Section 4: Purpose Provides a Plan (It’s Vision)

Purpose sets the destination, but vision maps the journey; together, they create the path to fulfillment. Without vision, even the clearest purpose can remain unfulfilled.

The value of known purpose is the foundation that mankind must build their lives on. Living a life of purpose is living a life that is filled with precision and direction. Purpose organizes one’s life because it provides a vision that acts as a roadmap. The roadmap of vision, over the course of one’s life, could be broken down into an itinerary which acts as the plan of action to meet specific destinations (or goals) along the way.

Purpose determines the final destination and vision is the plan which guides arrival at the destination. Purpose is the end toward which something exists and is predestined. When you know the desired end before you begin the journey, you are much more likely to stick with your task and stay on the prescribed path. Therefore, vision provides the impetus to act on the direction set by purpose.

An important concept to digest is how “sight” without “vision” could be potentially threatening to purpose. This example helps to demonstrate the fundamental differences between the physical ability “to see” (which is sight) and what is meant in the biblical sense by “vision.” From the perspective of the scriptures, vision is “the ability to see the end from the beginning.” Vision does not confine itself to the natural and seeing what is. Instead, vision extends to the ability to perceive what could or should be happening from the viewpoint of one’s mind’s eye. Vision requires mental acuteness, discernment, insight, foresight and imagination. Vision is a co-partner of purpose in seeing to it that fulfillment is achieved by reaching the intended and desired end.

Once purpose is known, a plan of action and objectives can be set into place and this plan is what fuels vision. By determining goals and/or objectives that propel us toward the expected end of purpose, the journey toward fulfillment is not only more manageable but it becomes more efficient. Goals and objectives allow for the development of a plan or course of action, and this plan helps to effectively manage time, energy and other resources.

A clear purpose with an aligned vision allows you to protect yourself from being busy but not effective. Purpose translated to a vision causes things to happen and people to act.

This is true because: