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What do you want? What do you want to do? What do you want to become? What is your vision for the future? What idea, invention, or endeavor do you want to create?

If you can't answer these questions immediately – or if your response is the all too familiar “I don't know” or “I wish I knew” – then you're on the short road to nowhere. And you're not alone. Today, I expect to help get you on the road to somewhere, and with plenty of fuel in your tank.

Let's start by attempting to answer a dozen questions that I will now pose. I refer to this exercise as a Vision Quest . And it's the most important – and first – step you can take toward achieving your dreams. Know this: Finding and defining your vision or purpose in any situation or station in life, isn't something that can be bought, taught, learned, or stolen. It's something that starts inside you, and most of the time it's been brewing inside you for longer than you even know. And even though this vision comes from within, it often has to be coaxed out. That's where I come in.

You'll find that my Vision Quest questions – which I often turn to myself – will kick-start your imagination, construct your personal inventory, and create an array of possibilities and opportunities that will stimulate your interest and focus. You should be prepared to review these questions over and over until you feel comfortable with and compelled by your answers. Are you ready? Here goes: .

1.	What would you describe as your most unique skills or talents? Would you say it's your personality? Do you work well with people? What are you good at? Are you creative, artistic, scientific? Are you a good writer, singer, teacher, preacher, coach, or leader?
2.	What are you passionate about? What do you really enjoy doing? What are your hobbies and personal interests? What makes time fly when you’re doing it? (Personally, I lose myself when writing – whether it’s a proper presentation or a creative project.)
3.	What creates a genuine sense of enthusiasm in you? What gets you excited? How could you feel it more often? (It’s a proven fact that you’re more apt to attack your quest and achieve your goals when you “choose to enthuse.”)
4.	What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? If you could wave a magic wand and try something, anything, what would it be? What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?
5.	What would make you feel like a winner? What would make you shout, “Yes!”?
6.	What skill, talent, occupation, or position would you like to possess?
7.	Do you awake each morning with a passion for the day ahead? Do you slap your hands together and get fired up for the day? If not, why not?
8.	Short of money and miracles, what would you change in your life right now? Why?
9.	What do you feel is missing in your life?
10.	What do you want to accomplish in your life? What do you want to accomplish this year? This week? What do you want to get done today?
11.	What bothers you and makes you ask: Why is it done this way? Is there a better way?
12.	What if…? (These two little words can rock your world. With this simple question, you can incite your imagination to list limitless possibilities in any area that strikes your fancy.)

These are some tough questions. And I sincerely hope they have instantly cleared some mental cobwebs, boiled your creative juices, and generated some ideas, avenues, projects, and purpose for you to pursue in life. Because I know the need for such motivation stems from the fact that if you live for nothing in particular, then you’ll settle for anything in general. It’s vital during your Vision Quest to keep your eyes and ears and soul open to the opportunities and possibilities that surround you every day. You never know what might tickle your imagination, cause you to raise an eyebrow, turn on that 100-watt idea light bulb, and possibly change your world entirely. -- PC