See Your Goals with Vision Boards

What is one of your goals?  Is it to lose weight?  Change your career? Climb Mt. Everest?  Learn to cook?  Big or small, we all have something we want to do.  The hurdle is always how do you motivate yourself to do it.  For some folks, a visual reminder is an asset. Perhaps a note on the fridge not to get another scoop of ice cream or a poster of the Grand Canyon encouraging you to persevere.  A more personal poster may be even more effective.

So suggests Cylia Lowe who uses vision boards to inspire herself towards her goals and has started a business to encourage others to do the same, From Theory to Practice, LLC. 

Cylia with one of her Vision Boards

Based on what Cylia learned about the law of attraction and vision boards from the DVD, “The Secret”, she realized that the boards were similar to the collages she made in her late teens/early 20’s.  She did more research and began setting more goals related to weight loss and her career.

Cylia says, “The purpose of vision board is to give you a visual representation of the things you would like to see happen to you. It is an opportunity to get clear about what those things are. Many times we float through life without really thinking about what we want but creating a vision board gives you time to think about your dreams and put them to paper.”

Her preferred method for making boards and the way she leads participants in her workshops is to create them with a poster board, glue sticks, and your favorite magazines.  However she encourages that people should do what feels right for them and put them where you can see it – in your home, in your office.  She has them in several places including online in PowerPoint format – a great idea for our mobile culture.  They can be updated whenever you feel the need.  She does them when she feels she is “in a new space and its a good place to create new goals. Something like a relations vision board I do every few months, health and fitness almost monthly, career annually.”

Of course, I wanted to know a “success story”.  When did she make a board and see the pictures come true in her own life?

In 2009, I had already started losing weight, about 30 pounds by the summer, and I was starting to work with my personal trainer Charles "Chizel It" Harris. I shared my goals about weight loss and participating in a triathlon with him and he said, “Let's do it!”  Later that month, I found out my sorority sister had cancer. Totally shocking as she was barely 30 years old and it was the first time I truly felt helpless. Another sorority sister recently completed a marathon with Team in Training, an organization that raises funds for cancer research.  I found a picture of a woman in a Team in Training outfit with her hands raised at the finish line and I put it on my board.  Another item on the board was a declaration that I would lose 10 pounds in a month and I also had a magazine with my face on the cover. I joined TnT, raised over $2,000 in honor of my sorority sister, and completed the Iron Girl Triathlon - the final picture of me crossing the finish line was with my hands over my head.  A few weeks later, shortly after the triathlon, my friend called to tell me she was cancer free!  As for weight loss, I lost more like 7 pounds that month, but in 18 months I lost over 100 pounds. I didn’t make a cover but I was featured in March 2010 Fitness magazine!

I’ve been inspired by Cylia’s ideas.  But I’m also somewhat of a procrastinator of projects, so I’ve modified her boards a bit to fit my style.  For instance, on the wall facing my treadmill in the basement, I have hung a couple of my previous 5K runner bibs – it reminds me that I can run that far, so go ahead and finish my work out.  Near my yarn basket, I post photos of projects I’d like to make – to inspire my creativity in crochet and to encourage me to learn to knit.  I’m thinking of other ways to post my goals as constant encouragement, whether on one board or several many “boards” where I can see them every day.

What do you think about vision boards?  If you’ve done any – or are inspired to create one – post on my FaceBook page to share.