If all the things I put off until tomorrow happened my life would be incredible. There are many vacations, adventures, and dreams that I want to accomplish. I just end up so buried under the day-to-day hustle and bustle of my life that I put it off. It’s not until I get a quiet vacation moment that I remember all the fabulous things I’d been waiting to do with my life. But then life kicks up again and I lose focus.
My greatest fear is to look back on life with regret. I will not be buried under “shoulda, woulda, coulda’s…” Lost in a rant one day, my good friend suggested I try a vision board.
A vision board is a collection of pictures, words, or sayings that represent something you always wanted to accomplish. It can be anything that you desire to do or to be one day. Maybe you always wanted to take a trip to Vegas so you put up a picture of the Vegas strip. Maybe you want to eat better so you put up inspiriting fitness quotes. Perhaps you want to be promoted to a better position so you print out the job description and post it up there.
I immediately thought she was crazy.
How in the world would pictures of places I want to visit, jobs I want to do, or inspirational mantras get me from my “what if” life into an “I did” life?
But nothing else had worked so there I stood, in the arts and crafts section, debating glitter colors and paper choices. I overwhelmed myself and left with nothing.
I sat on the edge of my bed discouraged. “How can I have visions if I can’t even do the simple part – making a fabulous board to put the visions on!?”
In frustration, I grabbed a piece of paper I had around the house and drew a happy stick figure on a balcony overlooking some scenery. It looked a mess. But it represented me (because I drew curly hair) in my new apartment that I want, in a new city. I taped it to the back of my door and sat down. I stared at it and thought “some vision board…” and went to bed.
The next day I was reading an article about switching careers. The woman explained how you can quit, pursue your dreams, and not be homeless. I carried it around in my bag for a few days. Right before it was crumpled beyond recognition I haphazardly taped it up on my door next to my happy (yet pitifully drawn) stick figure.
A scripture and mantra floated through my inbox because I have great friends and they sense when I’m frustrated. I printed those out and taped them up to the other pictures. I wrote my name on my favorite color paper and put “author” next to it.
I taped that there too.
About a week later I had the most colorful version of a hot ass mess on the back of my door. My vision board looked like the crayon box threw up but it meant everything to me. I’d finally vocalized those deep hidden desires and dreams that I usually only thought about every now and again. My vision board wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t even neat. But it was mine and it held my whole heart.
Time went on and I sat on the bed one day looking at the board and had an epiphany. Some of these things were coming to pass.
Since the article was right there, I read it often and decided “hey I can do that too!” I set my plan in action and I’m in the process of switching careers. I wrote some things about being in balance (mind, body, spirit) and before I know it I was up exercising a bit more, or meditating/praying, and feeding my mind intellectual food. I picked a new city and wouldn’t you know I saw an apartment with the same view I had on my board?
The vision board wasn’t some magical alter that made my dreams just come true. Instead it was a constant reminder. My dreams stared at me waiting to manifest. It’s as if some life coach was on my shoulder every day bringing up memories of things on my board.
I thought about a trip I wanted to take all the time because it was on my board. Whenever I had a spare moment, I’d start researching it and thinking of the plans. Because I was reading the words (or seeing the pictures) my usual subconscious thoughts were now part of my conscious mind. I remembered more what mattered to me and I worked on it little by little.
Is everything coming true? No. In fact, the more I consciously thought about some things the more I decided it wasn’t really what I wanted – so I took those things down. Would I have accomplished some things without the board? I’m not sure. I honestly believe it would have taken me longer because the hardest part of pursuing a goal is getting started and staying the course. The board helped me to do both of those things.
Most importantly, there’s an indescribable joy when you put up a dream and then you actually do it! Instead of wondering “what if” I accomplished this, I’ve moved into a place of “I did” accomplish this.
If you are having trouble getting motivated to do something, I suggest you try a vision board. It doesn’t have to be gorgeous, but it does have to be sincere. Dig deep and speak life to those things you always wanted to do.
And remember, stick figures are perfectly okay.
– For more articles from Dee Rene visit her own blog over at LaughCryCuss.com
