Vision Board Your Way to an Extraordinary 2012!

What a fabulous holiday break.  We had a visit from Grandma Ellie and Grandpa Dan from Chicago and spent the holidays with friends and family. We even took a trip to ski in the snow. My two girls had their first ski lesson ever. One loved it and one was her fearless and reckless self. The best part about the break was that my husband, Ken, was off work too and we all got to be together for days on end. It was an absolute joy. Here is a picture of the kids after some sledding.

One of my favorite things about this time of year is – January 1st – the New Year – a new beginning full of endless possibility. Like most of you, I have some intentions and resolutions for 2012. I plan to laugh more, yell less, grow my business more, waste time less, spend more time with my family, email less, exercise more, eat less, give more and buy less. I feel absolutely invigorated when I imagine myself living this way in 2012.

Then, why, in a few weeks or months will these intentions and resolutions, for most of us, seem like songs we’ve long forgotten – you know – like the ones from the 80’s that we remember when we hear them, but NEVER consciously think about? Mostly, it is because we simply forget about our resolutions and resort back to our old patterns and habits as soon as the fresh excitement of possibility wears off.

I heard this interesting tidbit from a fellow coach a couple years back. Do you know how long people, on average, keep a New Years resolution? A month? Two weeks? A week? Actually is only for 72 hours! Goodness – how are we ever going to make lasting chJulie's Vision Boardanges at that rate?

Here’s a fun and simple tool that can really help. Make a Vision Board! Get out those colored markers, scissors (or scrap the scissors and just tear), favorite old magazines that have been piling up, poster board, glue and let’s get going. I made mine on New Year’s eve.  Our friends and 5 kids all made 2012 vision boards together.  Take a peek at mine here!

A Vision Board is a visual representation of who you want to be, what you want to have, and where you’re heading. It is a collage that you’ll hang up. The belief is that if you surround yourself with pictures and images of what it is that you most desire then it sinks into your cells and unconsciously (and consciously) you start to create exactly what you most desire.

Make Your 2012 Vision Board

(Here’s what I suggest, but please do be creative and let your inspiration and intuition flow.)

  1. First, get all of your materials together.
    • Poster Board or even just a plain old piece of paper
    • Markers
    • Magazines of subjects that excite or interest you
    • Glue
    • Scissors (or feel free to just tear)
    • Fun or inspiring music and a candle to help set the mood (optional)
    • Anything else you think you’d like to put on your Vision Board
  2. Set an intention for your Vision Board. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. If you are doing one for the New Year, your theme or intention might be, “All I Want To Be, Have and Create in 2012”. Take a few breaths and let the images, colors, sounds, smells and sensations of 2012 come to you. If you want, you can give 2012 a name – an actual name or metaphor that represents your main focus for the year. Write this down on the poster board or just keep it in mind as you head into the next steps.
  3. Collect Inspiration and Images. Flip through the magazines and tear or cut out the pictures, words or anything else that catches your eye and represents who you want to be and what you want to have and create in 2012. No need to glue anything just yet.
  4. Make it stick! When you are ready, arrange all the images on your poster board. Feel free to draw your own pictures or write your own words. Then, glue away.
  5. Front and Center! Hang your Vision Board someplace where you’ll see it EVERYDAY in 2012!! Give yourself a daily dose of what’s most important.

A Vision Board is something fun and simple that you can do quickly or take lots of juicy time to complete. But don’t take too long. 2012 is here. Don’t waste a minute of it – live a 2012 and life that is vivid and extraordinary!

Happy New Year!!

P.S. If you make a Vision Board, I’d love to see it. Email it to me and I’ll celebrate your amazing 2012 with you!

P.P.S. Also, if you want a clearer vision of what your amazing 2012 looks and feels like then download my Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!Year-End Audio Download where I’ll guide you through a 45-minute visualization to get you tapped into the vision and energy of your extraordinary 2012. Click here for more information.

Julie Zeff is a Life Coach for busy and working moms; Author of Vivid Living for Busy Moms: Coach Yourself to an Extraordinary Life – to be published in 2012; and a trained Forest yoga instructor building strength and flexibility with emotional and spiritual intelligence. Sign-up to receive her FREE Monthly Coaching Tidbits and 5 Anytime, Anywhere Breathing Tips by visiting: http://www.vividliving.net.

 

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