Creatively Lu: Thrifty Thursdays: DIY New Year's Vision Board

To me, New Year's resolutions feel like an abusive way to handle your goals. Perhaps this is because I worked as a personal trainer full-time, and saw many new faces enter the gym in January, never to return again in February. Or maybe it’s because I have seen many people, myself included, treat resolutions like a heavy weight that sits on one’s shoulders; fearful of that haunting ticking time bomb that can be detonated at any point in the year.

To clarify, this is not because I don't think goals are important. In fact, I perceive goals as a core component to one's success. Resolutions are just an incomplete way for one to manage their goals. Instead, goals must be clarified and continuously reinforced in order to carry out the life you seek from them.

After all, if you wanted to build a house, I'm sure you wouldn't simply lay down your bricks onto the grass surface. Instead, you need to create a plan and build a foundation for the bricks to rest upon. So consider a vision board a blueprint for your goals.

Making Your Vision Board:

This step, in particular, has been a great way for me to really
freely explore my creative side.

Cut out anything that makes you pause for a moment to say: “Oh I love that.” For now, don’t think about “why” or where you are going to place a certain picture, etc.

You may feel the need to organize all the pictures at first, or list out your goals alphabetically, but tune that feeling out. Soon you will be so wrapped up in the process.Just enjoy the process of cutting out the images.

During this step, you may even be surprised to learn of something
you would like to have happen this year, that you didn’t even know about.

Now is the time, that if you want to write down your new year's resolutions to further clarify your goals, you can. Once your goals are understood, look through your pictures and choose which images connect with your 2014 intentions.

Once all of your images and photos have been arranged in places that are aesthetically pleasing to you, apply a little glue to the back of each and secure them onto your board.

Displaying your Vision Board

Place your vision board in a place where you will see it every day. Such a visual reminder of your aspirations will not only hold you accountable, but will help to train your mind to develop more positive habits.