The first rule for creating a life vision is to think big. I don't mean pie-in-the-sky fantasies of what you want from life. An effective vision must be realistic and attainable, but it also needs to be truly ambitious.

For a vision to really drive your day-to-day goals it has to be inspiring; it can't look like anything within your current comfort zone. Your vision can't be about incremental improvement, it has to be about meaningful growth and real change.

Ideal vision is going to look different for everyone. For some it's about economic growth; for others, more time is the primary driver. For some dentists, an ideal future is about clinical mastery (having the time and resources to be the best), or about fulfillment (doing more of what you love). But whatever the driving force behind it, your vision has to take you to new heights.

This is why I say that the vision you create should be a description of your ideal life five years from now. This forces you to get out of the incremental mindset. It takes your mind beyond today's parameters and gets you thinking in terms of lifetime possibilities.

So if you haven't done it yet, sit down and write out your vision. A vision that exists only in your head is more likely to stay there. Think of what you know would be possible if you were to shake up your world and redefine what is possible.

Think big.