Get what you want this year

I wandered past my colleague Donna’s desk yesterday and was transfixed. Beside her computer she’d displayed a beautiful collage of images—everything from girls at the beach, to dreamy custard tarts and cute old school cameras. “It’s my vision board,” she explained sheepishly. “It reminds me of my dreams and what I want from my year ahead.”

I looked up blogs on how to make my own, and what they do for you.

Bang. I found the light: a web and self-help guru, Gwen Bell.

Gwen says that vision boards—collections of images that resonate with your dreams/ambitions—are the first place to start when creating your personal manifesto. Wait! Stay with me: this is no new-age babble. It simply means the board is your take on life and your map for where you wanna go. Here’s what triggered her to make one: 

“I created my first vision map in sixth grade. The court required I go see a therapist after my mom died. Faced with this fact, I guess the therapist, sweet, well-meaning Melissa, knew it would be a good idea for me to do something with my hands. She assigned me the task of going through magazines and finding images of "strong women"—women I could see as role models. My grandmother bought me a massive piece of cardboard from the supermarket on which to paste the images. It was a vision map of the woman I was to become.”

Essentially, vision boards keep you focussed on your goals.

Make one for 2015 so you can work out what you want—the board reminds you of this, while also keeping you on track (displaying it is a constant reminder and motivator). Here’s how, according to Gwen:

• Gather your supplies. Magazines of all genres, glue, markers, pens, cardboard in all sizes, scissors, water, music, snacks- (Yep, you’re heading back to Kindy for an hour or two)
• Place the mags in the middle of the room. Set yourself an hour to cut out any image that speaks to you. Inevitably an article will catch your eye that you want to keep. That's good. Cut it out and put it to the side. Don't engage it right now. Focus on cutting out images that resonate.
• Once the hour is up, take a break. Get some air. Drink water and then get the cardboard and paste and markers.
• Assemble your vision map. Don't be afraid to glue things that make no sense. Pretty images, frightening images. Doesn't matter. If it speaks to you, put it on there. I've seen all sorts of maps—those with a lot of white space, those (usually my own) with so many images I run out of space and have to start pasting on the back.
• Have your map laminated. Refer to it during days when you don't know what you're doing with your life (we all have them!)
• Note: add a photo of yourself to the map—will help you really visual yourself living this life.