning: You spend more time putting out fires than creating systems to prevent them.
Short-term fixes over sustainable growth: You opt for quick, patchwork solutions to problems rather than deep-rooted improvements that lead to scalability.
Burnout over empowerment: You take on more than your share of the workload because it feels quicker and easier than training or trusting your team to handle things effectively.
The problem with this approach is that it feels productive in the moment, but it leads to exhaustion and stalled progress. You might keep your business running, but you’ll struggle to scale, improve profitability, or enjoy the work you set out to do in the first place.
Vision-Driven Leadership: A Strategic Shift
To break this cycle, you need to lead with your vision, not just react to what's in front of you. Here’s why slowing down to focus on your vision can be the key to sustainable success:
Clarity of Purpose: Every decision you make becomes easier when you think about where you want your business to go. Instead of reacting to problems, you can evaluate choices based on how they align with your long-term goals.
Prioritization of What Matters: Everything feels urgent when you’re in the thick of things. But when you step back and connect with your vision, you can prioritize what will truly move the needle forward, focusing your time and energy on activities that generate growth and stability.
Proactive Problem Prevention: With a clear vision, you can anticipate issues before they arise. This allows you to create systems and strategies that prevent problems instead of constantly reacting to them as they appear.
Delegation and Team Empowerment: Your vision isn’t something you should achieve alone. When you have a strategic plan, you can delegate tasks more effectively, empowering your team to help bring that vision to life. This frees up your time and reduces your mental load, allowing you to focus on leading, not doing.
Practical Steps to Slow Down and Refocus
Slowing down doesn’t mean bringing your business to a halt. It means creating intentional moments to realign with your long-term goals. Here’s how I work with our vCFO clients to make that happen:
Regular Strategic Planning Sessions: Dedicated time each quarter to step away from the daily grind and focus on big-picture strategy. We block this time out on the calendar for focused strategic evaluation and planning—it’s non-negotiable.
Use Financial Data to Inform Next Steps: Numbers don’t lie. Evaluating the financials to ensure all decisions and actions drive progress toward achieving the vision. Tweaking the approach incrementally helps realign without upsetting the apple cart.
Built-in Accountability: Because our clients are intelligent go-getters who thrive on new challenges and daily problem-solving, it’s often hard to stick to a vision when shiny new opportunities pop up or the chaos of daily operations takes over. As a business coach I help my clients stay focused through weekly reminders, monthly accountability calls and providing strategic insights.
Leading with Your Vision Creates Long-Term Success
At the end of the day, your business can only go where your vision leads it. If you don’t take the time to slow down, refocus, and ensure your actions align with your vision, you’ll keep spinning in circles. But when you make intentional time for strategic planning, your business will not only survive—it will thrive. You’ll build the systems, team, and foundation necessary to achieve lasting success, growth, and fulfillment.
The next step is up to you: Will you continue leading your business by reaction, or will you slow down and take control of your future?
