The traditional watch night services for some and parties for others are here to stay for celebrating the New Year.  This year, you can start your own daytime New Year’s Party tradition with the girls.  Send an e-mail asking them to join your Vision Board Themed New Year’s Day Party.  It is the perfect way to gain accountability for those new resolutions that usually fly out the window by January 15^th.

I made my first vision board in the summer of 2009 and I can’t remember for the life of me what sparked my interest in them.  I missed it on Oprah, although that is apparently where the popularity in vision boards sprang.  What I do remember is that I was hooked after spending the time to creatively display my goals visually and showcase it in the private space of my home as constant motivation and a daily reminder.

I got the vision board fever and shared the concept with everyone.  My women’s ministry made one at our Christmas Party with the outreach calendar for that year as the theme.

Then, when it was my turn to speak at the female Youth Detention Center, we made vision boards to support the topic of “Setting Goals”.

What is a Vision Board?

In my opinion, a vision board is just a BLINGED OUT “To-Do List”!  It is simply a collage of whatever visual images you want to use, primarily pictures that represent your goals and dreams.  It is closely associated with the Law of Attraction which basically states that “like attracts like” whether that be negative or positive. My book club read The Secret, which goes deep into this principle.  That book reinforced my belief that you do have to surround yourself with positive people and atmospheres if you want to have positive results in your own endeavors.  The vision board phenomenon is an innovative way to create that atmosphere in the home.

What you potentially need?

• Poster board or Push pin board
• Magazines, sales papers, newspaper (anything around the house you can cut picture from)
• Pictures of yourself
• Decorative stickers, autocollant letters
• Push pins, glue, or tape
• Scissors

How to do it

The first board I did was a general vision board divided into sections.  I cut out pictures that represented my personal goals and made categories.  In the center was my Women’s Ministry and Church involvement because; God is truly the center of my life and top priority.  The standard is a positive smiley picture of you in the middle.  There were designated spaces for everything else. My fitness goals, real estate investing, traveling desires, community contributions and time commitments, and desires for a family all had a section.  Additionally, I had random isolated items on the board, like representations for my recycling on the job plan, paying off student loans, and writing desires.  You can go as deep as you like placing the categories of your life/vision in certain spaces or you could be completely random.   As long as when you look at it, you remember what your thoughts were behind the creation.

The other option is to have a specific themed vision board similar to what my Women’s Ministry did.  You might make a vision board for your job, career, health goals, weight loss plan, business, ministry, community group, yearly calendar, education, and/or blog!

The final step is the most challenging.  Hang it in a visible location, put your vision into action and GO!!!

TIPS

• Use post its or fluorescent color marker to write dates under sections or images making them time specific
• I use pushpins to tack down images because my vision should change if I am using the board correctly and I don’t want to create an entire new board every time I check something off the to-do list
• If you are limited due to environment (such as I was while mentoring in the prison = no scissors), put on your creative thinking caps!  We got stickers from Michaels, Wal-Mart, and the Dollar Store that had all kind of themes as you can see from the pictures.
• Your local Christian Bookstore will have powerful affirmation stickers and popular scripture stickers to include throughout your board
• Sports themed packages of stickers/magazines have awesome ACTION words
• Nail shops, hair salons, and doctors’ offices usually have tons of old magazines lying around.  When you stop in one, ask them for a couple.

At (@) me on Instagram or twitter if you make one for 2013 or if you already have one and you just want to share.  I’d love to see your vision!

Rx Fitness Lady wants to know… 

• What else have you used to make your vision boards?
• How effective do you think visual aids are in achieving your goals?