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Tips To Visualize A New Storyline For Your Best Ever You!
“Your past is just a chapter, not the whole book.” —Jane Enright
Many things in life, from the weather to other people’s choices and behaviors, are beyond our control. On the flipside, how we respond or react to external situations, or to the ups and downs of life, is something we can control. Our perspective impacts our thoughts, moods, and daily life, and helps us manage our external world. Our perspective can also make the difference between a super rotten day—or life—and a super awesome one.
In other words, happiness is an inside job. You don’t find happiness, you create it. It is our responsibility to shift our perspective, define what we want our life to look like, and cultivate a solid life plan to make it happen.
Nonetheless, as individuals, we are often creatures of habit. We tend to do things the way we have always done things, and it is common for us to think we are the sum total of what we have accomplished to date.
Usually, it is a fear of change that keeps us cinched in the status quo. Most people are resistant to change because change takes us out of our comfort zone: that place—good or bad—where we know things are predictable. The comfort of monotony is often stronger than conquering a fear of the unknown. This thinking can lead to a cycle of predictability, and to falling into the trap of rewriting the same chapter of the story of our lives over and over again. The good news is that, by changing our perspective, we can change our habits and begin to write a new and improved storyline for our lives.
Imagining success comes more naturally for some than others. Children, because of their innocence, have unlimited capability to visualize and believe. Until someone plants a seed in a child’s head and tells them they cannot do something, they naturally believe they can do anything. What most people fail to grasp is that, to be effective at visualization, just seeing what you want to happen in your life is not enough. You need to have faith and truly believe what you want to happen actually can happen. The more details you can visualize about your goal or desire, the more real it will seem. When this occurs, your brain’s natural problem-solving processes go to work to help you develop a plan to successfully obtain what you want.
For some people, seeing is believing. This is where a tool such as a vision board can be useful to organize your thoughts and help kick-start your imagination in a more positive direction. A vision board is a collage, a snapshot of words and pictures that represent the goals and dreams you are aiming to achieve (planned change). The purpose of a vision board is to prompt your imagination so you can bring everything on it to life. You can use vision boards for inspiration to identify—and initiate—planned change.
The start of a new year is a great time to set intentions and look for ways to make positive changes in the months to come. This can include awakening to mindfulness—in other words, observing yourself, your behavior and patterns, as well as what makes you happy and unhappy. Next, you can set new intentions that align with positive activities, new routines, and rituals that reinforce your new mindset and goals.
As you journey through January, begin to think about the storyline of your life that you would like to read a year from now. Then, let’s get started together!
Vision Board Tips To Inspire A New Chapter
Think about different areas of your life that you would like to see a change in, such as relationships, career, finances, home, social life, spirituality, and personal growth.
Handwrite your goals on a piece of paper.
Understand that each area does not have to be covered in the same detail.
Using pictures from magazines or the Internet, hand-drawn images, or your own photos, create your collage. Organize into categories or be more free-flowing—your choice!
Your vision board should reflect the types of goals and dreams you have. It can be themed, organized into categories, or a little messy. It’s really up to you.
Personalize when possible; use affirmations or keywords to describe the feeling you will have when you achieve your goal.
Let your creativity shine! For example, if you want to sell your house, take a picture of your house with a SOLD sign and a great selling price. If you are publishing a book, tack up the cover with a 5-star critic’s rating underneath it. Do you want to play an instrument? Put a picture up of yourself playing it. If you want to adopt a healthy lifestyle, include pictures of yourself being active and photos of nutritious foods.
Display your vision board where you can see it daily.
Look at your board for a few minutes each day so you can visualize your progress, get inspired, and think about how you will feel when you accomplish your goal.
Consider pairing your board with a journal to track your progress.