One vision + one mission + one goal = 100% of your energy.

Mathematically, that makes sense.

It’s clean. It’s simple. It’s the kind of equation you see everywhere, and you nod your head because it feels right.

But then I was like, “Wait, what about if people have two, three, or even more visions?”

I’ve seen those people. I know them well. In fact, I was one of them.

The man who chases two rabbits catches neither.

Confucius

In my case, this “visionary multitasking” cost me a lot of time and a significant amount of money. At one point, I found myself in a situation where I was chasing three completely different visions simultaneously.

It was a massive identity crisis. It felt like I wanted to be Person A (the Tech Entrepreneur), but at the same time, I needed to be Person B (the Thought Leader). And just to complicate things, I had a burning desire to be Person C (the Investor), too.

Woooow.

Let me tell you, that is a lot of energy expenditure. It’s like trying to drive three cars at once. You don’t move forward; you just strip the gears. And the return on investment? A lot of burnout.

By the end of it, I was so exhausted that I looked at my three beautiful visions and thought, “Honestly? I don’t care about any of them anymore.”

That is the danger. When you chase everything, you end up valuing nothing.

The Trap of “Logical” Prioritization

Once I recovered from the burnout, I started thinking about how to actually prioritize. If I can’t chase all three, what will be the first one?

Normally, the first thing that comes to mind—and what most advice tells you—is to pick the one that is most beneficial.

We ask ourselves: “Which vision makes the most money? Which one has the most prestige? Which one looks best on my bio?“

Yes, this is logical. It makes sense on paper. But I’ve learned the hard way that it is not the best way to do it.

Why?

Simply because, in many cases, the vision that can bring you the furthest cannot be achieved without achieving other, smaller visions first.

Think of it like a staircase.

You can stare at the top step all you want. You can visualize standing there, victorious. But you physically cannot jump to the top of the staircase without going through the steps at the bottom.

Sometimes, that “most beneficial” vision is great. It’s the Billion Dollar Exit. It’s the Nobel Prize. But it requires 20 or 30 years of everyday commitment.

If you try to attack that vision with zero momentum, zero intermediate wins, and zero feedback, you will quit long before you see a return. The human brain isn’t wired to work for 20 years without a reward.

Related: Business Strategy Canvas: Simplified for Success

The 3 Criteria for the Staircase Strategy

So, we need a better filter. We need to stop prioritizing based on “fantasy benefits” and start prioritizing based on executable reality.

We need to build a staircase where every step pays for the next one.

Here are the three criteria I now use to prioritize my visions and organize them into a coherent sequence.

1. Is it big enough to be worth the effort?

This is the rationality check. We don’t want to aim low just for the sake of it.

Let’s say you have a vision to become a billionaire. That is a massive vision. It requires immense sacrifice, risk, and resilience.

But, if that is your true desire, it’s a great starting point because it passes the first test: it is definitely worth the effort.

So, with this criterion, I will put “Billionaire” at the very top of my list. It is at the top of the staircase. It is the North Star.

But we cannot live on the North Star. We have to live on the ground.

2. Is it something that can be achieved in an acceptable period of time?

Now, I look at that same vision—becoming a billionaire—and I have to be honest with myself. Can I achieve this in the next 10 years?

Probably not.

It’s too far away. The feedback loop is too slow.

Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.

Bill Gates

If I work for 5 years and I’m not a billionaire yet, I will feel like a failure, even if I’m making progress.

So, I need to divide it into smaller visions. I call these Destinations or Stop Stations.

This is really important because we need controllable timeframes. Humans are terrible at predicting 10 years into the future, but we are pretty good at predicting 6 to 12 months.

If I stare at the billion-dollar goal, I’ll freeze. The gap is too wide. But if I break it down, I can start with the smallest level—perhaps earning $10k/month.

This $10k/month goal has the potential to bring me closer to the billionaire goal, but unlike the billions, this can be achieved in a month-to-year timeframe. It is manageable.

It is “Step One” on the staircase.

3. Is it something that can be achieved with the resources I have right now?

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

Theodore Roosevelt

This is the most critical filter, and it is the one most people ignore.

