In case you need a quick reminder: a vision board is a way for you to organize your thoughts, goals and dreams for the year ahead in a life-size poster using construction paper or a white board that will visually “hit it home” for you. Magazine scraps, photos and quotes can all be incorporated, helping you plan out your year ahead, and more so, act as a constant visual reminder about what you’re seeking to achieve and work on.
There are multiple reasons why having a vision board can be super beneficial including:
– You have a scramble of thoughts, ideas, dreams, plans, goals, thoughts, more ideas and so on, but you can’t seem to put the jigsaw puzzle together. It’s like those university essays where you spend so much time researching that you soon end up with documents upon documents of facts and quotes that somehow need to be pieced together to make a cohesive point, one that you should believe in (or at least make the prof believe you believe in, right?). A vision board can help you lay it all out, but more importantly, tie it all together.
– You have a fleeting mind that is full of great goals but in an instant you’re onto thinking about what’s for dinner or how you’re going to carve out time to take a much needed bath. A vision board makes you accountable to some degree. Once you outline and paste together all your little bits of visionary mementos, you can’t “just forget” about it all because, well, it’s right in front you, serenading you to abide by it.
– Being organized is fun. The art of making a vision board can also be really entertaining. Don’t tell me you didn’t make collages when you were younger or slapped together posters on the walls of your favourite heartthrobs. Instead of worrying about what your celebrity boyfriend looks like, why not invest in someone more important, you!?
Here’s a great video that can help you along this vision board journey.
In addition to creating your very own vision board, why not start anew away from the board? Here are some ways that can destress, regroup and remind you of the simple things in life, while helping you be the best version you want to be.
Take a break from social media
We all are fully aware that we’re hooked on social media, so a little down time from the craze of socials is not only smart but can help change the way you see your own life. You’ve heard the stories about people getting off social media for a week and a month, only to sing the praise of what it did for their mind and soul. It’s hard, we get it, but take the plunge alongside your friends or celebrities like Demi Lovato, and understand that life exists offline, no it really does though.
Tap into your inner child
Chances are you can recite at least a handful of games or toys from your childhood that to this day you still wish you could play with and not feel weird about it. Jazzy jewellery anyone? If you don’t still have some of your childhood favourites, they probably are still in production or can be found at a trusty Toys ‘R’ Us or Walmart nearby. Take a couple of hours to pretend you’re actually a good baker with the Easy Bake Oven, or finally pull out that binder full of Pogs, or get your friends together to play some board games like Mouse Trap, Operation, Guess Who, Girl Talk, Dreamphone (“Dan My Man”), and the list goes on. Laugh, be goofy, and tap into playful you.
Re-watch classic TV shows or films that make you feel warm inside
OK it sounds a bit cheesy, but there’s plenty of programming that no matter how many times you watch, you’ll never tire of it. Another idea: get your girl troupe together and each pick a selection from your younger days, then watch them together and remind yourself that you’re still that high school kid who watched Magic School Bus well into your late teens. Anyone remember this show? Fast forward to 13:30 and you’re in for a surprise. Or this? When in doubt though there’s Degrassi Junior High or Catwalk to keep you grounded, too.
Go for an aimless stroll
In the words of the great New York band, Passion Pit, just “take a walk” and de-stress your mind. In those moments when you feel your blood boiling or there’s so much chatter going on in your brain, put some shoes on and just go outside. You can listen to some music, but try walking without music, listening to the sounds around you and reconnecting with life away from anything technology-driven. You don’t need to go for a super long hike unless you feel like it — even 20 minutes can do wonders. Try taking a walk to no specific destination on a daily basis and you may find yourself calmer. At the very least it’s exercise, right?
Go to a restaurant (alone)
If you’ve never treated yourself to a date with yourself, 2017 should be your year to do so. While it’s great to have a date or go out with a group of friends, when’s the last time you went to a restaurant and just sat with yourself, quietly, without the interruption of others or the worry of keeping conversation going? Sip some wine, try something new or eat that meal you know you wish you could but it’s not “classy enough” to do with your significant other. Also, anyone else notice how much more fun you can have with the wait staff when you’re not worried about anything else but them and you?
Turn off your phone
This is something that you, like me, may struggle with. There’s a fear of missing someone’s call, or a fear that you won’t get to respond to that text or email in quick enough time, right? Turn off your phone and remind yourself of life before the buzzing and chimes, if you can. Anyone else find it funny when people go on Facebook and say “I’m going to be off the grid for a bit, just FYI”? Just do it, and don’t apologize for being unreachable. You deserve to be unreachable. You’ll then also realize, quickly, who really matters and who you really like talking to, which can help you navigate your priorities. We are all way too connected and sometimes breaking that link makes the heart grow fonder, or something like that.
Learn something new
Whether you’ve been itching to take up knitting, or you’d really like to figure out how to publish a book, or you simply want to improve on your editing skills, or you want to take a course online that taps into skills you want to acquire — there are a plethora of options available for your grow. Reading a book is another great option, but if you want to get that fulfilling feeling again, why not seek out something you’ve wanted to learn and challenge yourself? There’s no greater feeling than accomplishing something and nowadays there are so many ways you can do this, on or offline.
Collect quotes that speak to you
If vision boards aren’t your thing or you need extra reminders on your phone, take some time to search for poems, quotes or lyrics that touch you. You can either get creative and paint them on your walls or simply put them in your phone with daily reminders. Sometimes words is all we need to jolt us out of a rut.
Main image via Sarah Prout
