It’s that time of year again – the time when we make new promises to ourselves with good intention and much resolve. Some of us do it with themes – as in “what’s your theme for 2011?”
Some folks call them “resolutions.” Others refer to them as “intentions” or call it something like “my vision for 2011.” Some write them down on small slips of paper on New Year’s Eve and then throw them into the fireplace to seal the deal.
The more creative ones among us make “vision boards,” beautiful and elaborate in their design. I made one myself a couple years ago. You can see a picture of it below. I really love mine and I love looking at it every time I walk by.
But here’s the thing. Not one item represented by my carefully cut out and arranged pictures has come true.
Yep – not a one – I just got up and looked and I can say, pretty much without a doubt, that my life is mostly the same as it was before I “visioned” my way to a new one.
Here is why I think that is. I believed in the magic rather than the effort. Notice the words I used above – “not one item … has come true” – genie wishes each and everyone of them.
I didn’t take it far enough – breaking each objective into goals and then into actionable tasks. I let myself think too much – “yes, that would be nice, some day!”
I needed to not only believe in myself but I needed to commit to the work it would take to make my dreams reality. Intention without real resolve is merely a nice thought.
It’s not that I’m down on vision boards or the visioning process. These are tools, just like a project schedule, and they help to get clear about what you want to have happen, but they have to be worked, they have to be made to happen.
So I am publicly going on record now for what I’m going to make happen this year. My theme, by the way, is “regeneration.” Regenerating not only myself, but my purpose in life as well.
- Enhance A Connected Life to be more focused on “living intentionally” - so that means less “artwork” and more “content” on what it means to live intentionally, to be self-aware.
- Be consistent with my writing – publish one post every week. There might be more, but there won’t be less.
- Renew my health – that means yoga, meditation, eating clean and wholesome food, and trying out some new forms of exercise.
- Shore up my finances by taking control of my spending and saving.
- And since I’m not a big fan of even numbers, my fifth is to travel to Europe and visit some places I’ve never been.
So. What are your plans for 2011 and how are you intending to make them happen?
Loved your idea of a vision board!
I also think that your ‘artwork’ is part of the ‘content’ of your life. Perhaps you don’t need less of it, just make it more purposeful (intentional).
Bob C.
Hi Bob,
You have a good point. My art has been rather without purpose – at least from the standpoint that I was sharing whatever I was painting rather than the art that intentionally fit with my site. BTW, I can’t take credit for the vision board. I’ve had many teachers use it as a tool. This one was done when I was working with my friend Amy Brucker over at The Dream Tribe.