The short answer is Yesssssssss! Take a moment to consider your life five years from now, the year is 2019 — What does your life look like? What are you doing? Are you living within purpose, doing what you love? What goals have you accomplished? Who are you serving and how are you utilizing your gifts and talents? What does your family life look like? Together, you can easily consider these answers to be your vision for 2019! Now, imagine using words, pictures, quotes, and symbols to clearly represent your vision — that’s a vision board! Representing your desired destination, your vision board will keep you focused and inspired as you make strategic moves toward its manifestation. Below are seven critical elements to help you create and leverage it like a master visionary!
Get Out of Your Head – Having a vision in your head is good, transitioning it to paper (e.g., a vision board) is powerful. Not only is it a declaration of the future you desire, it also speaks to you believing it can actually happen. The act of aligning your head and heart to create one will only serve to significantly maximize your effort.
Kick Feasibility to the Curb – Feasibility has its place but there’s no room for it in the vision board process. It’s important to silence any temptation that questions why it could never happen, why it’s too big, too hard, too late, can’t work, or why you don’t deserve it. In essence, your vision board is not about the how, it’s more about the what. Therefore, abstain from thinking about how things will happen, instead engage in dialogue that focuses solely on what you want to see happen.
Go Big “or” Go Home – Here’s a hint, if your vision board can be manifested tomorrow, your vision is way too small. So, take the limits off and dream — dream big! Get out of your head and let your heart do the talking. Dare to respect and accept what your heart has to say without doubt or judgmental interruptions. As much as intellect has its place, the heart is where your gifts reside, so let it lead in casting your vision. As an extraordinary human being you have nothing to lose by trusting your gut and listening to your heart. In fact, doing so can only serve to help you create a big opportunity to explore a destiny that’s uniquely yours.
Seeing is Believing – It’s your vision so be free to use pictures, sayings, quotes, words, and themes that speak your truth in a way that’s most meaningful to you. Then, place it on a wall where you can be inspired daily and keep your eyes on the prize. And, use your technology to your advantage and take a picture of your board and put it in every place that makes sense to you (e.g., your bathroom mirror, computer screen saver, treadmill, fridge, wallet, and the like). Remember, the more you see it, the more chance it has to motivate and drive your actions within your journey.
Haters Out, Partners In – Simply, choose to share your vision with one to three people who can encourage and/or help you manifest it. With a big vision, everyone shouldn’t be given access to it — mainly because who can’t handle it can easily become saboteurs. In other words, don’t give your haters access to your vision to discourage or use it against you. And, dare to let those who know hold you accountable to your progress. As accountability partners, they can help you think outside of the box, stay the course, ask the tough questions, and remain focused.
Actions Are Priceless – Now that your vision board is ready to go, your actions will be the key to forward movement. Taking daily strategic steps toward realizing your vision also solidifies most visions as a distance run versus sprinting mentality. The journey is sure to have bouts with inclement weather, hills, valleys, challenges, fear, and a fair share of “no’s”, but press forward despite how it looks. When football players run, they do so with their bodies leaning forward. Doing so helps them gain the greatest yardage if they fall. Your vision is powerful and so are you. So lean in and expect nothing less than attracting exactly what you need to bring the vision to past.
A Divine Align – Surrender is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it’s just the opposite. The ability to flow with the tide versus resist to the point of exhaustion and ultimate sabotage is courageous. In a spiritual context, your vision board is a call to your Creator that you are ready for change and whatever it takes to get you there. And, remember, a vision board that is created to serve one person is not a vision board, it’s an ego trip. When your board reflects blessings for both you and others you are best positioned to make great things happen and have significant run-ins with gratitude along the way.
Dr. Nicole LaBeach is a success strategist who has changed the lives of all who dared to strive for their personal best. She represents a new generation of life, relationship, and executive coaches. Dr. Nicole is the CEO of Volition Enterprises, Inc., a premiere personal and professional development firm. Please visit her website: www.askdrnicole.com.
