May 2, 2022
Many people think about them, but very few actually have them. Personal Visions and Goals. Personal Visions are important to have. If you have one and focus on it often, you will ultimately steer your life toward obtaining it.
Think of your vision as your compass, your GPS, or — my personal favorite — a lighthouse at the beach, to lead you through the storms and past the rocky ocean waves you’ll encounter as you make your way toward your final destination.
In developing your vision, ask yourself:
What do I want?
It may sound like a simple enough question, but it’s one of the toughest to answer.
So, ask yourself again.
What do I really, really, truly want for myself?
If I could have the kind of life that would make my heart sing, what would it look like?
At this point, your heart may be beating a bit faster. Can you really have that kind of life?
Yes, I believe you can. I’ve done it and I’ve helped a lot of clients lead passionate and fulfilling lives. It starts by defining what that life could look like.
Now, let’s talk goals. You must establish personal goals in order to get to where you want to go, as outlined in your Vision. As an example, here are some parts of my vision and related goals this year:
- Start a business that will grow itself, ultimately turning it into a non-profit;
- Manage time more effectively to end my work day by 6PM in order to spend more time with my wife;
- Finish and publish another book;
- Expand my prayer life by surrounding myself with prayer experts;
- Spend quality time with my wife by planning two weekends away with each other;
- Attend at least one in-person seminar or conference to further hone my skills or personal growth;
- Do a five-night backpacking trip;
- Grow my social media presence by 20 percent;
Give yourself permission to dream about your ideal life, even if you spend just five to ten minutes a day, and consider the following:
- What really is my relationship with God? Have I put my full trust in Him?
- If I could have more of something in my life, what would it be?
- What should I eliminate from my life for good?
- Which relationships do I need to nurture, or which ones should I release?
- What is my relationship to money?
- My secret passion or dream is…
- What am I most afraid of?
- What habits should I quit?
- What can I do to bring more joy into my daily life?
- What am I grateful for?
These questions are just a starting point, so take into account all major aspects of your life – friends and family (immediate and extended), church friends, charity work and, of course, fun and recreation. Also, examine thoughts centering on your daily career, activities, spending habits, your personal wellness and fitness, spirituality, and, of course, your spouse.
Got Vision? We would love to know if you have walked through this process before. What was the outcome? Be a difference maker today and inspire a reader by leaving us comments. Have a great week.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Career Coaching, Job Search Tools
Dec 7, 2020
Join Mike and Mark as they discuss, Love People.
Mike Henry Sr. is a follower of Jesus interested in applying character-based leadership to make a positive difference. Mike’s passion is to Elevate Purpose and Mobilize People. Mike wants to live his life daily moving one notch closer to Jesus and helping anyone else do the same.
Having spent over 20 years working in Human Resources, Mark has witnessed the varying, sometimes dramatic changes that workplaces undergo and has an established track record of effectively developing HR programming tailored to provide high-performance organizational results. Mark currently leads the HR consulting firm that he launched in 2011, In HIS Name HR LLC.
Have iTunes? Listen Here
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Christian Higher Ed HR, Inspiration, Podcasts
Jul 19, 2016
Tune in and listen to Fred and Lisa as they interview Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant for In His Name HR, LLC. The topic will be Mark’s new book, College to Career: The Student Guide to Career and Life Navigation.
Listen below online or download the podcast from iTunes here.
Recorded live at WJTL headquarters on Tuesday, July 19, 2016.
Have iTunes? Podcast is available through iTunes.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Podcasts
Jun 8, 2015
Enjoy listening to Fred and Lisa as they interview Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant for In His Name HR, LLC Christian Business Consulting. Topics will be encouragement at work and the recent launch on Christian Professionals of Central Pennsylvania (CPCP) LinkedIn group. Recorded live at WJTL studio headquarters on Thursday, May 21, 2015.
Have iTunes? Podcast is available through iTunes.
Mark A. Griffin | Podcasts
May 15, 2015
Tune in on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 7AM and enjoy listening to Fred and Lisa as they interview Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant for In His Name HR, LLC Christian Business Consulting. Topics will be encouragement at work and the recent launch on Christian Professionals of Central Pennsylvania (CPCP) LinkedIn group.
Listen Live Here Stream
Mark A. Griffin | Events
Dec 11, 2013
Proverbs 14:23
23All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Hard work. When most people think of hard work, they think of manual work, production and agricultural jobs that require physical strength. Many of the hardest jobs that we began this century doing no longer exist! They have been replaced with robotics and automation. But that does not mean that hard work no longer exists. Hard work is now better defined as work that requires multiple skills and multitasking.
