Can I clearly articulate my vision for the next ten years?

This is a question, I think, many people have asked themselves, and perhaps even felt a bit anxious about. Especially in the rapidly changing IT industry, let alone 10 years, it's hard to say what the world will look like even 3 years from now.

So, my view is: You can't, and don't need to, see it "crystal clear."

It sounds a bit contradictory, so let me give you an analogy:

It's like driving at night. You can't see the road 10 kilometers ahead; your headlights illuminate at most a hundred or two hundred meters. But do you need to see the entire journey clearly before you set off? No. You just need to see the road directly in front of you, keep driving, and you'll reach your destination.

Here, the "destination" is your 10-year vision. It should be a direction, a compass, not a map detailed down to every street.

Why can't it be a detailed map?

Because the world changes too fast. If you were an IT engineer 10 years ago, your plan might have been "to become a top Flash animator" or "to master Symbian system development." You see, if the plan is too rigid, it would be very awkward now. When a wave of technology hits, what was once the hottest thing can become obsolete in an instant. This is even more true for entrepreneurs; the market, user needs, and competitors are all constantly changing.

So, what should this "direction" or "compass" look like?

It should be related to who you deeply want to become and what problems you want to solve. These are more macroscopic and stable things. For example:

For engineers:
- "I hope that in 10 years, I can become an expert who uses technology to solve real business problems, not just write code."
- "I hope to delve into underlying technologies, become an architect in a certain field, capable of designing systems that support tens of millions of users."
- "I hope my technical skills can create some interesting and valuable products, even if they are small."
For entrepreneurs:
- "I hope that in 10 years, my company can solve a specific pain point for a particular group of people (e.g., the elderly, new mothers)."
- "I hope to build a team where employees feel a sense of belonging and accomplishment, creating a great company culture."
- "I hope to change the efficiency of a traditional industry through business model innovation."

You see, none of these visions specify what technology you must use or what product you must make. But they give you a criterion for judgment: Is what I'm doing now moving me in this direction?

So, how do you actually do it?

You can break down this 10-year vision into a "long-term, mid-term, short-term" goal combination:

10-year "compass" (direction): This is the grand, vague but firm vision mentioned above. It's responsible for keeping you from getting lost.
3-5 year "mid-term goals" (milestones): Based on your broad direction, set some more specific goals. For example, "become a technical lead for the team," "launch the first profitable version of the product," "accumulate 1,000 seed users." These goals should be challenging but reachable, providing you with motivation.
1-year "action plan" (navigation): This is the most specific part, about "seeing the road ahead." For example, "this year, learn Go language and build a project with it," "this year, read 10 books on management," "this year, conduct in-depth interviews with 50 potential users." This plan should be very clear, actionable, and measurable.

Finally, and most importantly: regular review.

Every year, or even every six months, you should pause and reflect:

How well did I complete my "action plan"?
Do my "mid-term goals" need adjustment?
Does my 10-year "compass" still excite me? Or, after this year's growth, do I have new ideas?

So, stop being anxious about "not seeing 10 years ahead." No one can see that far. Truly capable people aren't those with the ability to predict the future, but those who have a direction in their hearts, take action, and know how to constantly adjust their stance amidst change.

Most importantly, get the direction right, and then, just set off.