You Need to Hear This: Stop, Take Some Time to Envision Your Future

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra

I just finished Chapter 13 of Dan Martell’s book Buy Back Your Time and honestly? It blew me away.

Martell's message in that chapter was a bold, necessary wake-up call for me—a reminder of the importance of vision and dreaming. It’s easy to think that dreaming is a luxury. But Martell reminds us: it’s a discipline. We need to practice envisioning our preferred future.

Here's the insight that hit home for me—and maybe it'll hit home for you too: Too often, we get so entangled in the minutiae of everyday life and even accomplishing our list of goals. But more than that its the to-do lists, the emails, the checkboxes, the everyday grind—that causes us to forget our dreams and to lift our eyes to the horizon. We forget to ask ourselves: Where am I going? What is this all for? What is the end goal?

At one point Martel talks about the metaphor of a marathon. A gruelling test of physical endurance. Runners put themselves through the pain and agony of racing but only because they know there's an end goal. There's a finish line. They can picture it. And when they're done they celebrate that they've accomplished their goal. WHAT IS YOUR DREAM? What is the future vision of your life? How will you know you've accomplished it?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had seasons where I was executing efficiently but drifting unintentionally. I was moving, but not necessarily progressing toward a vision I had defined. That’s a dangerous place to live from.

Martell challenges us to pause and ask: Have you defined your bigger picture?

What does your ideal future look like—personally, professionally, relationally, spiritually?

It’s not just about working harder or being more productive. It’s about working toward something that matters. Without a clearly defined vision, we risk burning out on busyness. But with a compelling vision, we buy back more than just our time—we buy back our purpose, our joy, and our sense of direction.

So here’s your challenge: Take 15–30 minutes this week. Get quiet. Reflect. Dream again. Write it down. Define it. Revisit it often.

Don’t let the urgent rob you of the important. Don’t just run—define your finish line and then run toward the finish line.