More, Less, and Someday
By David Shrum | Ascend Leadership & Development
When crafting a vision—for your organization or for yourself—there is an initial obstacle that must be confronted. It’s something that haunts many organizations, teams, and relationships: a lack of clarity.
Vague language shows up often when leaders are laying out expectations, and it almost always leads to disappointment—on both sides. Expectations feel agreed upon until they aren’t met, and then confusion, frustration, and blame follow.
That same vagueness often appears in the early stages of exploring vision. I hear things like:
“I’d like more x.”
“We need less turnover.”
“I want to do this at some point.”
When I hear language like more, less, and someday, I don’t see a problem—I see something important. It tells me the person or team I’m partnering with is human. And like most humans, they haven’t spent much time envisioning a thrilling future because doing so is uncomfortable.
This is what I call the problem of More, Less, & Someday.
Why We Stay Vague
This pattern shows up for a couple of reasons.
On the surface, vague language creates broad agreement. Everyone can nod along because each person fills in the gaps through their own lens. The problem is that this almost always ends in disappointment when those unspoken interpretations don’t align.
More often, though, vague vision keeps the future just out of reach. And when the future stays fuzzy, we don’t have to fully confront who we are today in the shadow of who we could become.
That temptation is real.
The shame we carry around our insecurities, patterns, and shortcomings never has to be examined if the life we want stays safely parked in someday. But tackling this head-on—especially with someone who is truly for you—is where transformation begins to gain clarity.
From Frustration to a Developed Vision
In last week’s piece, we explored what I called—though I’m sure I didn’t coin it—the idea of developing the photo negative. We moved from frustration (the negative) to inspiration, which gives us the beginnings of a developed image.
Moving from vague vision to a developed picture is powerful.
It allows us to slow down and get clear about what we would actually love to experience. What would life look like? What would you be feeling? How would it impact your family, your relationships, and the people you lead?
But that isn’t the true purpose of the exercise.
The real work is uncovering the stories and beliefs that stand in the way of that vision becoming reality. Yes, we want to pursue the vision fully—but I’m even more interested in identifying what needs to be pruned.
The beliefs, behaviors, and narratives that keep you shrinking in the shadow of your future self.
Clarity doesn’t just allow for better planning and action. It creates space for you to stand upright in who you were designed to be.
The Cost of “More, Less, & Someday”
The problem with More, Less, & Someday is that it quietly keeps you from becoming you.
Clarity invites courage.
Courage invites action.
And action reveals transformation.
But it all starts with being willing to move beyond vague vision—and into a future you can actually see.