For many leaders, the run-up to the year 2020 provided a rather unique play-on-word metaphor to focus on the topic of vision. Vision is crucial for every organization because it provides a view of the future that is better than the past. Effective leaders know that leading a passionate and successful organization requires a compelling vision of the future.

Proverbs 29:18 KJV says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. Why? Because vision provides the hope that pulls us through the bad times and inspires us to greatness. Vision provides the passion for discipline, determination, and sacrifice. How? By causing us to believe we can make a difference, that we can make things better, that we can overcome.

But the events of year 2020 exposed two major flaws in the vision 20/20 metaphor.

First, our vision is only going to get worse, not better.

When an eye-chart test reveals that you have 20/20 vision, it means that you can see what the average person can see from 20 feet away. That’s good. If you have 20/10 vision, you can see at 20 feet what the average person can see from 10 feet. That’s great! And vice versa, 20/30 vision means you can see at 20 feet what the average person can see at 30 feet. That’s bad.

Do you see the flaw? In the 20/20 vision metaphor, our vision will actually keep getting worse. In 2021 it will be worse than in 2020. In 2030, it will be even worse, as it will in 2040, and 2050, and it will keep getting worse for as far as the eye can see. Pun intended.
The second flaw is this: No one is inspired by average.

Average vision is good, but it’s not good enough. When hunting, I have a scope on my gun and binoculars around my neck. Why? Because I want great vision when the buck of a lifetime is standing two hundred yards away. Success requires great vision. What good is average eyesight when the moment of truth presents itself? Not much good at all.

But even with its flaws, the 20/20 vision metaphor inadvertently revealed a couple of important truths:

First, things are going to get worse. It’s inevitable. Like eyesight, our broken bodies are failing — and so is the world around us. Anyone who thinks that the future is going to be better than the past is fooling themselves. It’s not. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the longer you live on this planet, the worse things will get. Does that disappoint you? It shouldn’t, and here’s why:

The second truth revealed by the metaphor is that we can do something about our worsening condition. If you can’t get a good look at that buck, then pull up your binoculars. You don’t have to settle for good eyesight – you can make it great!

Listen, most of us would say that life before the pandemic was good. In fact, we didn’t realize how good it was until the pandemic took it away. But let me ask you, was good, good enough? Hasn’t the shutdown caused you to question what we were doing before it hit? Was your marriage great? Was your parenting great? Was your performance on the job great? Was your diet great? Was your exercise plan great? Was your spiritual life great? Was your church great? Life was good back then, but were we settling for good when we could have been aiming for great? In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins writes:

Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.

Ouch, that hurts. If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that good should never be good enough. Life before the pandemic was good, but why would we want to go back to good when we can launch forward into great? The pandemic has provided us with a unique opportunity to be jolted out of our good lives and propelled forward into greatness. It’s an opportunity unlike any other, so I encourage you to make the most of it.

Christian, were you settling for good before the pandemic hit? Pastor and church leader, were you settling for good in God’s mission? Husband and wife, were you settling for good in your marriage and family? Regardless of who you are or what you do, ask yourself, “Was I settling for good when I could have been aiming for great?”

Please don’t misunderstand my intent. I’m not suggesting that aiming for greatness means gaining wealth or fame or power. Achieving greatness is out of our control. All I’m asking is this: Are you aiming for greatness? Are you willing to make sacrifices to advance your life beyond average? Are you willing to lead your life upward when gravity is determined to pull you down? If the year ahead is going to be better than the year that was, it is going to be because you were aiming for something better. Doing so requires discipline, determination, and perseverance. Regardless of what lies ahead in 2021, if you are aiming for greatness, you will do better.

Early in the pandemic I came across this quote, “If a crisis leaves you alive, it’s so that you can be better prepared lead and serve others in the next crisis.” Friend, if you can’t find the gumption to aim at greatness for yourself, then do it so that you can be better prepared to lead and serve others. This pandemic isn’t the last crisis we will face. If we’re going to do better in the next one, then it will be because we were aiming for greatness when it hit.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. I Corinthians 9:24-27.