Set New Year’s Intentions By Creating A Vision Board

Dreams are hazy and blurry. You can easily lose track of what’s real during a dream, lose sense of time, forget how you got where you are and where you’re going.

Dream-like states don’t just happen while we sleep. Sometimes they last for years, even decades on end. One day you may wake up and realize that you’ve forgotten what your day to day struggles are for.

We need to grab hold of our dreams, no matter how big or small. We need to pull them down from the ethereal realm of ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if…’, ‘One of these days, I’m gonna…’, ‘I just need to wait for the right moment to…’. 

We need to make our dreams a reality before they float away and dissipate completely, and we’re left walking the Earth without anything to strive for.

There is a time and place for everything – and the present moment is always the best for taking mature and determined steps towards achieving our dreams. Some moments, however, are more symbolic than others and can give us an extra push in the right direction.

New Year’s Eve resolutions are made all around the world. It’s the day humanity has chosen to celebrate the Earth doing a big thing – making its way around the Sun, only to keep going again and again.

On this day of respite from the perpetual commotion that rattles our everyday lives, we reflect on our own life cycles. It feels like a fresh start, like a whole new chance at life. The slate is wiped clean and we get to begin anew, wiser and more experienced than before.

The best day to start becoming the best version for yourself is the 1st of January.

Use this opportunity to start making your life brighter and become a more refined version of yourself. Create a detailed plan and visualize your success. Use every tool at your disposal.

Creating a Vision Board to Help Set Your New Year’s Intentions

First of all, New Year’s intentions are not the same as New Year’s resolutions.

Resolutions are concrete decisions, calculated steps we commit to in order to achieve a goal or fulfil a dream.

New Year’s intentions have a broader scope. They don’t focus on any one thing. They concern our attitude, our disposition and mood, they describe a general outlook. They’re promises to ourselves, promises to become more loving, forgiving, compassionate, more daring, provocative and determined.

Our intentions bolster and empower our resolutions. Our resolutions realize our intentions.

No one can tell you what kind of person you need to be. That vision is the product of careful soul seeking and introspection. Once you find the direction of change you want your life to take on in the next year, creating a vision board is like making a promise to the person you want to become.

What is a Vision Board?

A vision board is nothing more than a hard piece of paper with a collage of pasted quotes, images, sights and scenes that inspire you. A simple reminder hung up on a wall, such that you can see it while resting and meditating. 

The process of creating it is a ritual in itself. Set aside a relaxed evening, play music that soothes and focuses you and pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine. Take your time.

Invite over friends and family, dear ones that can make the ritual more inspiring. You can all create vision boards for yourselves, enjoy each other’s company and treasure the moment. The joy of togetherness will then be sown directly into your vision board and you will never feel alone when it is in your purview.

What you’ll need to create a vision board night

● Poster boards – bring more than you think you’ll need
● Magazines
● Other printed materials, images, text, stuff you’ve found on the internet. Whatever you can muster up that you find insightful and inspirational
● A pair of scissors for each person
● Sharpies, permanent markers, crayons
● Glue sticks
● Some mood lighting
● A smooth, relaxing playlist

That’s all you need. It’s arts and crafts for adults, and that’s completely fine.

When you’re done, hang it up on a wall. Make sure you pick a spot that’s out in the open. Preferably in your bedroom, so you can see it when you wake up and before you fall asleep.

Making a vision board is a personal endeavor. Just like no one can prescribe you your intentions, only you can create your vision board – it’s a reflection of your own dreams and a motivation to keep striving.

Sometimes, however, your friends can give you insights you’d never be able to make yourself. We all live in a first person perspective. We shouldn’t forget that a third-person perspective is often invaluable.

I’ll share my story.

The Magic of the Vision Board

The author of this post made her first vision board back in 2018. I’ve been making them ever since and I’ll tell you why.

