Welcome to episode #221 of the Own Your Best Life Podcast. As we approach the end of the year, many of us start reflecting on how we’ve done and thinking about the future. It’s a time when we ask ourselves, “What are my goals for next year or even the next five years?” A common question that arises is, “Am I thinking big enough?” If you’re wondering how to know if your vision is big enough, today’s episode is for you.

Opening Up Your Vision

Recently, I came across a short video that talked about how immigrants can sometimes forget their first language and how that reflects all the changes they’ve gone through. Even though I didn’t immigrate myself, being a first-generation Chinese American reminded me of how much change and growth is possible when we open up our vision for what’s possible. My parents created new lives when they moved to the U.S., and that opened up new opportunities for me and my siblings. This is a powerful reminder: we can all start again and create something beyond what we initially imagined.

Key Questions to Gauge Your Vision

In our Spiritual Achiever® coaching program, we’ve been working on 5-year plans, focusing on our vision and purpose. One of the biggest concerns that comes up is whether we’re playing too small. So, how do you know if your vision is big enough? Here are six key questions to ask yourself:

1. Does It Scare and Excite You?

A big vision should feel both exhilarating and a little intimidating. If your vision feels too comfortable, it’s likely not stretching you enough. For example, when I was first starting out, my biggest challenge was speaking my mind even if it upset others. Now, my comfort zone has expanded, and what excites and scares me is creating my own rules and expectations. The key is to push your boundaries bit by bit.

2. Does It Inspire Others?

A powerful vision not only motivates you but also has the potential to inspire others. If it hits an emotional chord, it will resonate beyond you. When I started running retreats, I knew it wasn’t about profit, but about something bigger—the mission. The energy I felt when connected to that mission was the inspiration I needed to keep going, and that’s what I pass on to others.

3. Does It Challenge Your Current Identity?

A big vision requires you to evolve. It forces you to grow into a new version of yourself. When I wanted to run a mile at my high school pace, I wasn’t just focused on the end goal, but on who I would become in the process. You are not “just” who you were in the past; you are capable of becoming more, moment by moment, as you align with your vision.

4. Does It Have a Long-Term Impact?

A truly big vision isn’t just about immediate results; it should create lasting value or change. The small decisions you make today can have a profound effect 5, 10, or 20 years from now. My business, for example, had a much larger impact than I initially imagined. It’s a reminder that tiny shifts today can create a huge ripple effect in the future.

5. Does It Feel Beyond Your Current Resources?

If your vision seems achievable with only your current resources, you might not be thinking big enough. A larger vision should challenge you to seek new opportunities, expand your skills, and build partnerships. Often, it’s about shifting your mindset to realize how much more is possible with the right support and creativity.

6. Is It Aligned with Your Deepest Purpose?

A big vision aligns with your passions and values. It’s not just about external success, but also about what resonates with you on a soul level. For me, my vision of creating freedom from suffering is deeply connected to love. On tough days, I ask myself, “Is this aligned with my purpose?” If the answer is yes, I know I’m on the right path, even if the work is hard.

Can a Vision Be Too Big?

You might wonder, “Can my vision be too big?” In some ways, yes—if it feels paralyzing or too disconnected from reality. But instead of shrinking the vision, the solution is to refine it. Break it down into achievable steps and create strategies that bring it closer to reality. Keep aiming high enough to challenge yourself and inspire growth.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Own Your Best Life Podcast. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might need a reminder that they can dream bigger too. And as always, check the show notes for more information on the Spiritual Achiever® process. Until next time, keep growing, keep leading, and keep owning your story.

If you’d like to become a Spiritual Achiever, I invite you to watch the free training on how to Stand Out and Lead, using spiritual, high-performance strategies: STAND OUT AND LEAD.

You can apply to join my Spiritual Achiever® program, where you’re going to create your next chapter with spiritual and high-performance strategies to achieve time and financial freedom using my proven method. It’s risk-free. You either start seeing results within your first month or I give you your money back. Schedule your call here at www.mayempson.com/contact.  We’ll see you inside.

Want to know more about what happens when you join?

1. When you join Spiritual Achiever® Coaching you’ll be supported for a full year: Career Revelation Academy: A 5-step career change process (if you have a job you want to stay in, I’ll show you how to love it even more) that can launch you into your next career chapter in 30 days.
2. 2x/month group training and coaching on Spirituality, Achievement, Earth Energy and Harmony. You’ll know how to design your days for breakthroughs, create a personal brand and community, lead yourself and others through change, become more physically and mentally fit, reduce stress and reinvent what’s possible in this next chapter of your life.
3. Discover your Leadership Strengths and Branding Workshop: Increase your awareness of what makes YOU different from others and how to become even better at your genius zone.
4. Your Best Year workshop: Create your one year plan and design this next year, no matter what time of the year it is.
5. Your Next 5 Years one-day virtual retreat: Vision what’s possible 5 years from now and break out of your old routines so you can step into new habits, behaviors and routines.
6. Tickets to all in-person Spiritual Achiever retreats (discounted rates): Highly immersive and intimate gatherings where we spend time in nature, experience energy work, eat and move well – all while making big decisions and committing to what’s next for us.
7. Monthly 1:1 Coaching Sessions: To help you break through obstacles, define your individual path, and to work on both strategy and mindset.

The next step?

Schedule a consultation to get clarity on how coaching can help you on your journey.

Once you’re accepted into the program, you’ll receive a calendar invite for a 2-hour deep dive 1:1 session to map out your personal goals and your own year-long journey.

You’ll have immediate access to the Spiritual Achiever process and philosophy – how to achieve your biggest goals and reinvent your life.

You’ll have immediate access to 5 modules of Career Revelation Academy – to love your career even more and launch that next chapter of your career in 30 days.

You’ll have the calendar invites for the upcoming group calls and retreats.

If this speaks to you, I can’t wait to talk to you live: Schedule a consultation.

Reach out at www.mayempson.com/contact for more information on my Spiritual Achiever coaching program. You’ll figure out what’s next and actually go and do it. 

That’s it for this week. Have an amazing one and I’ll talk to you next time.