This blog post is sponsored by the Paper & Packaging- How Life Unfolds® campaign.
Believe it or not, friends, I still have the same supplies I purchased to create a vision board 4 years ago, sitting in an abandoned corner somewhere in my house, collecting dust.
Hey, don't judge me. We're all friends here.
It's not that I haven't had every intention to create one. It's just that when I sat down to actually do the work, I allowed myself to get caught up in the minutia of pens vs. sharpies, magazine cutouts vs. computer print outs, paper vs. card stock, glue vs. modge podge, distinct categories vs. free form, and the list of excuses goes on and on.
And as I've reflected, done some hard work (read: heart work), grown, and changed over the past few years, I've realized that my "indecision" has actually been procrastination all along. I've said before in previous posts, procrastination is almost always the by- product of FEAR, and when I get real with myself, the truth is that I've avoided creating a vision board because I've been afraid to commit to A VISION. My vision.
Now let's be clear, I have zero problems dreaming lofty dreams, planning my entire life out in 15- minute increments, designing and decorating a tri- fold presentation board, or getting excited about all the things I'm gonna do to make the world a better place to be. Oh y'all, in theory, I CAN DO ANYTHING. I'm GREAT at theories. It's the follow- through that gets a little dicey, lol. Because follow- through requires following through. Actually doing what you said you would do. Putting all those carefully curated plans into action. Taking the time to bring those dreams to fruition. Making the sacrifices necessary to turn words into actions. Exerting effort. Lots of effort. Possibly failing. Getting up. Trying again. Giving it your best shot over and over and over again. Having your trials and tribulations on display for others to see and possibly even criticize. Going back and adjusting what you did before and trying to do something in a new or different way.
My entrepreneurial, jack of all trades, renaissance man of a husband likes to use a business term to describe me: risk averse. I'd love to insert an automatic #eyeroll here, but in full transparency, he's right...this one time. #wink Risks make me nervous. I've always been a bit of a perfectionist, so when I set my mind to do something, when I commit to anything, I pretty much want an up front guarantee that it's gonna be successful, working out exactly the way I planned. Otherwise, I'm not interested. No thanks. I'm good. Let's chat later.
My dear friends, I cannot say that I have some magic formula for success, because I don't. But I do have a magic, fool- proof formula for beating procrastination and fear.
DO. IT. ANYWAY. Jump. Launch yourself right off that cliff. Get a running start, close your eyes, and take the plunge.
Oh, it will for sure scare the bejeezus out of you. Might even knock the wind out of you. At some point, you may even feel sick to your stomach. You might want to run away and hide. Plenty of times after I do something pretty BIG, I run upstairs to my bedroom, hop into bed, and pull my 20lb weighted blanket over my head. And I stay there... however long it takes for the scaries to pass. It's terrifying for sure. And it doesn't always work out the way I'd planned or hoped, but at least it's done, I obeyed the call, did the work, put it out into the world, and the overwhelming feeling of relief and satisfaction from that alone is what tricks me into doing it again and again.
I know it sounds like alot- and it is- but you gotta start somewhere. Start with a plan. Start with your Vision Board. It's pretty much a cooler and more fun way to write out your New Year's Resolutions, and you get to use stickers and sparkly things!
Gather all of your supplies:
Paper supplies: tri-fold or poster board, old magazines, computer print-outs, notebook paper, journal entries, old photos, stickers, etc.
glue
scissors
permanent markers
Decide on the top three areas of your life that deserve the most attention, and tailor your vision board to those priorities. ( This article from How Life Unfolds® has lots of helpful tips on how to create and organize a resolutions checklist.) Try writing out specific goals with specific dates and timelines- giving yourself a deadline increases your chances of actually accomplishing that goal. #notetoself And so does writing down your goals. (Check out this article from How Life Unfolds® to learn how.) Keep things as simple as possible. When you complicate things, you invite feelings of defeat before you even start.
In 2020, I'm focusing on setting and achieving some pretty big career and personal wellness goals, and I'm excited to see how the power of paper will help me do just that!
Best wishes, my friends.
Faith