Two gentlemen wanted to be fit and to develop some muscles. The first man just said it, but he did not do anything about it; no workout plan, no gym, no schedule, no routine, absolutely nothing. While the second man decided to include a 20 minute workout to his daily routine, he then introduced weightlifting, and then 30 minutes walk daily. After 6 months, the difference between both of them became so much that the second one became more fix, started developing muscles, and felt better. This is because his vision was backed up by structure. Vision alone is not all that is required to achieve success in life, you have to back it up with relevant actions, which give structure to it.
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It is true that vision is powerful, because it gives direction, hope, and purpose. A lot of people have big visions for their lives; big dreams, aspirations of growth and impact. But what you need to understand is that vision alone cannot deliver all these to you. Having a vision, no matter how big it is, without having a structure, is like picturing a house in your mind, yet without building it. It is your actions that will create the structure that will substantiate your vision. It is structure that moves vision into reality, otherwise it might just end up as mere fantasy. Result is not created by your intentions, even if they are great, it is created by the work you do, the actions you take, and the effort you put into it.
Structure will turn your dreams into plan, and then will turn your plan into progress. When you have a plan of what you want to do, then you need a structure to support it. For example, you may decide to become knowledgeable in a particular topic; that is your vision and your plan. But your structure may be to put in 1 hour of daily study, over a considerable period of time. You see, instead of just wishing to acquire knowledge, you will take steps by actually reading. This is structure. You may plan on how to get financial freedom. But your structure should be to take financial steps like saving, budgeting, investing, having other sources of income, not just wishing for it.
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You may be motivated and even inspired and you feel good and excited, but without taking actions, the excitement will just phase out. This is why, when someone is motivated and they do not do anything about it, it will fade with the passage of time. But it is structure that carries you on. This is because it does not rely on feelings or emotions, but it relies on commitment. It also shows up on the days that you may not even feel like doing anything. Just like the example of the guy who was gyming to build muscles. There are days that he may not even feel like working out, but his commitment kept him going, and the result began to show. It is structure that protects your vision from dying off even on the days that you do not feel like acting.
Structure is also needed to turn vague ideas into a more clear action. For example, saying "I want to improve my life" may sound vague and unclear. But structure will ask practical questions like "what am I going to do today? When will I do them? How will I know that I am making progress? What lessons should I learn?" This is when you will stop dreaming in "general," and start acting in "specifics." Your progress will also become visible, because your actions are becoming consistent.
It is worthy to note that structure is meant to complement your dream and vision, not substitute it. That is, you do not replace your vision with structure, but they work hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, having a structure without vision will just end up being an empty routine. On the same hand, having vision without structure will end up being an empty imagination. So one must compliment the other, not replace it.
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