New Year’s Resolutions are out, and Vision Boards are in, for me at least. Vision Boards work because it is a process of using images to inspire reality.
A vision board is a visual representation of your dreams and desires. Comprised of images, words, quotes, and photos, it seeps into our subconscious and gives us clarity to take action to achieve what we want.
The thing about resolutions, is that they begin so soon after Christmas, while most of us are still in a white flour coma, perhaps with a New Year’s Brunch mimosa still in hand. Most people quit their resolution after 3 weeks, because it’s hard to jump into something new full force or quit something cold turkey.
The reason mid-January is the perfect time is because we need to create a little space between the stimulation of the holidays and the stillness of our souls.
Creating an impactful vision board first requires a little bit of journaling. For those of you that absolutely hate writing, keep it simple, ok? You have permission to use bullet points.
We need to first reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and failures and honor yourself. Look through last year’s calendar or your photos to jog your memory. We normally underestimate all we’ve done over the course of a year.
Pick three things that were most meaningful to you and why. Of all the things I accomplished professionally last year, what meant the most to me, was helping my mom navigate a new chronic disease. Being present to her without any ego or agenda, allowed me to stretch my heart to love. I don’t know who benefitted more.
The next step is to recognize disappointments and failures from the past year, and lessons learned. For me this also happened to be my mom’s illness because it was a loss of her health and vibrance, and the lesson was for me to focus on the next step, not the whole staircase. In other words, take life one day at a time, and resist fear of the future.
Next, design all the various facets of your life, and describe what you want in present tense, as if you already possess it. Be as descriptive as possible. For example, in my Intimacy arena I wrote, I am in a mutually giving relationship with my husband, honoring and respecting each other and make time for weekly date nights.
Do this for each of the following:
Self Image
Family
Wealth
Health – physical, spiritual, and mental
Friendship
Intimacy
Home environment
Contribution/service
Once you complete this, dream some more and write about what vacations you would like to go on.
What adventures would you like to have?
What are some traditions you would like to incorporate?
What are some hobbies you would like to explore?
Now the fun part…create your vision board. There are a few ways to do this online first, and then you can transition it to paper.
You can use a platform like Pinterest or Canva or you can just google images and copy and paste them to a document. On Pinterest, create a new board, Vision Board 2024. Search for images, words and quotes based on what you journaled.
Use the word “aesthetic” such as “beach aesthetic” when searching for the perfect pictures. You can even add your own family or pet photos.
Canva has vision board templates, and of course you can upload beautiful photos right on the site. These can be formatted to use as a laptop or phone background.
I like to copy and paste all my Pinterest images to a word document, print them out, and cut and paste with a glue stick, old school style.
Set the mood with a candle and a playlist to boost creativity. You can use a foam poster board. Take a large one and cut it in half or use paper and fit into a standard frame.
Your vision board becomes a tangible representation of your desires. Hang it where you see it every day. Your brain will start to look for the experiences and images you placed there.
I cannot believe that almost everything on my past vision boards came into fruition. I have heard this from my clients as well.
If you need help clarifying your goals, or designing a strategy for action, I am here to help! I challenge my clients to move forward through mindset work, resetting negative thoughts, encouragement, compassion, and accountability. Reply to this email for a free 30 min.call.