Last Day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge
By · CommentsHow did I go? Well, I didn’t manage to make a post a day as I had intended, but 22 out of 31 isn’t too bad!
I had an unexpected interstate trip in the middle of the challenge and was not able to access the internet for a few days… so that slowed me down a little there. In hindsight if I had had a few extra posts prepared that would have easily got me through that period.
I also struggled with posts because I wanted to create a custom image or board for each one myself and that wasn’t always possible in the time I had available.
However, big picture wise, I did post more often this month than I would have normally, I did get increased traffic and I received quite a few lovely comments on my posts as a result of pushing myself in this challenge. So overall I consider it a success.
And, as a bonus, I did get to read some other interesting blogs that I may not have ever discovered had I not participated in the challenge so big thanks to Michele Scism and Michelle Shaeffer.
Vision Board – Chaos or Order?
By · CommentsAre you put off by the randomness of vision board collages? Find the freeform style unattractive?
It’s not the only way to create a vision board. You can lay out your board any way you like, including a simple grid structure like the one below.
Compare the two images. They have been created using the same words and images but they look quite different.
Which one appeals most to you?
Do you like a layered collage look and feel, or prefer a more structure look?
How else might you lay out these six images and four words to create an attractive, powerful vision board?
To be effective for you your vision board must be appealing to you, so go with your gut and create it however you like.
Vision Board Image Sources
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Everyone knows that you typically create vision boards from old magazines, but there’s a wealth of other image sources around you that you may not have noticed. Here’s a list of other sources for printed images you may use for your vision boards.
- Catalogues – all those sales catalogues that are mailed to you or stuffed in your letterbox can be a great source of images, and, they are free! Real estate marketing materials are great if a new home is one of your dreams; technology stores are fabulous if you want to upgrade your office equipment; furniture retailers are fantastic sources for your interior decoration dreams.
- Photos – incorporate some of your own photographs. If you don’t want to use some of the original prints, scan and print them on regular paper; or in the case of digital images, print them from your computer and paste them on your board.
- Cards – do you have a collection of cards that you have received and kept because they were too beautiful to throw out? Here’s a chance to use them in a practical way and you still get to admire all those lovely images you couldn’t bear to part with.
- Newspapers – whilst the regular newspaper may not be an ideal source for images, they often come with colour supplements, particularly on weekends, so make sure you review those for potential images for your boards.
- Gift Wrap - you can use colourful wrapping paper to frame an important image or to highlight an area, and kids wrapping paper can make a fun addition to your vision board too.
- Magazines – traditional glossy magazines are one of the best sources for images, but if you don’t have any yourself, you may be able to source them quite easily. Ask at the local library if they are disposing of any of their older magazines; check with you local health clinic and see what they do with their old magazines; ask the newsagent how they dispose of their unsold magazines.
Once you start creating vision boards you will see image opportunities all around you. Start a collection folder or box to store images that appeal to you for later use.
Looking for inspiration for your vision board?
By · CommentsIf you are looking for inspiration for your vision boards, try Flickr and do a search for vision boards.
You will find that many people have shared their own vision boards on this site. Below are a few I found and loved.
A typical collage vision board from Kimberley J with strong images and uplifting mottos; ‘choose love‘ and ‘make a difference‘ stand out for me.
This hand-drawn vision board / mind map from Soul Songlines is a great example of a board with several key goals. She has indulged her passion for glitter to creatively decorate the board. I love the speech bubble idea!
This amazing artwork is from the Ron Sombilon Gallery; check out the website to see more amazing artworks like this: www.ronsombilongallery.com
Goal Lists
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Have you ever created a simple goals list?
How did you use it, and was it effective?
Try this method to help you identify your goals and develop your vision boards around them.
- Get a good sized notebook – you do have a LOT of goals to achieve in your life I hope! Consider using a divided student notebook – use one section for each area of your life, eg. health and fitness, career / work / business, home and family, financial, etc.
