I’ve made a few vision boards in my day. Most of them were for inspiration but didn’t truly deliver the results I was looking for.
Until now. This year, I made FAR more money, lost weight, improved my mental health, and strengthened my most important relationships. So, what changed this year? What made it different?
Well, last year, after an incredibly rough year, I needed to feel like the captain of my own life.
Have you ever felt this way? You come to an impasse, and things need to change?
It’s how I felt. So, I decided to take my vision board and my goals seriously. I decided to keep with it as long as possible. To find strategies that made a difference. And this commitment worked.
But here’s the truth: it wasn’t the vision board alone. The board gave me a clear view of the path, and was essential to the results. Yet, it was a combination of efforts that allowed me to thrive. Here’s exactly how I did it:
I Got Very Clear on My Goals
First, I mapped out what I wanted my life to look like in the areas of health, personal development, career, family, and with my partner relationship. I wrote specific SMART goals to go with this. (Ex. I made $10,000 a month by December 31st.)
Also, I broke down many of my yearly goals into three-month timelines. Sometimes, a twelve-month goal allows me to make excuses and not get started because it’s too far away.
I Created the Specific Vision
Next, I used magazines to glue images and quotes that I found inspiring, then I made a digital board using online images and affiramtions as well.
I posted the tactile board in a high traffic spot and then I made my digital vision board the screen saver on my phone and computer. Anything you can put on your digital devices is an instant win because you see it frequently, and this as the most helpful!
I Used Other Strategies Too
As motivating as the vision board is, I used many other things to realize my aspirations.
First, I set positive affirmations as reminders on my phone. Five different sayings such as “you are fit, healthy, and beautiful” pop up five times a day for me to see with no effort.
I’ve written my specific SMART goals every day for the last year. I’ve had to change dates, but I’ve not strayed from the vision. And this is the single practice that kept my vision in the forefront of my mind. This has resulted in incredible progress.
And finally, I’ve practiced visualization a few times a week. I try as much as possible to see myself doing the things my pictures are inspiring me to do.
“You get what you focus on. So focus on what you want.”
Steve Mehr
I Got Accountability
Additionally, I can’t skip over the value of positive peer pressure. I read more books (resulting in huge profits for my business) because of a group challenge. And I lost weight because I sent food logs to my sister. I built systems in which I had to answer to someone. This was HUGE in my gains and I will continue to find ways to expand on this in the future.
In Conclusion
Here’s what I learned this year: slow progress is still progress. It may not feel like much (and it sure didn’t for months), but it builds over time. What started as a very tedious change of direction picked up steam and became easier over time. What took a great deal of effort to write what I’m grateful for, record my food, and read a book is now automatic – and makes my goals the reality I always dreamed they would be.
What about you? Have you made a vision board before? What strategies can you use to finally make your dreams a reality in 2022?
