As I watch the build up to the UK election in May I am struck by the closeness of and uncertainty of the race and also by the lack of a party with a true vision for the future of the UK. Sure the parties all have policies and their manifestos admirably set out what they will do for the economy, the health service etc.

But I don't see any real attempt to look ahead five years and see what sort of people we could be and what sort of country we might become. From that vision the party concerned could work back to the present and establish policies to get there.

That is how successful businesses like Apple operate. They see what the technology of the future could be and develop the products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad that will take us there.   

It works on a personal level as well. Having a vision of where you want to get to helps inform day to day decisions and to prioritise. It can provide a road map when the going gets tough and some reassurance for difficult times and focus for good times.

It's a Sunday evening and I am contemplating work tomorrow and regretting the end of the weekend. I anticipate suffering from Monday morning blues. And of course it is better to be with your family or enjoy whatever form of recreation your weekend provides.

However I remember an Australian I met in Tokyo on a business visit. As we travelled to the office we were to work in on the punctual but crowded metro I asked him how he was doing. He said "I am just glad to have woken up this morning and be alive for another day." He was half joking but he has captured a real truth.

I watched my mother's physical and mental health decline in her eighties in an old people's home. Actually my Australian colleague was right. It is a privilege to wake up for another day and so what that it's a working one? It is still about being alive and appreciating  whatever comes to pass even if times are difficult at your work. There are always things to do and to learn from. At work or at play.

Visiting somewhere well known like a holiday home in France means gaining a greater in depth understanding of the location than a fleeting visit can afford.

This is the absolute opposite to the idea of visiting as many countries as possible in a week like the American tourist who "does Europe" in seven days. There is nothing wrong with this and it is very rewarding, but in a different way. The most you can gain is a fleeting if memorable impression.

Staying at the same place year after year provides a richer tapestry of experience. You find not just the obvious crowded beaches or restaurants but the quieter less well known ones.

The same is true in a work context: repeating an outsourcing project for the tenth  or twelfth time provides a far deeper appreciation of the task and an ability to learn and contribute more.