It’s the New Year and many of us are now putting together our plans for 2012, both family and business. The ones that are really on the ball have already done it.

Surprise, in our household, business, politics, and family have a great deal in common and the connection could radically alter the way my family operates.

Believe it or not, business used to be a family affair. For centuries, family-owned businesses were the rule, not the exception. Somewhere along the line, most likely during the Industrial Revolution, business was separated from the family institution. Instead of working around the house or farm, fathers left the home and went to work at the factory or office.

Before all that happened, any projections a father might do for his business would include his family. It would involve the roles each of them might play. What they might need to learn. And how much they would have to do in order to reach their goals.

When the Industrial Revolution separated business from the home, something was lost. I’m not talking here about the time the father lost with his family. Plenty of authors and preachers have addressed that in other places. And it’s not insignificant. But something else was lost.

The family lost its direction. It lost its role. And it lost its purpose. But most importantly, the family lost its vision. The Bible tells us many times that without vision, “the people perish.” The same is true of the family. Without vision, the family perishes.

While I wouldn’t say the change in business is the sole cause of this loss, it has played a role. As a result, the family is under attack and has been for decades. You’ve undoubtedly seen the effects in your own family or in families around you.

So what can you do to bring vision and purpose back to your family? All you have to do is follow some of the patterns businesses use to find success. One of the first things they do is figure out why they exist and what their goal is. A business will typically write this up as a vision statement.

Take some time to come up with a vision statement for your family. It doesn’t have to be anything long, complex, or sophisticated. In fact, keep it simple.

Sally and I took a vision statement created by Stephen Covey, the motivational speaker and author, and adjusted it for our family. Here’s what I came up with:

To love God…

To love each other…

To serve God…

To serve each other…

To wisely use our time, talents, and resources to bless God and others…

To worship God together…

Forever.

May God Bless and Keep You This Day Till Tomorrow

Written by Frank Neudecker and published on FrankNeudecker.com, January 1, 2012.

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