I don’t do New Year’s resolutions, but I do love starting the year by creating a vision board. This year I decided to invite a group of amazing women to join me and start the year by hosting a vision board party to create a clear vision of what we want to achieve. I’m a big believer of manifestation and the idea that we become what we think and what believe. And visualization is one of the most powerful exercises you can do. When you see yourself living your dreams and doing all the things you want to do, you start to feel all of the feelings associated with whatever is that you want. And then the universe will conspire to help you get it. So get your friends, some food, a few bottles of wine, and use these 10 tips to help you host your own awesome vision board party!
Supplies you will need:
- A poster board for each guest (I get them from Dollar Tree for 2 for $1).
- Markers
- Magazines
- Glue sticks
- Scissors
- Index cards
1. Make a list of people who you would like to invite to your vision board party. Be sure to ask them to bring their goals for the year as well as some old magazines and scissors if you don’t think you have enough for all of your guests.
2. Decide what kind of food you will serve or if you will make it a pot luck gathering. Since it’s January and most of us are trying to recover from “eating season” I decided to keep it light and serve veggies, dip, pretzels, tortilla chips, salsa, cheese and crackers. And as much as y’all know I love dessert, I resisted my urgeto serve somethingsweet.
3. Consider having someone in your network be a guest speaker at your party. Since mind and body are so closely connected, I invited a fitness trainer to talk about some simple things we could dofor a few minutes each day toget our heads in the game and get fit during the new year.
4. Provide an organized, clutter-free workspace to boost creativity. I added a few motivational quotes to each table to set an inspirational environment.
5. When it comes to making your vision board, there is no right or wrong way to do it. I like to look at my board in terms of categories. Decide if you willhave your categories drive your goals or have your goals determine your categories. Typically, I choose 3 or 4 categories to focus on and add my goals to each category. Some category examples include health/fitness (including self-care), professional, family, spiritual, financial, travel, and educational. Then I add my goals under each category. They key is not to choose too many categories or too many goals. While it’s great to have big ideas about all you are going to accomplish this year, adding a laundry list of goals and categories can leave you feeling overwhelmed before you even start.
6. Once you have settled on your categories and goals, skim your magazines to find images and words that represent your goals. Also be sure toadd items that make you feel good or are associated with positive memories or that motivate you—like a picture from an amazing vacation or a program from an event that inspired you.
7. How you lay it out is totally up to you, but I usually organize my board according to my categories. Some people like to cover every inch of the board, but I like to leave some white space in case I want to add otherimages or items to the board during the year.
8. Once you have your goals and categories, write down what steps you need to take to accomplish them in a notebook.In addition to that, I like to write a few affirmations or find scriptures or quotes that I can lean on to motivate me when I hit a rough patch or have a bad day. Leave a few index cards on the table in case anyone wants to jot down some thoughts. A few of my favs are:
I am a magnet for money and it flows in my life where it is needed
Use your energy to believe and not to worry
Today I will have a major breakthrough
Dream BIG, pray BOLD
9. Spend a few minutes talking about how you will achieve your goals. You can work on more than one goal at a time but it helps to prioritize your list. Then determine what you need to do for each goal in order to accomplish it and set a date for getting it done. Consider your every day life and commitments when you create your timeline. Block out time each day and each week to work on your tasks. And don’t be hard on yourself. Priorities change and so do goals. Sometimes you’re just not ready for what you want or it’s just not the right time for you to have it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked back and was so glad that I didn’t get what Ithought I wanted.
10. Ask your guests if they would like to choose accountability partners to provide support and help them stay on track throughout the year.
However you decide to host your vision board party, just be sure to have fun with the process andremember,“Nothing in nature blooms all year. Be patient with yourself.”
Be Inspired,
