Discovering a Vision for Your (Busy) Life
Do you have a vision for what you want to bring into your life in the next year? If you are like most busy moms, it can be challenging to even think about tomorrow or next week… let alone develop and monitor goals for yourself.
Sometimes I just zone out when I hear people talk about achieving goals. As a busy mom, most days I’m just trying to get through the day.
I remember when my children were infants and I was so sleep deprived I couldn’t even think about life goals. “What do I want in life? I have no idea… just to sleep through the night.” That was about as far as I could think at that time.
Many moms struggle with focus and concentration on setting intentional goals for their own lives. Our minds tend to run like a nonstop motor during the day. Beyond keeping the family running and going to work, most of us spend so much mental energy thinking about miscellaneous tasks like grocery lists, doctor’s appointments for the kids, and buying gifts for the next birthday party.
Plus, most of us are setting a ton of goals in many areas of life - whether it be for our team at work or for the family. But sitting down and setting goals for ourselves? That isn’t usually a priority. We don’t have the energy. We don’t have the time.
These are all legitimate reasons that limit us in setting goals…. and the reality is that if you don’t start envisioning your goals, you will continue to feel as though you are treading water in life. Let’s talk about taking baby steps towards helping you take movement towards your goals.
Goal Setting with a Vision Board
I’m about to say something I never thought I’d say in life: Goal setting can be fun. We are going to try and enjoy the process of goal setting by starting with an exercise that therapists and self-help gurus alike tend to recommend: creating a vision board.
A vision board helps you think big about the goals and dreams you want to bring into your life. Envisioning the life you want begins the process toward attaining your goals.
In creating a vision board, it is important to DREAM BIG and think outside the box. We will get to the nitty gritty of setting specific goals in next week’s blog. First you need to open your mind to the possibilities in life. Let’s get creative as you envision the life you want.
As Jack Canfield states: “visualization magnetizes and attracts to you the people, resources, and opportunities you need to achieve your goal.” In other words, by putting your vision out there in the world, you will begin to feel more motivated to make your goals a reality.
Here are 5 steps to setting intentional goals for your life with a vision board:
#1 Schedule the time to do it
If you don’t put it on the calendar, it doesn’t exist (and likely won’t happen). Sometime this month, mark off 2 hours where you can create a vision board.
Do it alone or invite some friends to create their own vision board with you! When you complete it with others, you can hold each other accountable in the coming months. Research shows accountability plays a huge role in whether or not we achieve our goals.
Please do not just think: “I’ll do this when I have some extra time.” This is almost a guarantee that it will not happen. Get it on the calendar, girl! Hire a sitter if you need to. Or, you could make this a family activity if your children are old enough to do their own vision board while you do yours. It’s never too early to get the kids thinking about their dreams.
#2 :Set up Your Space and Gather Materials for Your Vision Board
Set the tone for your night by setting up a relaxing space. What helps you relax and focus?
For me, it was putting lavender and peppermint essential oils in my diffuser (a nice mix that both relaxes and focuses me) and drinking a glass of wine alongside a close friend and my husband. We cleared off the dining room table and had the lights turned on brightly with some relaxing music in the background.
Next - gather the art materials. Start with a large piece of paper or poster board as your base. Bring out materials - markers, pens, paints, inspirational photos of you and/or others, and magazines with beautiful pictures to cut out. You’ll also need tape or glue for pasting the materials to the board.
#3 Create your Vision Board
Before you begin looking through your materials, it’s helpful to think about your goals. Create a list of the top 3-5 goals you’d like to begin working on (or achieve) in the next year. You can focus on one area of your life (such as: health, family, career) or create a general vision board for your life that encompasses all of these areas.
Sometimes it may feel too overwhelming to create a list. If this is the case for you, just start paging through the magazines, pictures, quotes and see what inspires you. What pictures, words of phrases jump out at you and help you feel energized and excited about life?
Once you have enough images, quotes, and photos, arrange them on your vision board. You can paint or color on the board and write inspirational words or quotes on the board in addition to the pictures.
I grouped my photos by different goals while my friend arranged hers in a way that was visually pleasing and inspiring to her. Remember- there is no right or wrong way to do this! Enjoy the process and appreciate yourself for putting some time into thinking about your dreams.
#4 Display your Vision Board
Place your vision board somewhere you can see it daily. You could place it on your fridge, near your bed, or somewhere more prominent in your house. Try to look at it - really look at it - every day and remind yourself of your goals. This isn’t a time to judge yourself, but a time to remind yourself of your larger vision for your life.
Remember— a vision board is a work in progress! It can be ever-changing. You can always add to it or change it as time goes on. Or you can make a new vision board as time goes on if you want to update it. If you’re feeling really inspired, you can make multiple vision boards for different parts of your life - such as relationships, friendships, career, education, children and family.
#5 Share your vision board (optional)
Once your vision board is complete, you may want to share it with close friends or family. If you choose to share it with others, it’s really important to share it with people who are supportive and will encourage you and not offer criticism or judgment about your vision board.
I would love for you to share a picture of your vision board with the Mama Be community. Please share it on our Facebook wall, or send it to drjessicalarson@gmail.com and I will share it for you!
Creating a vision board is a powerful way to take the first step toward remembering - and realizing- your dreams.
xo,
Jessica