I was invited to a friend’s house where she and five other friends and family members were making vision boards for the New Year. I was sceptical about the idea at the time – yeah, right, a piece of cardboard is going to make me sleep less and exercise more.

Everyone was making their own collages, I was feigning interest and sulking in the corner of the room. My friend, she knows me better than I know myself, noticed that I wasn’t buying into the spiel.

Here you go again, knocking something before you’ve tried it’, she said firmly, but with a loving smile. ‘You know what your vision board should be about? Being less cynical.’

The room let out a little laugh. I took the joke in stride, but a few minutes later it dawned on me – she was right. I was being too cynical. Moreover, I did that all the time. Instead of enjoying the moment and trying something new, I would let some minute, irrelevant detail derail me. I had been missing out, all because of my pride and ‘rationality’. 

I started sifting through the giant stacks of magazines my friend had prepared and found some quotes about being open, being welcoming and being positive. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my friend watching me with a pleased smirk on her face.

I maintained a facade of going through the motions. On the inside, though, I was making a conscious decision. From now on, I was going to be less doubting, more open.

At the centre of my vision board, I pasted a picture of a happy couple playing racquetball. Now, I’m a tennis player, the cynical me never bought into the racquetball fad. People kept raving about how fun it was. I believed them, but I was so caught up in my ways that I refused to try something new.

Why am I telling you this? What’s racquetball have to do with anything? Well, I’m still inclined to interpret it as an accident (I’m not completely cured of my sceptical ways), but that spring I decided to find a friendly game at my local club.

That’s how I met my boyfriend, now fiancee. 

Now it’s not as if the vision board alone was enough for me to change my ways. And I haven’t completely, I’m a work in progress, just like everybody else.

But my friend and I made it a tradition. Every 29th of December, we meet up with friends, have a nice relaxed night in and we talk about the past year. We talk about the next one. We talk about goals achieved and failed, dreams and aspirations, big and small.

This year, it’ll be my fifth vision board. I make sure to include a picture of my best friend, my boyfriend and a small racquetball racket on each one.

About The Author

Stacey is a freelance writer living in Minnesota with her cat, and she’s passionate about yoga, languages, home improvement, and drinking strong coffee. Find her on Twitter @StaceyShann0n

Tips for Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions in 2022

Every New Year brings a new set of resolutions. With every December comes a final balance of our accomplishments and setbacks that we are constantly reflecting on when creating a strategy for the upcoming year. If you’ve realized that sticking to your resolutions has been beyond challenging, you need a comprehensive guide like his one to guide you through this journey called determination. Keep on reading to find out how you can easily stick to your New Year’s resolutions.

Work on your resolution with someone else

Achieving a goal is always easier when you have a partner with the same goal to keep you motivated. That is especially true if your buddy is more determined and inspired to stick to their resolution. That’s why you should have a mutual resolution that you and your friend will try your best to stick to. We suggest you make a competition out of it to see who gets to achieve the goal first and stick to it the longest.

Set a realistic goal

If one of your resolutions includes breaking a habit that’s been a part of your life for years, you need to prepare for a challenging year. One of the ways to stick to a resolution is to set a realistic goal for yourself. You can’t expect to quit smoking in 3 months, for instance. Prolong the deadline to 6 months and allow yourself to reach your goal gradually. You didn’t develop the habit overnight, and you can’t expect to break it that soon either.

Look for a meaningful resolution

New Year’s resolutions tend to be focused on personal development. So why not make one of your New Year’s resolutions to look for meaningful activities? One of those can be to start donating to charity or helping an organization raise funds for its cause. These events help acquire money, and White collar boxing for charity is one of the best examples of such an event. Help others by getting in shape, building muscles and learning how to defend yourself and do one of the most meaningful things in 2022.

Use a vision board

Are you one of those people who need an effective reminder of who you want to become? Visual aids will help you visualize your goal and achieve it more easily. Create a vision board of all of your resolutions so that you can take a look at them every day. It will be a powerful reminder of what you promised you’d do in the year ahead. On top of that, it will drive you forward, help you monitor your progress, and help you stick to your resolutions.

