Andrew Dodson is CEO and Founder of The Wealth for Life Partnership. Here he explains a little of the importance of having a personal ‘vision’ and what that means.
What is a Vision?
The Wealth for Life Partnership (Preserve, Protect, Prepare) was founded on a unique vision… to work collaboratively with individuals, families and professionals to identify, utilise and distribute their ‘wealth’ – both non-financial and financial – for the long-term preservation of their beliefs and goals.
Alongside Wealth for Life Partnership, we created Hereditas, a legacy planning process, to help individuals and families leave not only a financial inheritance, but a meaningful and lasting legacy for generations to come. This is our passion and purpose.
We are working with the British Liver Trust to explore the meaning of Vision. Why do charities need one? Why do individuals need one? And where to start?
Firstly, a vision helps people both inside and outside the organisation understand their purpose, values, beliefs and goals. Secondly, it provides the guidance, focus and motivation necessary for achieving its mission and helping to transform vision into reality. And lastly, it conveys information, provides inspiration and helps to create unity among those it works with – the charity’s community.
A Vision should be a clear and compelling image of the future, one that can be visualised and explained, reflecting clearly defined goals, outlining the resources needed and describing the positive outcomes you aim to achieve.
We think of organisations having a Vision – but what about us as individuals? Well, from the perspective of your personal legacy, your vision may include an overview of your ideal life, the financial and non-financial resources you seek to preserve, utilise and distribute, the people, places and pursuits you are keen to support – the people and causes you care about - and the positive, meaningful and impactful change you want to create.
I’ve included below just some of the steps you can start to take to help create your own personal vision:
- Consider the people, places, and possessions (material and non-material) that are important to you.
- Reflect on your passions, define your purpose and identify your individual and shared (family) aspirations and goals.
- Identify the knowledge, skills and experiences you and the people you care about may wish or need to acquire in order to enjoy and achieve the passions and goals you have identified.
- Outline the positive approaches you can adopt and the constructive actions you are able and willing to take towards your health, wealth and happiness related goals.
- Research and identify the causes and organisations that matter to you – talk to them about your goals and ideas.
Identifying and sharing your vision can be truly exciting, educational and inspiring – and is one of the most effective ways to begin your Legacy journey. As you explore your own health, wealth and happiness goals, it’s the perfect time to reflect on your ‘Social Legacy’, by which I mean the impactful change you would like to create for the people and things you most care about. This might be a gift to charity now or in your will; specific plans for property or personal items, or it might mean going back to your roots in the community where you grew up. Whatever you want to achieve, a Social Legacy also offers other useful benefits, like developing skills in researching, decision making, critical thinking and public speaking, through shared, meaningful and memorable experiences.
If you feel, as we do, that wealth carries responsibilities as well as opportunities, that our strength lies in what we give and not what we take, and that wealth should be seen as a resource and not an end goal, then we invite you to join us, and allow us to help you as you embark upon your journey.
Your journey to create a personal vision can start with a dialogue between yourself, friends and family and the individuals and organisations you’d like to see thrive in future. Do the research, have conversations, explore ideas. To find out more about developing a personal vision, do come along to the webinar (link below); we’d love to hear your views on this subject.
The decisions we make (or don’t make) today in relation to our wealth, will one day become our lasting Legacy - whether we like it or not. Let us help you work out how to create a Legacy of purpose and meaning - one you can be proud of and that future generations will thank you for.
This blog has been provided by Andrew Dodson and reflects his personal views.
The Wealth for Life Partnership cares about helping you to understand your own giving intentions and preferences – to find out more please visit www.thewealthforlifepartnership.co.uk
Hereditas is the first and only Legacy Planning process of its kind in the UK – to find out more please visit www.hereditasuk.co.uk
