If everything starts from ‘vision’ or ‘purpose’ — how do you work that bit out?

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How do you get to purpose in this complex world?

Lots of coaches, self-improvement plans, gurus, personal development

aproaches, and planning activities start from something like this (quoting a friend’s recent post):

‘I always ask them. What is their dream or vision…?’

They then go on to set out tips, tricks, strategies — pabulum or deeply wise — to achieve that dream or vision.

But, for me — and surely I’m not alone? — this first step is 99% of the work?

If I had a ‘vision or dream’, everything else would be easy!

Or it might potentially be hard work — but tractable, manageable, linear, doable! I get that everything starts with the dream, the vision — but is that an easy thing for most people to state?

I’ve been to so many events, been on so many courses, had a lot of coaching and so on.

It all assumes I’m capable of doing the work to identify ‘a dream or vision’ to create a strategy around, or ‘an ideal customer’ to target and shape marketing around, or whatever. But — I always think — if I could do that, I wouldn’t really need help?

Is this something like the difference between people who can form mental visualisations, and those who can’t — the aphantastics? (I don’t mean a visual ‘vision’, I mean do some people have a clear, legible, coherent purpose, and others just… don’t?)

Or is this a common struggle? Did you struggle yourself, then find a way to answer these questions?