Find a fun resolution

From quitting to bite your nails or smoke to eating healthier foods, some resolutions will seem more challenging because they won’t offer any fun experience. So, instead of focusing on all the negative aspects, you’d like to improve, start thinking about new things that you’d like to try. Some of your New Year’s resolutions can include learning something new, bringing more adrenaline into your life or stepping out of your comfort zone. As long as it’s fun, it’ll be less challenging to stick to your resolution.

It’s almost time to think of your New Year’s resolutions, so you better think well. Make sure you’re writing down resolutions you’ll be able to achieve in a timely fashion and without much fuss. The more realistic the resolution, the easier it will be to stick to it. So, if you need a buddy to help you out, look for one. Create a vision board or look for fun resolutions if you want to make them more achievable.o view the HTML code. You can then copy/paste the code into your own website or blog.

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Easy Steps towards the Life of Your Dreams

When growing up, most people visualize the life that they would like to live when they grow up. Then they find themselves just getting by, working to pay bills. They settle for mundane jobs just to make ends meet and stay in unhappy relationships hoping that it will get better someday. Some are afraid of taking risks opting to play it safe while their dream life passes them by.

If you have ever asked yourself if there is more to life than what you are doing currently, you are not alone. The good thing is that it is never too late to start chasing the life of your dream. You can still face your fears and take your life in your hands to live a fulfilled life. Here are easy steps to help you start living your best life now.

 

1.      Define your dream life

The best place to start visualizing your dream life is by assessing the life you are living at the moment. How do you feel about your job? How are your relationships with your family, friends, and significant other? How do you find your home or the area where you live? How is your financial situation? How are you feeling about yourself?

As you ask yourself these questions, gauge whether you are happy and satisfied with your life in every aspect that it entails. Next, engage all your senses and let your imagination loose in visualizing how you would like your life to be and feel like. Compare this with what your life looks like currently to see the gap that you need to start working on.

 

2.      Set goals

Once you have established the gap between your current and the life of your dream, it is time to decide what you need to do to bridge this gap. Start setting up systems and processes that will lead you in the right direction. Set goals that you need to start working on, but make sure to break them down into small actionable steps.

For instance, you probably would love yourself more if you lost some weight, or if you cut down some relationships that are toxic and draining. Your financial status would be better if you cut down on some expenses. In your goal to lose weight, some actionable steps would be to jog one kilometer every morning, start eating healthy and work out 3 days a week. If you want to cut down some relationships, you can decide to avoid going where these people frequent. For cutting down expenses, you might decide to start cooking at home more and save money that you use in restaurants and takeaways.

 

3.      Take action

Taking action towards your goals isn’t always easy. Sometimes you might have to fight fear and uncertainty in order to be able to take the first step. To conquer this,  you need to start cultivating a positive and growth mindset. Turn your thoughts away from limitations and towards possibilities and opportunities that are available for you. Quit looking for excuses and start doing something meaningful towards achieving your dream life.

For instance, if you envision your dream life to be in New York City, let go of whatever is holding you back and set off to this great city. Work with an NYC property management company  such as MD2 Property Group to find a home in the neighborhood of your dream. This company works with tenants and brokers in ensuring timely and accurate lease application processing. You can even use an online platform to enjoy a personalized application.

 

4.      Consistently live your dream life

You probably have met people who abandon their New Year’s resolutions even before the end of January. The reason this happens is that the willpower and self-discipline that are so strong at the beginning vanish over time. Don’t be tricked into relying on these two. Otherwise, you will find yourself back to your previous life. Rather than counting on the initial excitement, make it a habit to consistently live by your actionable steps set above.

Of course, you will meet challenges along the way. The secret is to persist on the journey through those obstacles and to remain focused on the bigger picture. It won’t be long till you start realizing that you are actually living the life of your dream.

