Over the years, I’ve created vision boards for a variety of purposes. A vision board contains a visual representation of what is important in your life and those items that you want to have in your life, but they are not in your life, yet. A vision board can represent your ideal life. The benefit of a vision board is it keeps in front of you what you have determined to be important in your life. It’s a daily reminder, a powerful visual reminder, of what you want to create in your life and it keeps you focused. It can consist of photos, empowering statements, words, designs, representations of life that are important to the creator.
Here’s my original vision board:
As I was working my way through my divorce, I decided that rather than create a vision board for the new life I desired, this time I would create a vision scrap book. Rather than using a single, large poster board, I bought a scrap book and dedicated one page to each area of my life that I wanted to design and create with intention.
When I created my vision scrap book, I wanted to feel a special inspiration to guide my vision of my new life. I packed up a creative bag and spent a couple of days in Sedona, Arizona to be inspired by its magnificent beauty and breathtaking views.
What did I include in my creative bag, you ask? Here is a list of my creative tool kit: a variety of magazines to find representations of the life I want to create, colored pens and markers, colored paper, a poster board or scrap book for mounting the photos, a glue stick, inspiring wisdom cards, candles, charms and some favorite food. Before beginning the creative fun, I find it helpful to set the intention of what I want to create and meditate on my intention. Then, let the fun begin.
Once complete, I kept the scrap book near me and reviewed it every day to keep my focus on what I’d decided was most important in my life. There’s tremendous power and energy in keeping in front of you what is most important and reminding yourself what you’re working towards.
As I look at my current vision board and scrap book, many items on it are already in my life. They serve as encouragement to continue the process, keep my priorities in front of me and focus on the results. And have some fun in the process.
Let me share some of my results from the Vision Scrap book I created during my divorce as I was defining my new version of my ideal life that I desired to live into:
My Ideal Location – I was living in Arizona and I wanted to live among the vineyards in Napa with rolling hills, beautiful, bold colors, full seasons, beautiful trees and blue skies filled with clouds.
My Current Location – in Napa! I moved to Napa within months of creating my Vision Scrapbook.
My vision for my Ideal Life included painting, having dogs and horses in my life, enjoying an active lifestyle, writing a book, painting and engaging in a fabulous community.
My Current Life: I adopted a German Shepherd, Teddy Bear, who sadly passed away in January. I now have my own art studio to create art. I’m actively engaged in my community. I volunteered with horses. And I wrote the first draft of my book.
It is difficult to say what is impossible for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. ~ Robert H. Goddard
My Ideal Fitness is pushing my limits to create a finely tuned, healthy body with weight training, running trails, yoga, meditating and massage.
My current life – I ran the first of many 7 mile trail races around the stunning Angel Island. I ran my first half marathon trail race in the rain in Napa, followed by several more half marathons on various mountain trails.
And I took first place in my age category for one of my half marathon trail races
Remember to celebrate the victories. I never intended to win this race. I ran this race to simply do my best. Miracles happen when you simply give your best for the sole purpose of giving your best and not to beat any external measuring stick.
And the sparkling victory was completing my first Spartan race. The night before the race, I watched videos of the obstacles, then I visualized myself doing the obstacles. I finished in the top 20% of my age category, which I greatly attribute to the visualization practice.
My ideal life includes travel, art, enjoying San Francisco and traveling to Italy.
My current life – I live within an hour of San Francisco, I traveled to Italy where I attended an art, yoga and writing retreat, I visited art museums, and explored Florence and the Tuscan Hills.
“If you want to keep your memories, you first have to live them.” Bob Dylan
I share all these photos with you not to brag about my life (although it is pretty AWESOME!), but to show you what is possible. At the time I created my vision scrap book, NONE of the visions existed in my life. I created my life from the vision I outlined in my scrap book, which was also in alignment with my dreams, my ideal day and the intentions I set. Are you starting to see the power of how all of this works together?
Are you ready to create your vision of your ideal life? Let’s get to it! You can create a traditional vision board and use a poster board, or you can create a vision scrap book and break out your vision to specific areas of your life, or you can create an art journal filled with your vision, or you can use Pinterest, or …. Let your imagination inspire you and follow your heart. Set some time aside, gather your creative tools, turn on some music, set your intention, and put your future vision in action!
“What you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.” Paul J. Meyer
My entire life has been in the pursuit of what stirs my heart, daring to follow it and having the unstoppable conviction to achieve it. Purpose, passion and values aligned to create my path while audacity nudged my courage to help me excel at taking on big change to go after it.
I am here to help you find your way and learn how to confidently use your authentic voice, unlock your potential and courageously build a purposeful life you love!
Carpe Diem!
Wow Joan that is so inspiring!! Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks Sunshine! It’s been quite the life. I’m creating a new vision board for the next chapter!
Thanks Joan! Loved reading this. Happy for the killer results and success you have achieved over the years! I will stop procrastinating and make my vision board and this was a great stimulation to get started! Thanks again!
Nic
Thanks for smile! Look at all that you’ve created without having a vision board – imagine the possibilities of taking your vision to an entirely new level when you create your vision board!! I’m excited to see where it takes you! Be sure to share it with me!
Carpe Diem!
Joan