Last year hurricane Sandy decided to rip through Toronto leaving a trail of fence posts, tree branches and random debris littered throughout my yard. So being the crafty lady that I am, I scooped up the hobo shrapnel and tuned into my inner handy-lady. My first project consisted of a frame. Just a simple frame that I had absolutely no use for( I basically just wanted to see if I could actually build one). So voila, I had a frame with absolutely no purpose. It hung on my wall collecting dust for 5 months.

 

During this time, I had begun my studies in Holistic Nutrition and there was absolutely no time for my leisurely craft-ernoons anymore. I reluctantly pushed my creative energy to the side and opened up the pages of my bio-chemistry & pathology books instead. (Turns out I enjoy biology almost as much as crafting! Neeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrddddd!) The wonderful thing about my program being in the Holistic field is that we focus on the mind, body and spirit and take an all encompassing approach to health. So when my teacher challenged us to create a ‘Vision Board’ to help us focus on our goals and where we see ourselves in the future, both professionally and personally, I was elated to have the chance to put down the textbooks and get my craft on!

Vision Board:A simple yet powerful visual representation or collage of the things that you want to have, be, or do in your life. The purpose of a vision board is to help you visualize your goals so you can move closer to making them reality. The visual reminder should consist of pictures and words that evoke an emotional response within you so you can actually understand how it looks and feels to have achieved what you have set out to accomplish.

 

 I immediately thought about my dusty old frame. I went home, ripped the frame off the wall, wiped off the dust and got to work. I took a few minutes to sit back, close my eyes and think about what I truly wanted for myself in the next 5 years. Once my heart was full of these joyous thoughts, I stapled some wire mesh onto the back of the frame and started pinning up pictures that represented those thoughts onto the wires with tiny little clothespins.

This frame now has a much more profound meaning than simply a decorative touch to my otherwise boring wall. It is a daily reminder of the goals I have set for myself but also the baby steps I must take in order to achieve them. Even though deep in my heart I know that I want all of these things, they are easily pushed aside and forgotten in the daily activities of our busy lives. This daily reminder is a great visual tool to keep you focused.

Here’s my how to guide for creating your own vision board.

Supplies

– Poster board, random empty frame that you made, or even just use your computer to create a collage to use as your wallpaper on your computer or phone. The website picmonkey is great for creating collages & editing pics.

-Old magazines, newspapers or search the web for pictures to print off or upload to your computer collage.

-Scissors

-Glue

-Markers

-Imagination

1. Visualize

 Decide what the theme of your vision board is going to be. It can represent where you want to be professionally, personally or both in the next 6 months, 5 years or even 10 years. It’s your board, you decide! Once you’ve got your theme, sit back, close your eyes and think about it. Ask yourself questions like “What job will I have?”, “Where will I live?”, “What makes me happy?”, “Am I going to travel? Where?” etc… I think you get the point…

2. Gather Pictures & Words

Gather up some old newspapers, magazines, or search the web for pictures and words that represent your goals and correspond with your theme.

Cut out the pictures or print them off if necessary.

If doing an online collage, download pictures to your computer then add them into the collage templates using a website like picmonkey or even paint.

3. Get your glue flowing!

Arrange and glue pictures onto your poster board however you want! It’s your vision!

4. Hang it somewhere where you will see it.

What’s the point of having a vision board if you can’t see it! Mine is hanging above my desk, which is in my kitchen at the moment. Damn home reno’s…But hey, I did visualize myself in a reno’d basement so I guess what you ask for comes with a little bit of work!

5. Re-evaluate

Don’t forget to look at each picture and remind yourself why you posted that picture. Things change, so if for some reason down the road there’s a picture on your vision board that no longer serves you, swap it out or cover it up with a new one.

 

In Health & Love,

Heather XOXO