I know, I know – every year around this time your inbox and social media seem to be flooded with articles about goal setting and resolution-making.
And yes, this is another one. 
I understand that many people feel that the whole production of creating New Year’s Resolutions is old and cliché. I get it – I hear you. Why do you have to wait for the beginning of another year, another week, another season to create your goals and reset your expectations?
The reality is that you don’t have to wait at all.
You can begin any day, at any time.
But you have to admit that there is something inspirational and motivational about those designated dates.
Something about “starting on Monday” or “starting in January” makes the process of actually starting somehow easier.
And that’s ok.
No, I don’t think you need to wait until a Monday or a New Year to start whatever changes you want to implement in your life – but it also doesn’t mean that I am going to deter you. After all, any day is a good day to start, including New Year’s Day.
So, we agree.
There is nothing wrong with New Year’s Resolutions. They can be pivotal and motivational when done right.
They can be the proverbial kick in the butt to get us to initiate change and improvement.
What is not quite as easy is maintaining the changes, assessing effectiveness, and holding ourselves accountable. As a matter of fact, as February and March roll around, it becomes easy to forget what our resolutions were.
And if you forget, then you will fail.
I was the same way.
January 1st would come around and I was ready with goals for a healthier lifestyle, professional development, and wish list items. By summer I had forgotten most of them and was barely focused on the others. If I started out with 10 resolutions, I might accomplish 1 by the end of the year.
But then, many years ago, I was introduced to the concept of the Vision Board.
At the time, it was presented as a way of creating positive energy and focus to help “manifest my desires”.
I don’t know if it did that or not.
What I did realize, however, is that it forced me to spend some time really thinking about my goals for the year, visualizing what success would look like for me, thinking about the steps necessary to get there. Then I laid it out on paper and placed it somewhere visible to me on a daily basis.
In this way, my goals remained at the forefront of my mindset. I could not forget – and it’s amazing how just the simple act of “remembering” re-orients your decision-making towards those goals. The daily exposure keeps you focused and on the right path.
The vision board by itself is an incredible tool. When paired with other developmental tools, such as active goal setting, task lists, scheduled reassessments and timelines, the combination can be truly life changing.
Can I say that I complete every single goal on my Vision Board? No, I can’t.
Life happens and we need to be adaptable and resilient and be ready to make changes when necessary – but I can say that I have probably achieved at least 75% of my goals every single year since I started using this tool.
Added bonus – making the Vision Board is easy.
So easy that you can make it any way you like – big or small, intricate or ornate, plain or decorated.
My first board had about five or six goals. Today I have dozens.
My board consists of pictures, icons, and drawings that mean something to me personally. So, a picture of a cap and gown easily reminds me that I am almost done with graduate school and that I want to finish in 2020 by taking back-to-back consecutive classes.
In contrast, my kids (yes they have vision boards too) only have four or five items and they write their intention under the picture as a reminder of the specific goal they have in mind. My son’s vision board is literally a white poster board with a few pictures cut out, while my 11-year-old daughter has her board decorated with lots of pink, lots of stickers, and lots of unicorns. And that’s ok.
Remember the vision board is for you.
Choose the topics you want and the format that works best for you. It should be individualized and personal.
Today my vision board sits pinned above my desk. Years ago, when I didn’t have a dedicated office space in my home, my vision board stayed in my closet where I would see it every morning and every night, but it didn’t interfere with the aesthetics of my home.
The board is easy and the board works – but it only works if you do.
It is one tool in an arsenal for creating the life and future that you want for yourself.
Try it – at least for one year.
Keep it somewhere where you will see it every day – and then come back here next year and please share with me how you did.
I am excited for you. I know the vision board had a huge impact on my life – enough that over 20 years later I am still doing it – and I know that it can have a significant impact on yours as well.
It is an extremely simple concept but psychologically effective.
Create that board and share your pictures of it and your thoughts below!
Now go smash those goals and create the life you want!
