Hot take: vision statements are just corporate manifesting

And an argument for why we should each spend time this weekend writing down our own.

Do you have a big presentation coming up? Use Rhetoric. We make it mind-blowingly easy to practice and get feedback from your team.

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If you’ve been connected to the internet at all over the last month or so, you’ve probably been inundated with people trying to sell you a better version of yourself. ‘Tis the season for all of that. However exhausting, though, there’s absolutely some value in thinking of the new year as a reset for both ourselves and our businesses.

It’s funny that the concept of manifesting—just naming the thing we want—can feel a little frivolous, when really corporations have been doing it for years in the form of a vision statement. I’d argue that we should each have a personal vision statement, too.

Vision statements are different than mission statements in that they don’t detail the “how”; they simply state what we wish to be in the future. This is great news for those of us who don’t have a clear roadmap for the year yet. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with figuring out the “how,” a vision statement is exactly where you should start.

Crafting a vision statement—both for yourself and for a business—is surprisingly simple. You just plainly state the world you want to create. My favorite examples are TED’s (“Spread ideas”) and Whole Foods’ (“To nourish people and the planet”).

Asana has a great in-depth vision statement guide.

The idea is that even if you don’t yet know how you’ll get there, naming your vision creates a subconscious roadmap for yourself and your team. Decisions become easier to make and priorities become more clear.

No matter how you choose to do it, I hope you all have a chance to tap into some blue sky, creative thinking this weekend as we all prepare ourselves for a new year.

Happy weekend,

Raman at Rhetoric

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📚 What’s made me a better storyteller this week

This video of Mike White, the creator of White Lotus, detailing his creative process helped me dust out the Dead Week cobwebs today. Worth the four minute watch.

As we know, no one tells stories with data better than The Economist. Here’s a data-based retro on 2022 that I haven’t heard yet: The year Silicon Valley fell to earth.

“In adulthood, many of us are forced to recalibrate our relationship with joy. As responsibilities multiply exponentially, time grows limited, and challenges mount, it becomes harder to make time for fun, let alone remember what it feels like. As we explore the key components of happiness—pleasure, joy, and satisfaction—we ask the foundational question: What really brings me joy?”