Appreciate and be empathetic with your Team
As we advance our businesses, we must never forget that what might seem easier now might not necessarily be easier; it is done instead with less physical strength but greater amounts of decision-making and dexterity. Do you lead with heart? If you are appreciative and empathetic of your employees’ work, if you know what it is like to walk in their shoes for a day, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
What changes have you witnessed and how did you ensure a positive outcome in your workplaces? Share your experiences and make an impact helping others in our reading community.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
May 15, 2013
Proverbs 12:11
11Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
One of the seven deadly sins is sloth. Many leaders look at their people and accuse them of sloth-like behavior, yet, if they examined themselves more closely, they would discover that they are equally guilty of being sloth-like, maybe not in the sense of their rate of production, but in the time spent in fantasizing about their business objectives.
Sloth-like leaders dream too much and yield little
We all have lofty dreams — big dreams and pie-in-the-sky thoughts. And organizational vision is paramount to the success of every organization! The problem is that dreaming all day won’t satisfy your customers or get the widgets out the door! As Christian business leaders, we all need some time to ourselves to dream big for the creation of our goals and vision for our companies. Sometimes, though, we have witnessed leaders getting so caught up in big picture thinking that they lose their way in daily transactional business leadership, and their teams go astray, feeling they have no leadership. Leaders: if you find yourself disconnected from your teams and your businesses because of your lack of attention, focusing only on your lofty goals, wake up! If you can balance both day to day focus and big picture thinking, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
When John Piper Reads “Pilgrim’s Conflict with Sloth”– You realize just how bad sloth behavior can be.
Help our community of readers
Have you witnessed a sloth in the workplace? What was the remedy? What have you done to combat your own sloth behavior?
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
Apr 30, 2013
Proverbs 13:11
11Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Have you watched a business grow quickly and reap much cash and then, just as quickly as it grew, come crashing down? Oftentimes, when you dig deeply into what happened, you find there were dishonest business practices occurring, misrepresentations of products, and not much substance surrounding the basis of the company’s success. Although some fail quickly, some dishonest businesses seem to go on, regardless. But they will fail at some point, and the failure may be far greater to the owner after a sustained period of time rather than if the company had crashed within the first year.
All good ideas need time to grow
My experiences tells me that, when leaders are deliberate in making choices, and slow in the development of their strategies and plans, favor seems to come from God. Any good idea needs time to grow, and any great business was not developed overnight, but little by little, as the Scripture states. Take your time, dear Christian business leader, and don’t rush your plans for prosperity. If you are enjoying the little-by-little approach to earning your profits, if you are content in building deliberately and with faith, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
How do you develop your ideas? How does your company ensure success in decision-making? Have you done any really interesting inclusion lately with your employees? Inspire our readers. We would like to know.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
Apr 4, 2013
Proverbs 12:14
14From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward.
When our words help and benefit our people, we honor God. People who experience kindness and encouragement will surely bear good fruit. Many leaders do not realize that what is in their hearts comes out of their mouths, In other words, “What is in a man comes out of the man.” If one’s heart is filled with evil, then he will speak evil.
If Jesus is in his heart, then Jesus is what will come out
This is why we should, as Christian Business Leaders, be constantly filling ourselves to the brim with goodness, not despair and disaster or things that are not wholesome. How do we do this? Here are a few suggestions:
- Spend time reading God’s Word
- Have a relationship with God by fellowshipping with other believers
- Volunteer in a Ministry in which you can impact the world
- Devote time with your family sharing your life with Christ
- Connect in a Bible study or start one yourself
- Help grow the Church that you attend
- Encourage and minister to our youth
All these opportunities are important; because they will help you become more like Christ. What you feed your spirit is what will come out. When a person’s life is filled with Jesus, then his works (the work of his hands) will be blessed. Be assured that you will be a blessing to others.
So, beloved Christian Leaders, if you are committed to being more Christ-like and you embrace partaking in several of these bulleted recommendations, you will be a light unto your people, and you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
What have you done to help fill yourself up with Christ? How do you ensure you never get near empty? How can you help others in your workplace to do the same?
Quick question? Need Career Coaching or HR Assistance?
E-mail us here.
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
Feb 19, 2013
Exodus 35:35
35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers — all of them skilled workers and designers.
Most companies are packed to the hilt with talented people! Oftentimes the talents of the people are far greater than imagined because we, as leaders, have never tapped fully into them or have even asked what lies beneath. I once worked with a company that spent thousands of dollars paying a web design company to build them a website, when that could have been built by an employee who was on staff, but it was never discovered that they had the resources, the vision, and the talent to do so. The company chose to look elsewhere when what they needed was right under their nose!
Don’t spend thousands paying for something you already have!
Do you know your employees’ hidden talents? The talents above and beyond their daily job requirements? If you know your people’s talents and draw on them regularly, you will ignite your workplace! You will be building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
What have you witnessed that worked to advance and optimize the talents of the people in your organization? Have you experienced greatness within your teams without having to look outward? How did you discover those talents from within? Have you been an encouragement to your people, have you leverage their talents?
Mark A. Griffin | Blog, Inspiration
