A New Gameplan

Today’s Topics

• Vision vs. Visionary 👀

• Tis the Season…But at What Cost? 💰

  5 Mins Read Time

Why Seeing Isn’t the Same as Creating 👀
By Jo

Let me tell you how important vision really is—and how different it is from being a visionary.

People like to use those two words interchangeably, but they’re not the same. They overlap, yes, but they represent two different levels of how a person moves through the world.

When I think of a visionary, I think of someone in the stage of creation. Someone who doesn’t just see an idea but can shape it, mold it, breathe life into it. Someone who imagines outcomes before they happen and builds new pathways where others only see obstacles. That’s a gift. And it’s a skill set I’ve been intentionally working on—learning how to articulate what I see, how I see it, and why it matters.

Because here’s the truth: Not everyone can explain what they envision. Not everyone can break their ideas down in a way people can follow. And not everyone can translate intuition into a blueprint.

Now, when I talk about vision, that’s something different. Vision is the ability to sense how something might unfold—even if you can’t fully explain it yet. Think of a running back in football. He hits the hole not because someone told him where to go, but because he can see the field before it happens. He feels the play developing. He sees the openings. He anticipates the hit before it comes. That’s vision.

But being a visionary? That’s being able to explain that instinct. To teach it. To map it out. To turn what you see in your mind into something others can understand, build on, or follow.

And that’s where the real elevation happens.

It’s ideal to be a visionary in today’s world—but it’s not required. Still, there is major value in building on your vision. When you refine that skill, you gain more control over what you can and cannot do. You stop moving aimlessly and start designing with intention.

Plenty of people have “vision” simply because they copy what they see others do. That’s the societal norm—replicate what works, follow what’s trending, mimic what’s acceptable. But when you develop the skill set of a visionary, you rise above the mundane. You stop repeating what everyone else does and start creating what they haven’t even thought of yet.

Visionaries stand out. Visionaries notice patterns before others do. Visionaries see opportunities hiding in plain sight. Visionaries move through challenges, around challenges, and eventually solve challenges.

Can culture teach that? Maybe. But real visionary thinking comes down to comprehension and curiosity.

Why am I doing this? Is there a better way? How can I refine my process? Where can I improve myself? What’s the deeper purpose behind this step?

These questions build the foundation of a visionary mindset. And before you know it, you’re not just predicting outcomes—you’re estimating time frames, mapping execution paths, and building strategies with clarity.

The Golden Rule

You start creating your own blueprint. You start becoming the architect of your own world. You start moving Above the Crowd.

Tis the Season…But at What Cost? 💰

By Marcus

Over the years, I’ve grown to dislike hallmark holidays. Even if a holiday benefits me in some way, everything feels commercialized now and designed to optimize spending around “special times of the year.” These holidays set the expectation that you’ll receive gifts or have to buy them simply because of the date on the calendar.

If you don’t participate during your regularly scheduled holiday spending periods, that can become a problem depending on how the significant people in your life feel about these moments. I’ve known people who expect gifts regardless of financial circumstances and people who feel pressured to stretch beyond their means to buy things they can’t afford.

We just came out of one of the most anticipated retail events of the year: Black Friday. Black Friday is the Super Bowl of shopping. Between mass layoffs, wage stagnation, and a very lean job market, you would think maybe this year would be different. Maybe more people would budget their money and be more cautious about spending. Well…

I came across a report showing that Black Friday spending hit record highs again. As soon as I saw this, something felt off about how the record was being framed as a net positive — as if “the consumer is doing well.” Two thoughts immediately came to mind:

1. Inflation: When the cost of goods and services keeps going up, it’s not surprising to see record sales. Simple math doing what math does, not a true sign of a strong economy.

2. Something is missing: A contributing factor is being overlooked or underreported. I needed to figure out what it was.

Falling Behind

After doing a little research, I found what I believed to be one of the missing links: Buy Now, Pay Later. You’ve probably seen the options while shopping online — “with 2–4 easy, interest-free installments paid bi-weekly, you can own this today.” Buy Now, Pay Later services had a record year as well, contributing significantly to Black Friday spending.

Today, you can even fund your Uber Eats or DoorDash meal using Buy Now, Pay Later. Most people can see the problem here if the tool is used irresponsibly.

Credit can serve as a gateway drug to financial ruin in the wrong hands.

I remember getting my first credit card in college. I only got it so I could buy an Xbox. Yes, it was stupid, and I accept your judgment. Carrying a balance from month to month and paying it down slowly seemed reasonable — but at that point in my life, I was ignorant about high interest rates and how credit is marketed to us.

I learned the lesson the way many do: missed payments, late fees, or thinking you’ll pay it off during the zero-interest period. There are countless ways to get caught up and fall behind when you’re using money that isn’t yours.

Getting Ahead

Many of the issues we face with debt as a society are far outside our control, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. It’s completely normal to work hard and want to reward yourself or buy someone you care about a nice gift. But the cost of goods has risen so much that people are digging themselves into holes that are harder to escape.

For many of us, the value of our hard work doesn’t stretch as far as it used to. And to earn a decent living, some people need two or three jobs just to support themselves and their families. If this reality is understood within your inner circle, simple gestures — not materialistic ones — should be enough.

If you’re finding it harder to get ahead, it may be time to make difficult decisions that benefit you long term. If you don’t have the money for an expensive gift, or for any gift at all, that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you don’t care or don’t value people.

Gifts are only one way to show appreciation. Maybe it’s time to explore the others.

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