I have to look at my current reality—not the reality I wish I had. I need to audit my:

• Skills: What can I actually do?
• Knowledge: What do I know?
• Human Capital: Who do I know?
• Technology: What tools do I have access to?
• Money: What is my runway?
• Time: Do I have 10 hours a week or 60?

If I don’t have the specific resources to execute a vision, I simply cannot achieve it, no matter how hard I work.

If your vision is to build a rocket ship (Vision A), but you don’t have engineering skills or millions of dollars, you will fail.

But—and this is key—this doesn’t mean I need to quit my vision.

It just means I need to divide the smaller vision into an even smaller vision (destination) that matches my current resources.

If I can’t build the rocket, can I build a software company to generate the cash to buy the parts for the rocket?

Related: What is Strategic Planning: A Complete Guide to Long-Term Business Success

The Psychology of the “Stop Station”

I want to pause here and talk about this concept of “Stop Stations” because it changes the way you look at success.

When we chase a massive vision, we often feel like we are holding our breath until we get there. We live in a constant state of “not enough.”

But when you break your vision down into Stop Stations, you change the game.

A Stop Station isn’t just a milestone; it is a valid destination.

If your “Step One” is to build a consulting business to $10k/month, and you achieve it—you have won. You can stop there. You can rest there. You can look around and say, “I did this.”

This gives you a dopamine hit. It builds confidence. It proves to your subconscious mind that you are the type of person who achieves what they set out to do.

And the beautiful thing? Once you are standing comfortably at the $10k/month Stop Station, the view changes. You can see things you couldn’t see from the bottom.

Maybe you realize you don’t actually want to be a billionaire. Maybe you realize the next step isn’t $100k/month, but rather $20k/month with more free time.

By focusing on the Stop Station, you give yourself the flexibility to navigate.

The Resource Bridge: Funding Your Own Dream

This brings us to the practical mechanics of the Staircase Strategy. How do you actually move from one step to the next? You use the resources from Step 1 to “buy” your way into Step 2.

Let’s go back to the billionaire example.

• Step 1: You have no money, but you have time and a skill (e.g., coding).
• Vision: Build a Freelance Business ($5k/mo).
• Result: You trade time for money. Now you have money.
• Step 2: You have money, but you are tired of trading time.
• Vision: Build a Micro-SaaS Product ($20k/mo).
• Result: You use the money from Step 1 to hire a developer or run ads. Now you have leverage.
• Step 3: You have leverage and cash flow.
• Vision: Scale to a Venture-Backed Company ($100M).
• Result: You use the traction from Step 2 to attract investors.

You cannot skip the steps.

You cannot become a billionaire overnight without first earning one dollar. Then $2,000/month. Then $10,000/month. Then $100,000/month.

It is unclear whether you will reach one billion dollars in your lifetime. That is a variable we cannot fully control. Luck plays a role. Market timing plays a role.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King Jr.

But one thing is sure: If you move the needle step by step, you will eventually reach your goal.

Why?

Because resources compound.

More money allows you more possibilities to earn more money.

Developing a skill allows you to learn a harder skill.

Meeting one interesting person leads to introductions to three more interesting people.

Momentum is the Only Metric That Matters

When we sit in our rooms dreaming of three different lives, we are stagnant. We are burning energy just to stay in the same place.

But by turning your massive vision into a series of smaller “destinations” that can be achieved quickly, you change your biology.

• You build momentum.
• You see actual results.
• You stay motivated to keep climbing.

The staircase doesn’t care how fast you climb it. It only demands that you step on the step right in front of you.

Where you eventually get—whether you hit that top step or not—depends on you.

But at least you’ll be moving up the stairs instead of standing at the bottom, exhausted, trying to be three people at once.

Next Step

I want you to close your eyes and think of that massive, terrifying, exciting vision you have. The one that keeps you up at night.

Don’t throw it away. Just put it at the top of the page.

Now, work backward.

Apply the Resource Filter: Look at your bank account, your calendar, and your current skills.

What is the one “destination” you can hit in the next 6 months using only the resources you have in your pocket today?

That is your new priority. That is your Step One.

Forget the rest for now. Just climb that step.