Back in the fall, while on a trip with a girlfriend, I was leafing through a magazine and came across an odd advertisement which said, “Who are you when the pattern changes?”
It captivated me.
You see, I’ve had a lot of change this year. I ended a romantic relationship, my career continued to evolve, and my teenage son insisted on being “older and wiser.” These changes shook up my life. Change – who am I when the familiar patterns change?
In light of the New Year and contemplating this question…I decided to open up to possibility in a new way. I have always done an annual plan, but this year I resolved to try a vision board exercise before sitting down with my plan. In case you aren’t familiar with the concept, a vision board is a collage you create with pictures and words you compile to bring a vision to life. It can be a very powerful exercise.
A vision board can center around something specific (like the dream of buying a new house or creating a successful business) or you can simply sit down and see where the exercise takes you. Not attached to a particular theme (I was feeling more open and “curious” about the future), I decided to create a board by meditating on this question: “What do I want more of in my life?”
So, after I determined a time and space where I knew I would be uninterrupted, I bought a large poster board, rubber cement, and about 15 used magazines. Tip: choose a wide variety of magazines when you start this process (mine included Oprah, food and travel magazines, and business magazines) to give your mind an opportunity to diversify your thoughts.
It’s very important to clear your mind and get centered before beginning on vision work. So, before I began to tear out pictures, I got very quiet, lit a candle, and went deep into meditation. I asked myself many questions: Who do I want to be? What do I want to do? What do I want to have? What is it time to let go of?
I meditated a long time on the path before me. What sights, sounds, colors, feelings, and experiences do I want? Or think I want?
Of all the questions I meditated on, “What do I want more of in my life?” kept coming to the surface. It is not a material question (though I suppose it can be that too). Instead I considered what feelings and experiences I want more of.
I cut and cut for days. (This may seem crazy, but I was on a mini vacation and nothing makes me happier than scissors and glue.) I did not judge any image. If it called to me, I cut it out and added it to the pile.
Throughout the process, I took breaks to meditate and cull through the seemingly random pile of pictures and words that had appealed to me in the moment.
Eventually, satisfied with my pile, I thoughtfully glued them to my poster board in a way I liked. At the center is the magazine phrase that started it all, “Who am I when the pattern changes?”
I truly love what I created. Sure, to you it may look like a bunch of magazine pictures glued to a board. But I find inspiration every morning because I look at it as I do my journaling and meditating.
It’s About Visualization
Vision boards work because they are a potent form of visualization. Every day you are visualizing what you want to call forth into your life. Some call this the “Law of Attraction” and others are inspired by the Olympic athletes who use this technique to successfully improve their craft. Whatever you call it, visualization is powerful. So, when you get tired of “goal setting,” try cutting out pictures instead. It truly does work in a way that almost feels magic.
Tweet ThisThe key is, a vision board should focus on how you want to feel.
Here’s a four min video of me talking about how to create a vision board.
Remember- what you focus on expands.
My board has pictures of travel; not because I will necessarily go see the pyramids of Egypt, but I love the feeling of adventure. There are paints and crayons on it because I want more creativity in my life. I love the feeling these pictures evoke in me.
Standing back, I found myself truly happy with what I had created. While not necessarily art, it is inspiring. Without a doubt, l love how it makes me feel. And when I look at it, I want to bring it to life.
The Annual Plan
After staring at my vision board for three weeks, I sat down in front of it to create my annual income and spending plan. I kept thinking, “How do I bring these feelings into my life?”
I found myself making new categories, like one for creativity classes. And I increased what I wanted to spend on travel, while balancing this with my retirement funding. I added more yoga classes because they had a significant presence on my vision board as well.
The year is young and my vision board is new. Determined to keep the momentum, I am buying a frame so I can hang my vision board in my bedroom and look at it daily. These visions are so engrained in my life and my plan now – in a way they never would have been if I hadn’t created the board. I have no doubt I will continue to find ways to bring it to life.
And you? How do you want to feel this year? Maybe you don’t know yet…
Whatever you want, I think a vision board can help you get there. Invite the magic of imagery and words into your consciousness. It’s not about setting goals, but creating a vision of how you want to feel.
Tip: find a picture of yourself and embed it somewhere in your collage. This is about you, after all, and the vision you have for yourself.
So, is it time to create your own vision board for 2016?
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