What is a Vision Holder and Why You Need One
I first learned about vision holders through an entrepreneur named Lacy Phillips, the founder of To Be Magnetic. She described a story where her ex-boyfriend’s mother began talking with her about her future and her potential. She realized his mother was doing something very important for her: she was encouraging her to chase her goals simply by believing in her. From this experience, Lacy coined the term vision holder as someone who sees your potential and therefore helps you go after it. Here’s how I’ve come to further define it for myself:
Vision holders are people in your life who know your dream.
See your potential.
Understand your vision and hold space for it.
Believe wholeheartedly you will achieve it.
Reflect back to you how worthy, capable and deserving you are.
Speak highly of you even when you’re not in the room.
Advocate for you.
Nominate you.
Spend quality time with you.
Listen to you.
Seek ways they can help.
Attracting vision holders into your life
If you look back on your life, you may notice you’ve already had a series of vision holders who have continuously guided you from one phase of your life to the next. Whether it’s a parent, teacher, professor, boss, or friend, anyone who reflects back to you that you’re worthy of going after your goals is a key player in the game. You’ve needed their encouragement to get from childhood to where you are now.
Moving forward as an adult, especially as an entrepreneur, it may seem harder to come by vision holders. One way to attract them is to start off by being your own vision holder.
If you don’t believe in yourself, why would someone else believe in you?
Being your own vision holder
I realized a large obstacle we face as we chase goals is learning how to combat self-doubt. Having a vision holder can be a helpful person to turn to when doubt creeps in, but I started to realize - we can’t always turn to vision holders.
We have to be our own vision holders.
If you read the next paragraph, put yourself in the shoes of being your own guide. Can you imagine how empowering this would be?
As your own vision holder, you know your dream.
You see your vision and hold space for it.
You believe wholeheartedly you will achieve it.
You feel worthy, capable, and deserving.
You speak highly of yourself in front of others.
You advocate for yourself and nominate yourself for positions, jobs, roles, and leadership.
You spend quality time with yourself, listening deeply to your dreams.
You seek out ways to help yourself in times of need.
You begin to realize you can be a vision holder for people around you.
Sometimes in moments of doubt, we need to learn the skillset of having our own back and seeing our own potential.
Thank the vision holders in your life
If someone came to mind as you were reading this article, reach out to thank them. Vision holders are invaluable. They help get you from A to B and keep your motivation strong. If you notice you’ve been a vision holder for someone else, pat yourself on the back. Holding space for others to grow and supporting them is an invaluable role to play in life.
