TEAIIANO

Investing in Your Vision
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Questions and Answers (Q&A)

A: By now, you’re probably wondering who I am and why I am advising you to invest in your vision.  Well, let me just introduce myself to you.  I am Thomas E. Anderson, II, founder of Teaiiano. And if there is anyone qualified to help you invest in your vision, it’s me.

 

I am a catalyst for vision development.  Right out of college, I started unleashing my vision for life beyond a steady paycheck and a full-time job.  Most 21 year olds don't want to hear the words sacrifice and responsibility. They just want to have fun and party.  I started with a job, as a self employed person – meaning, I own my job.  Then I designed a business concept around it by tracking my process and successes.  Instead of celebrating individual successes, I wrote them down.  I was too busy writing to celebrate – excited to blaze a trail for others to follow. That trail is what I call Teaiiano.  

 

I have invested in my own vision and the visions of other people and organizations for the last five years, often working 16-20 hour days putting the pieces together.

I built a consulting company to make extra money while developing the vision for my home church.  And I must tell you that it’s hard to know the right steps to take until you've put those pieces together. It’s not until you put those pieces together that you understand the big picture purpose of your life. It’s not until you can see life beyond your nine to five job that you can launch out on your own and leave that dead-end job behind. But once you assemble the pieces of your vision, you’ll realize it wasn’t a dead-end job after all.

A: “I don’t have enough time.”  “I just lost tons of money.” “I’ll wait until my kids are grown.”  You can probably think of a million-and-one reasons why you should not or cannot invest in your vision.  And for every reason not to invest in your vision there is a reason to invest.  Many people wait for the perfect timing.  But every second in each day passes so quickly, that you can easily miss the perfect time.  Yes you can invest in your vision, but the question is how.

A: In life, there are two things that you can invest in:

1. Other people's vision

2. Your vision

 

I won’t spend much time talking about investing in other people’s vision.  If you’ve every worked for someone else, you already know how to do that.  Instead, let’s spend time talking about the importance of your vision.

 

Investing in your vision is very simple.  Anyone can do it.  Just think if you spent two hours a week working on something that would impact your life, your family and the lives of total strangers.  If each hour represented a step in the right direction, you would be 104 steps closer to your goal.
A: It doesn't take much time or money to start your own business or work for yourself. It takes less time and money than most people think.  In fact, I’ve spent a lot of time and money on things that we’re long term goals.  Things that drained my physical and financial resources.  It’s all about having a transparent plan that reflects your overall vision.  

 

With a transparent plan, it’s easier to identify your priorities.  You can see the benefits of scaling back to move forward with your vision.  It will make sense to earmark money that was formerly dedicated to 401(k) to invest in your vision.  Or instead of buying the flat screen, reinvest in your business.  Going forward with goals and dreams requires less of you than you think.  

A: Simply put, when you invest money in your 401(k), your employer usually partners with you in investing in your future.  And together, you commit money to a group of businesses over which you have no control.  When you invest in your vision, however, you have more control over your money.  You may like to contribute your money to social causes and thought to start one of your own.  You may even spend a lot of your money on movies, food and fun - making the entertainment companies rich.  With that same money, you can invest in the vision for your future.

A: Vision leads you somewhere. It takes you down a path before you ever venture out beyond where you stand right now.  Vision is the light that reveals this path to you. It reveals the right path that heads in the right direction and leads to the things in life that are most important to you. The goals you are constantly striving for. The horizon in life that is always ahead of you. And when you look up and think you've crossed that horizon, you celebrate because what used to be on your horizon is now in reach and there is an even more beautiful horizon up ahead.  (For more on vision, click here to visit the My Future in Focus Blog.)