We can spend more time planning a one-week vacation or what we are going to wear out on the town then identifying what outcomes we want to see in the major areas of our lives. This kind of mindset can lead us to wander aimlessly from day to day, week to week, year to year with no clear direction in mind.

For this reason, I believe everyone should take the time to create a written vision plan to give their life direction. Do you have a written vision plan that directs your life? If not, start developing one.

Here are seven reasons why you need a written vision plan:

1. It will empower you to clarify your life’s direction. The CEO has a business plan to guide the company. A football coach has a game plan to lead his team. A vision plan is your road map to get you from where you are to where you desire to be. It will give you the correct directions and coordinates to follow. It will give you the inspiration and motivation you need to move forward even in the face of fear.

2. It will allow you to guard your life against imbalances. A written vision plan will help you focus on the things that are important and it will help you maintain a healthy balance between them. Some people sacrifice their marriage for their career. Others sacrifice their health for temporary pleasure or a nurturing relationship with their children for worldly success. If you want a healthy marriage, a successful career, productive children, stable finances or good health, it is possible if you have a clear written vision plan that maintains a cohesive balance.

3. It will help you filter the distractions. Once you have your vision plan it will allow you to say “yes” to what matters most and “no” to those activities that will detour you from your vision. A written vision plan will give you the clarity and confidence you need to make the most of your potential opportunities. What distractions to living your vision do you need to say “no” to?

4. It will aid you in identifying where you are. If you want to get to a desired destination you must start where you are. You can’t get to where you want to be unless you start from where you are. You must face the direction of your future against the backdrop of the realities of your now. Where are you currently in your life? What are your now realities?

5. It will equip you to see a better future. You need to acknowledge where you are, but you also need to have an idea of where you are going. Your envisioned future should focus on where you are going and not where you have been and on the end results and not the process for getting there. What do you want in each area (spiritual, relational, physical, social, mental, financial and professional) of your life?

6. It will serve as your road map to get you where you desire to be. Once you realize where you are and where you want to be, your written vision will position you to take action on your dreams. Know that your vision grows and changes over time. What is right for you now may develop into something different over time. Being clear on where you want to be is deeply important and pursuing it passionately will help you grow and develop into the person you were designed to be.

7. It will inspire you to focus forward without holding on to past regrets. The world is waiting for you to make an impact with your vision. Many people live with debilitating regrets because life is not turning out like they anticipated. They live daily with disappointment, discontentment and discouragement, but it doesn’t have to be this way. While you can’t control everything, you can implement a written vision plan and dramatically improve your chances of ending up at your desired destination. What regrets do you need to finally let go of and live life at your maximum capacity?

Without a written vision and a plan to achieve it, you will never achieve your full potential. Now is the time for you to create a written vision plan that will help you to see where you are going, what changes you need to make and if you are progressing towards your destined future.

You cannot afford to spend the next year, or the next five, 10, or 20 years talking and thinking about what would’ve, could’ve or should’ve been. Get ready. Get set. Write your vision. Implement your plan. Impact your world.

A version of this article was published on thriveglobal.com.