Every morning I sit down and read through my list of goals and visions as a part of my Morning Preview. Last year I articulated for the first time a clear vision for my main website, The Religion Teacher. In my list, I have the vision written out next to the mission of the website. It looks like this:
The Religion Teacher: Every Day, Every Class, Every Student, an Encounter with Christ (vision) —> Share practical resources to help students know, love, and live their faith (mission)
Just below that I’ve been trying to articulate a vision for my new attempts at writing fiction. Here is what I have written so far:
Formative Fiction: __________ —> Share stories that have a lasting, positive influence on young people (mission)
I can’t come up with a good vision. Even the mission feels a little vague to me.
I realized this morning, however, that the vagueness should be expected. I only started writing fiction this year. My only readers have been my children. How could I possibly expect to have a vision or even a mission until I start getting this work out into the world?
A vision develops over time.
When I first started The Religion Teacher, my goal was to share resources I found helpful and maybe get a job in textbook publishing some day.
As the website grew and I started creating a certain type of resources, I realized that I was passionate about creating practical resources not just any kind of resources. My mantra became “if it isn’t practical, pitch it.” So, the mission took shape.
The mission (what I did) called for an outcome.
What was I hoping to accomplish in the long term?
Last year, that vision took shape and I had something to lead my audience to strive for.
This took me more than eight years to develop.
Don’t fake a vision.
Let it develop over time as you create and ship more and more of your work.