- Jot down goals for each area of your life in the appropriate section (or page if you are only using one page per area). Do it quickly without considering when or how or even why, just write down everything you would like to do or achieve in those areas of your life.
- Read back through your goals and prioritise them. You could use a highlighter to colour code your goal priorities or a numbering system. Only use 2-4 levels of priority, eg. 1. right now! or ASAP; 2. near future, this year; 3. next year.
- Choose one area of your life and create a vision board for those goals – if you have a lot of goals on the page and have categorised them you could create several vision boards, or focus on your top priority goals. If you have a fairly short list of goals for that area of your life, just create one vision board and add something representing each of those goals to it.
- Come back to your goals list another day and create a vision board for the next area of your life you want to work on.
Don’t forget to display your vision boards somewhere you will see them every day!
The great thing about having a goals list is that as well as helping you identify your goals you can also use it to track your success. Go back regularly and put a big tick next to all those goals you have achieved!
Inspirational Video
By · CommentsVision boards are a fabulous tool for helping you focus on and create your future, and they also work beautifully with other complementary tools. I recommend you regularly read, listen to and watch other inspirational materials and resources. If you find a great video on YouTube, add it to your favourites so you can come back to it and watch it again and again. Here’s one of my new favourites.
Australian author, Rachael Bermingham speaks here at a recent TEDx event in Byron Bay about her vision for the future and how she moved from being in debt for $200,000 to selling over 3 million books.
I particularly like her reference to the quote at the end:
“Life is not about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.”
To read more about Rachel’s success story, purchase her books or check out her mentoring program visit her website: www.rachaelbermingham.com
Envision-able
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Have you heard of Scott Ginsberg, the ‘My name is Scott’ guy?
Scott has a new book out called -able. It has a cute little bull on the cover and Scott explains that -able is pronounced a-bull.
The purpose of this book is to sell you on Scott’s theory of the universe:
The only thing in life you have control over is yourself.
And that you can’t make anything happen – but you can (greatly) increase the probability of that thing happening …by making yourself more “-able.”
Scott has put out a challenge to create a new -able word, so here’s mine:
Envision-able
In order to increase the probability of something happening it has to be envision-able because nothing ever happens without someone being able to envision it first.
If you are familiar with using vision boards to assist you to achieve your goals and dreams then you will understand the concept of envisioning the future you wish to create. If you are new to the concept, then here’s a quick overview: vision boards at their most basic are a visual tool which helps you to identify and focus on your desired future.
Sometimes you might not realise what you truly want in your life and doing a vision board exercise can help you to clarify that.
Displaying a vision board and spending only a few minutes every day focussing on it and experiencing your vision mentally and emotionally can help you create your desired future faster.
Vision boards can’t make your desired future magically appear for you, but they can help you to identify exactly what you want, and help keep you focussed on creating that future.
Check out Scott Ginsberg’s blog here; and his new book on Amazon.
Mini Digital Vision Board
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Do you wish you could take your vision board with you so you are constantly being reminded of it and can focus on it whenever you have a spare moment?
It could be much easier than you think!
Take each individual image element from your vision board and save it separately on your computer. You could add one key word or short phrase on each image if you wish or leave them blank.
Then copy your images onto a mini digital keyring and you can take your vision board with you everywhere!
You will then be able to discreetly focus on your vision board at odd moments throughout the day, like while you are waiting to pick up the kids from school.
I’ll have more ideas for mini vision boards coming up in the future, but if you have an idea yourself, please feel free to share!
EFT and Your Vision
By · CommentsTapping into Manifestation – Mind Movies – EFT with Brad Yates
I came across this video on YouTube from Brad Yates, who says “I believe tapping while envisioning your success is one of the most powerful ways to really get in harmony with your desires.” I thought this was an interesting example of using complimentary techniques to enhance your visioning process.
You could also use meditation to help you focus on your vision or incorporate positive affirmations into your vision boards and visioning process.
Do you have another idea or story to tell about how you have used a complementary technique to enhance your visioning or vision boards?
