Working hard can create success and it does not need to be that way. I work with business owners and professionals who say they are exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, or that success is coming too slow or at a cost to their health and their lives.

My question is always the same. What is your vision for your business or your career? Their answers may vary slightly, but a common one is, “I just want to make money.” Most of them are making money.

Whatever we imagine we are creating. Often, owners are creating what they see. What they did not realize was that they were not focused on or did not have a vision of what they really wanted.

We often use the term vision when discussing businesses or careers; it applies to all our lives. Vision means to see. In this context, it refers to seeing with your mind’s eye. Imagine what success looks like. Imagine what the life you desire looks like. Can you see it?

Some people do not have the ability to imagine, called aphantasia, meaning without imagination. The other side of that coin is hyperphantasia which is having vivid imagery. While scientists struggle to explain our ability to imagine, most of us have the ability to see in our mind’s eye. It is intuitive.

What we see or imagine is being created. So in the case of the frustrated business owner, he was creating what he imagined – making money. He also believed that he had to work hard to make money, so he created that.

The other day, I met a new client with a successful business, but too much of it relies on him – his choice. He believes that no one can do it how he can, so he creates his business to depend on him.

I asked him why he imagined it that way. His belief was that having employees was hard work and, in fact, more work. I asked why he imagined that to be true. He hired a GM, and it turned out to be more work, and he said, “I knew that would happen.” I suggested he imagined it happening that way and created it that way. We worked together to help him see clearly what he really wanted, to see a different outcome in his business and his life.

What we imagine is what we are creating. Most people just work hard every day. They think that everything would be different if they did more of something like marketing or worked harder. That is never the answer.

Business owners and professionals who take the time to see clearly in their mind’s eye the business, career, and life they desire begin to experience changes that lead them to that vision. This is not logical, but it is very intuitive.

So what do you imagine? Not for the future but for what you want now. Follow these steps.

• Find a quiet place and give yourself the time to meditate or reflect.
• Take a deep breath and calm your body.
• Stop thinking and instead imagine what you want in your work and your life.
• See yourself having it.

Do this often, as it may take time to get out of your unproductive thinking and align with your vision. Change can take time but begins with knowing what you see in all aspects of your life. What you imagine is being created.