Friends!!!! It’s a new year! That means we’ve got a fresh start and a blank slate to work with. Everyone’s fresh start looks different, but for many of us, it means creating resolutions and setting our vision for the year.
If you’re one of the people that sets resolutions you probably want to eat healthier, exercise more and lose weight. You might even want to start saving money or quit smoking (if you’re a smoker). If you have one of these resolutions, or even something else, you’re included in the 41% of people that set resolutions. Keeping those resolutions is the challenge. Here are some stats that might surprise you:
25% of people that set resolutions quit after just one week
36% of people that set resolutions quit after one month
ONLY 9% of people feel they are successful at keeping their resolutions
Those stats are crazy to me! I mean, only 9% of people feel like they’re working their vision successfully! That’s mind-blowing!! So here’s the question at hand – how do you keep your resolutions and stick with them throughout the year?
Create a Vision Board!
A vision board is a collage of images and words that represent your wishes or goals and is intended to serve as inspiration and/or motivation. The piece this definition is missing is the action of seeing and touching your vision board daily. That’s why I want to give you a few tips to help you create a vision board that will help you stick to those resolutions you set and succeed this year.
Tip # 1 – Before you create a vision board, brainstorm!
Don’t just dive right in to creating your vision board. First, do a brain dump and without judgement, write out all the goals, dreams and bucket list items that you have.
- Goals are the things you can accomplish in a fairly short period of time. Maybe a few weeks to a few months and even within the same year that you set them.
- Dreams are the things that take a bit longer, usually you can accomplish them in a few years.
- Bucket List Items are the things that you want to do, but sound super far fetched and totally impossible.
In addition to writing these out, brainstorm how you’re going to do your vision board. You could do it the old fashioned way and make your vision board on poster board or foam board and use magazine clippings, stickers, makers and washi tape. If that’s not your jam, you might want to create an electronic version and have it set as your desktop or phone wallpaper. If you have to, create a pros and cons list for each method to see which fits you best.
Tip # 2 – Use the 5Ws of Vision Boarding
This is something I created a few years ago when I started being more serious about my vision boards. I started to look at them like news stories and ask a few key questions.
- What? – What are your goals? What are your dreams? What do you want to do before you die (i.e. Bucket List Item)?
- Who? – Who do you want in your future life (i.e. What kinds of relationships do you want to have with others?) Who do you want to be in your future life? Who do you want to impact?
- When? – When do you want to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself?
- Where? – Where do you need to be (physically, mentally, etc.) to accomplish your goals? Where are you going to put your vision board (so you see it every day)?
Why? – Why do you want to accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself?
When you answer these questions, you can narrow down the lengthy list of things you want to do and have a more realistic list of goals to add to your board.
Tip # 3 – Have a good mindset!
This one is huge! Before I started creating vision boards, I always had the mentality that the glass was half empty. That doesn’t help you move forward. In fact, it hinders you and slows you down. Instead, stay positive and use that positivity to fuel and motivate you.
Think about it this way. When you put good vibes out into the world, you create a ripple effect of positivity. No, I’m not talking about toxic positivity. We all face challenges, have to climb hurdles and experience negativity. But looking at the good things that could come out of accomplishing the goals can propel you forward.
They say karma is a b*tch but karma can also help you create a ripple effect in the world. When you put good juju out there, others see it and feel it and most of the time, they pass it along to others.
Tip # 4 – Make S.M.A.R.T. Goals
I’m not talking about ones that are intelligent. Goals need to be real, concrete, authentic and have a way to keep track of them. That’s why your goals must be S.M.A.R.T.
- S = Specific – The goals you set must have real numbers, data and deadlines associated with them.
- M = Measurable – Tracking your goals is the only way you know if you’re making progress. Along the way, you can evaluate and make tweaks if necessary.
- A = Attainable – Something can be challenging without being impossible. In order to grow, you have to push yourself, even if just a little bit.
- R = Realistic/Relevant – When you set your goals, determine if you have the right skill set to accomplish them. If you don’t, work on getting the skills needed to do so. Know what you’re capable and go even further.
- T = Time-Based – Deadlines add the specificity of your goals. With deadlines attached to your goals, you have a target to aim for.
Tip # 5 – Use your creativity
The thing about vision boards is that they’re fun to create. You get to use even the teeniest amount of creativity to make something that screams “YOU”! Take this coming from someone that used to believe they had very little creativity to offer to the world.
In Tip # 1, I told you to brainstorm what method you want to use to create your vision board – paper or electronic. Either way, you still get to use your creativity and make your vision come to life. If you have more than a few goals, go old school and create your vision board on paper. You’ll have more room to work with. If you only have a few, an electronic version might be best. Ultimately, only you can decide which is right but you must remember, you HAVE TO SEE YOUR VISION BOARD EVERY DAY! So choose the method that will be more successful for you and your goals.
Tip # 6 – Remember you need to see and touch your vision board every day
I know I’ve mentioned this a few times, but it is the most important thing when creating your vision board. If you don’t see it, you’re telling the Universe that it doesn’t matter enough and that you don’t actually want your goals to come to fruition. Put it in a place that you go every single day. Whether it be the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room or your office. When you see it, the goals you’ve set for yourself become a constant reminder for you.
The other part to this tip is that you should continue to work on your vision board even after completing it. Throughout the year, see what you’ve accomplished and put a gold star next to the goal. Show off your proud accomplishment and experience the joy in your hard work.
BONUS Tip – Get an accountability partner
But wait….there’s more! 😄 I have a bonus tip for you. Find someone that can hold you accountable. This person doesn’t have to have the same goals as you, nor do they have to be someone that runs in the same circle. It simply has to be someone that will push you when you need the kick in the pants.