Setting a Vision for the New Year

What does it mean to have vision? The origin of the word dates back to 1250-1300 A.D. and Webster Dictionary defines it as:

• the state of being able to see

• the ability to plan for the future with wisdom

• to imagine

You could say that starting a New Year causes us to stop and think about our goals. To celebrate the coming of 2020, I attended a vision board party. We were asked to bring items we could put on a poster board that represented what we wanted for our lives. I had never done a vision board but was excited to try something new.

First, I made a list of things that I wanted for my personal and professional life.

Then, I started looking through magazines for images and phrases that resonated with me.

What did an acoustic guitar, a kayak in the ocean, and woman in a maze mean to me?

A longing for music, travel, and charting my own path.

People have been making vision boards for decades. Ancient Egyptians carved and painted their vision as far back as the 4th century. Psychology uses a technique called visualization which people have used to control weight, pain, blood pressure, and more. As a former student athlete, I remember envisioning making the basket and seeing a final winning score. This is called visualization. A necessary step for creating your vision board.

My co- blogger and mother practiced this technique when we were kids. She started by massaging our feet saying, "your feet are tired after a long day. Picture them resting.” Then, she asked us to visualize our ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and head resting too. It was her secret weapon of getting us to relax.

This is how we felt at the vision board party along with a spirit of creativity. The women brought food for the taco bar and came dressed relaxed, some in their pajamas. The host provided scissors, glue, and craft supplies. Although our boards included similar themes like hobbies, finance, health, travel, and even love, they were all beautifully unique.

Upon returning home, I carefully placed by vision displaying my 2020 vision on my coffee table. I wanted a daily reminder of who I could be and what I hoped to attain. Since making the board, I wrote a song in Nashville, traveled to 2 cities, and made new friends along the way.

That’s the good thing about a vision. You have the power to make it what you want.