What is a Vision Board?

I love having a vision… seeing where I want to be- it keeps me moving. When you’re not exactly where you want to be, or you get to the place you want to be, if you’re not moving to maintain your place or to get there, you’re stale. Stagnant. Sitting, waiting. Letting life continually happen to you, instead of taking control and accountability of your life. Your purpose. Your place.

A simple way to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goal, is a vision board.

Did you know that people who WRITE their goals down are 40% more likely to achieve that goal, than those who just say they have a goal, want, or desire?

Making a vision board is more than writing, it literally is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life. It is the beginning of ending the dis-servicing idea that if you put it out there, the Universe sends it to you. The truth is that if you put it out there- if you focus on your vision, find clarity on not only what you want but why, then it comes to you because just that is a step towards reaching your goals.

Once you articulate what you want, you begin to gravitate towards the thought that it could happen. You envision yourself reaching that goal- what it means for you and your family, what it feels like, smells like, tastes like, sounds like. All of it.

That dream vacation? Adhering to your budget to get there will give you much needed rest. It will feel relaxing- like freedom. It will smell like the salty ocean breeze, or the rain falling in the forest, or the crisp mountain air. It will taste like French wine, like Italian espresso at midnight, like the perfect food truck taco. It will sound like gulls over the ocean, the hustle and bustle of tourists shuffling through the streets of Yokohama, days of music at the festival of a lifetime.

What’s the point?

We humans tend to be a very busy species and constantly bombarded by distractions. We’ve also come to glorify this idea of busy. It has come to define us as better than or more purposeful, just being busy. But is being busy truly something we need to celebrate?

Of course, we all get busy- I get it. I Uber the family from one thing to another, and until recently, I allowed my days to cloud with very few lines drawn- time blocks bleeding into each other. In truth, I was just taking water onto my sinking ship, instead of plugging up the holes where distractions took me away from things that actually meant anything to our lives.

My children were no better because their time was always filled.
I was no better because I was always doing, calling, writing, texting, typing, emailing people. Always saying yes. Not giving myself permission to embrace selfcare and give meaning to my life.

So, I made a vision board. In doing so, I fulfilled several purposes that vision boards offer everyone:

• Identify your vision and give it clarity.
• Reinforce your daily affirmations.
• Keep your attention on your intentions.

Clarity

You need more than a goal of “a better life” or “more money”. WHY. Your why must be defined.

In gaining clarity, you will also gain perspective and understanding. This is a driving force to achieving your goals. Wanting a better life could mean becoming healthy so you live a long, fulfilling life and are there to raise and be with your children. More money may mean less stress at home to make ends meet, and saving for retirement.

Actively seeking specific goals, and images that represent your goals, will give your even more vision into what life will be like when…

You cannot get what you want if you don’t really know what you want. Bring clarity into your general desires and then you’ve created an achievable goal!

Affirmations

My vision board has some of my favorite quotes and words that motivate me- it’s also in my office, so I can see it every day. Give yourself positive reinforcement to affirm your intentions. You can always dream- now you have to believe! 

Our minds are always talking to us, and we can control whether that voice is supportive or limits us with negative selftalk and disbelief. Life is not about everything you’ll never have, be, do, or feel. It is about what is possible! Your vision board will become your voice of what is just on the horizon!

Focus

Last year I was distracted… by everything. Each vibration, blinking light, ring and bell alerted me that something somewhere was happening. And for some reason I bought into the idea that I had to know. Just as I had to do everything and say YES to everything, I also had to be in the know. Knowing everything is very time consuming, and hinders actually living your life. It’s hard to start your day when you’re always busy looking at the lives of others.

Under the self-imposed obligation to know everything, life itself becomes daunting, and I ended up spending days just trying to dig out of one Reddit rabbit hole or Facebook argument after another. I chased down emails of potential clients to follow up on items that were not conducive to moving my business or life ahead, with little to no focus on why I was doing these things.

What was my end game here?

I ended up in toxic places, filled with emotions of hurt and anger at The World, and missing out on opportunities to enjoy my work, my home, my friends, my children, and my husband. I became too focused on how unfocused I was that 2016 was just overwhelming as a whole. It wasn’t a bad year, but I can’t exactly tell you what I did either…

By using a vision board, you are automatically put in a position to reframe each day into a focused, purposeful 24 hours. You see what you want- you’ve set your intentions as a physical reminder… now what do you have to do to get there? It is a constant reminder of where you intend to be, which is appealing to both your conscious and subconscious- your mental and physical beings.

With focus, you are now in control of the direction you go in.

Now is your time

We all have a legacy, so I want you to quickly close your eyes and imagine archaeologists digging up our world in 1,000 years.

What will they find? What will they say about you?

In my mind I’ve been found, and the history books are full of colorful pages of a woman who loved life.

Chelley Martinka was a wife and mother. Her passion for her family was relevant in all her actions, and her pride in a strong family unit were tied to how she lived her life each day. Sometimes life battled her, but she weathered the storms of depression and remained strong in her convictions. Chelley Martinka was a woman who loved wholly and believed in caring for her community, as far reaching as it was, in all aspects. From advocacy to mental and physical health, she was a warrior.

Now what do I have to do to live in this manner so that this is how I am remembered?

I must be better. My actions each day must hone my many interests and concentrate my actions to make a difference, and enjoy the life I have been given and the life I have made. If I want the writing in my blogs to be better, I must study my profession – join a writer’s group, take a photography course. To advocate better and be an ally, I must listen to my peers and take action on my words.

And I must have the vision to do so.

As we come to the end of the first quarter of 2017, I urge you to make your own vision board. You can get started quickly using a magnetic/dry erase board- adding photos with magnets and then writing your affirmations directly on the board. This is a great way to do it because you can change or rearrange your vision board on a whim.

Or create an online version in pic monkey, or canva- both free- and set the image as the background on your computer and all of your devices! And if you’re feeling creative, as I was, grab some poster board and get hands on. Take those middle school collage skills and cut up some magazines and printouts, use glitter glue and big, bold letters, and give life to your vision. No more excuses… you own your vision now! Be a goal digger this year!

What’s on your vision board for the year?