Success: In-Vision It!

Don’t wait to start “in-visioning” your goals now!

Now is a good time to reflect on what you want in life.  Are you currently on the path to the life you want?  If not, don’t wait until next year to set your new year’s goals.  “In-vision” the life you want now!

In the summer of 1998, I was in an emotional rut after I broke off a wedding engagement.  To help inspire me, I organized goals I wanted to accomplish in a visual journal.  This form of “vision boarding” was long before John Assaraf’s story of attracting the home of his dreams, the movie “The Secret,” and the term “The Law of Attraction” became popular.  It worked to manifest what I wanted in my life as well as for my family and my clients!

A “vision board” (also called a “Creativity Collage,” “Dream Board,” or “Treasure Map”) is a platform on which you attach images of what you want to have, experience, achieve, or become.  Having a clear picture of what you want in your life helps you attract it.

Although there are numerous methods to creating a “vision board,” here are some general steps.  Choose what works best for you.

1. ASSESS:  What do I want in my life? You can assess aspects of your life around which to set goals, or create a list or mind map of your ideas.  You can write, doodle, or flip through magazines for goals ideas.  You may already have a special goal in mind.  Start somewhere to get an idea of what goals you are working toward.  Once you have a goal in your life, expand on it by brainstorming on ideas and focusing on the positive aspects of what you want.
   1. Think Big: Brainstorm on ideas.  Don’t eliminate ideas at this point.
   2. Think Positive: Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want.
   3. Use Your Senses: Put down words representing what it looks like and feels like.
      
2. COMMIT: What is my goal? A vision statement is a way to commit to your goal.  It is a vivid description of a desired outcome that inspires, energizes, and helps you create a mental picture of your intended goal.  Tips for creating the statement:
   1. Be affirmative: “I will achieve a 3.8 GPA for this school semester” vs. “I will try to achieve …”
   2. Be Specific: “I will find a relationship,” vs. “I will be in a mutually caring and loving relationship with a handsome man.”
   3. Be Positive: “I will eat healthy food,” vs. “I will not eat candy bars, cookies, and chips.”
      
3. IN-VISION:  What does my goal look and feel like? Once you have a goal in mind, put together the visual representation with these three basic materials:
   1. Platform: The foundation upon which you will create your “vision” can be poster board, journal, construction paper, computer program (i.e., PowerPoint), notebook cover, refrigerator magnet, pin board, YouTube, door, road sign, etc.  Be creative!  My favorite is a magnetic board for ease of change.
   2. Images: What thoughts, feelings, and images represent your goal accomplishment?  This can include pictures, words, or phrases.  For pictures, look through magazines or do a Google Image search on a subject (money, love, relationships, career, etc).  Include key words you like, poems, short stories, or affirmations, phrases.  Use scrapbook paper, stickers, markers, or fabric.  Hold your goal in mind to make sure your chosen images and words are in alignment.  Make sure to include a picture of yourself.  Keep it positive, be creative, and have fun!
   3. Adhesive: Depending on the platform you use, “adhesives” may include glue, tape, magnets, rubber cement, thumb tacks, or simply Ctrl+X and Ctrl+V.  Make sure the adhesive doesn’t ruin your images.  For example, glue sticks are better than Elmer’s glue.
      
4. ACTION:  How do I make my vision become a reality? Posting your vision “board” where you can see it daily along with a change of attitude helps to produce positive mental images of those plans and goals.   The Law of Attraction believes that your actions will stem from focusing on your intention.  I believe you also have to be clear on some action steps.  For example, I would want you to try to improve your grades by studying more, talking with the teacher, or getting a study buddy versus not studying or skipping class.  You have to take some action!  Steps might include:
   1. Date: By … (within the next 12 months)
   2. Vision Statement / Intention: I will …
   3. Behaviors: Within the next week/month, I will …
   4. Impact: When I have accomplished my goal, I / my family / my business / my community will …
      
5. REVIEW:  How do I remember my goals? Place your visual in a prominent place where you will see it on a regular basis – bathroom mirror, steering wheel of your car, refrigerator door, ceiling above your bed, screensaver, journal or notebook cover for work, etc.

I made a lot of progress with my “vision journal” in the summer of 1998.  By April 2000, I accomplished my three biggest goals: traveled to Europe for work (three times), started my doctoral program, and built my home.  Using the same process, I attracted the man of my dreams back into my life again – my first love and high school sweetheart.

Life has so much to offer us.  However, to quote Yogi Berra, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else.”  I challenge you to take charge of what you want in your life.  Create a visual that ignites your senses.

What does your future hold for you?  Don’t wait… “In-vision” it now!