 

Conclusion

Life is an adventure, and the most exciting part is chasing your dreams to live the best life aligned with your purpose and passion. Refuse to settle on anything less and find the courage to take action towards your dream life. Go through the above steps and take up the courage of turning your life around today.

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About The Author

Freya is a Math teacher, Yoga enthusiast, and a beloved mother of three lovely daughters. She is always looking for ways to grow and help others around her thrive through self-learning, meditation, and physical fitness. When she is not teaching or spending time with her family, Freya regularly writes on topics related to self-improvement and women empowerment.

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New Year, New You: How To Make Yourself A Priority In 2020

Looking Back

So the new year is here- and a new decade. Looking back at last year, and the ups and the downs, the wins and the losses, it’s easy to ask yourself, what could I have done differently?

On top of that, seeing all of those social media “perfect” relationships, and the constant humblebrags from your friends on their amazing wins, it’s easy to start believing that you are falling behind the curve. So how can you make yourself a priority this year?

Self-Care

We hear this term self-care constantly. But what does it actually mean? While acts of self-care will differ from person to person, the underlying behavior is the same for everyone.

Self-care is listening to your internal dialogue. And not just, “I am hungry”. Or “I am tired”. The internal dialogue may be, “I am not happy”. And “I want something more”, or “I am not being heard by my partner or employer”.

When you listen to your internal dialogue, you create an honest relationship with yourself. And through your own inner dialogue you make yourself a priority.

Remember self-care is not selfish. Self-care is a necessary behavior to create honest goals for yourself. And it is through self-care that you will discover what truly makes you happy.

Start Fresh

It IS the new year and the new decade, after all. And a new year means a fresh start. But where do you start? And how can you prioritize yourself this year while still being conscious of others? How can you make yourself a priority and still have time to practice self care and still fulfill all of your responsibilities? Here are a few ways to set yourself up for success this year.

Make a list

I know, making a list may sound silly, but writing things down is a solid way to take ownership of your goals. And it’s the start of taking yourself and your desires seriously. So grab a pen and paper and write down your ideal goals for this year, and DON’T HOLD BACK.

Start with allocating time for your goals. So if, realistically, you can carve out an hour a day or thirty minutes a day to work on your goals, then that is where you start.

Learn to say no

I understand you want to please your friends and family. And that you truly want to be there for them -whenever they need you. However, right now, YOU need you. The fate of your happiness is in your hands and it is up to you to prioritize your needs. Learn to politely turn down invitations and allocate that time for yourself. Your true friends and your family will understand.

The more time you give to yourself, the more time and energy you will be able to put towards your ideas and push those ideas along.

Find support

Let’s face it, nothing is done alone, and it is important that you find someone to confide in. Find friends or family that support you and that will encourage you to focus on your plan.

Be patient

Nothing longterm happens overnight. Be patient with your goals and encourage yourself to stay the course. So set your goals and check them off the list as you get things done. And even a small step forward should be celebrated.

Journal daily

Create a daily journal about how you are feeling and what you are setting out to do each day. Write out your goals before you go to bed the night before and in the morning reread what you wrote and get started.

Meditate and Manifest

Calm the mind from worry, and know that worrying won’t help you reach your goals. Focus on your past achievements and find the confidence to envision yourself accomplishing your goals. Create a mantra for yourself such as “I will practice self-care and put myself first,” and “I am in control of my own happiness”  and remind yourself of your mantra when you are meditating.

Seek inspiration

Whether it be a hobby, a form of exercise or volunteering at an animal shelter, find something to do in between the work and the planning that inspires you and feeds your soul.

Create strong self-care habits

The truth is, it may take some time for you to reach your goals. And once those are reached, you will find new ones that you will want to go after. Creating strong self-care habits will give you the confidence and energy to tackle your goals and to enjoy the success. So go ahead and make yourself a priority.

-Cheers to your sweet success!

 

 

 

 

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