How to Create A Vision Plan (Part I)

“Where There Is No Vision, The People Perish.”

By Donald M. Muhammad

Guide for Married and Courting Couples to Building a Healthy and Productive Family VISION PLAN.

According to studies, one of the largest contributors to marital problems is unmet expectations. Often couples, both married and courting, are not on the same page when it comes to what is expected of one another as well as expectations of what a good marriage and family life looks like. Consequently, dissatisfaction and disappointment creeps in as we try to ‘feel’ our way through life’s challenges.

To address this challenge early on, we’ve provided for you an exercise and activity that is designed to create continuity, agreement and clarity to every marriage and courting couple. Remember the scripture “Where there is no Vision, the people perish?” The following is a very brief outline of the process of developing a Vision/Mission Statement for a couple or family. This is a loose example and guide and should be adjusted based upon the various dynamics that make up every relationship.
Please enjoy this process…


Step 1. Brain Storming – Paint the Picture

Before taking even the first step in building any structure, there is usually a drawing or picture of the completed Structure – The Final Product. Often with buildings the developer will go so far as to paint in trees and bushes and all the amenities the building will posses. Sometimes a miniature model is created complete with miniature people.

Similarly, before writing down anything, you should spend hours upon hours talking and discussing what life will look like years from now. At some point, you may feel like your getting ahead of yourself because of the details that are required in an accurate painting. But you’re only making sure that the picture is clear, accurate and genuinely shared by both parties.

This mental picture or image is made up of both Material and Principled items, such as a House(material) and a Home(immaterial). You could include how many children along with your idea of what they will grow up to become.

It’s important to be very open and honest in this process. Realizing that it’s probably the first time one or either of you have every completed such an exercise, you should be patient with one another and without pressure on conflict, discuss those things that mean the most to you. This exercise is very enlightening as it requires one to develop their Divine Faculties of Imagination, Concentrations, Affirmation and Focus. You’ll likely find this enjoyable and IT SHOULD BE!
Don’t be afraid to Dream Big! We are Believers in the first Perfect God – “So Be Ye Perfect, Even as I Am.”

Subjects to consider: Children: How many?
House/Condo – How many?
Live in the City/Suburb/Country?
Do you have any dream business endeavors?
What are your Educational Pursuits?


From this point of a full and completed picture, we begin to work backwards, using those Divine faculties: visualization, imagination, concentration and affirmation to clothes the ideas – “Where there is not vision, the people perish.” (Look for Part II in the next edition).

(For more information on life-coaching for couples and families, contact masterpeace.coach@gmail.com. Also, consider attending the Nation of Islam’s Single’s Retreat August 19-22, 2010 in Arizona. Look for details in an upcoming issue of The Final Call Newspaper.