Have you ever made a vision board? They are one of my favorites tools to work on visualize the goals that I’m working on and to help me stay in a growth mindset. Both on the days I’m feeling pumped and more importantly, getting me back on track on the days I’m not.

Why Vision Boards are Powerful

Your mindset can have such a powerful effect on your success. Writing down what you want to accomplish is one thing, but actually BELIEVING you can make it happen is a whole other. Vision boards can help you get into the feeling and believing part because you’re actually visualizing your goals coming to fruition. They help you raise your vibrations and really get into that growth mindset. Plus, they can also help with manifesting, which could be a wholeee other blog post. Basically though, they help you think out what you’re working towards while also putting it out there to the universe of the direction you want to take your life.

So What is a Vision Board Really?

While there are a lot of different ways you can create a vision board, the key is to put together a collection of photos, inspiring quotes and other items that represent your goals and ambitions. Vision boards are all about visualizing and manifesting your dreams. Even the process itself is inspiring because it forces you to take your goals one step further and find visual components that you can identify with and that represents your bigger picture. It’s more than just a bulletin board or wall filled with pretty pictures – it’s a collection of items that drive out different feelings and emotions to help you maintain a driven and positive mindset. The goal is to remind yourself where you’re at, what you’re working for and how hard you’re working to get there.

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Ok Cool, So How do I Make One and What Should I Put on it?

So where do you start when it comes to creating one? The first step is to find a bulletin board or part of a wall in your home or office that you will see regularly. Personally, I like to have mine from and center but other options are on the back of a closet door, inside a cabinet or take a picture of yours and make it the wallpaper on your computer or phone. To have the best effect though, it should be somewhere that you’ll see it regularly. It won’t do a ton of good shoved in a drawer! Next up it’s time to start looking for some things to actually put on your vision board Here are some suggestions based on what I included on mine.

• Affirmations and positive quotes: You know those quotes that just resonate with you and represent where you’re headed or who you want to become? Put them on your board! I have a lot of quotes on mine because they really serve as reminders for the mindset I want to stay in.

• Pictures of those who inspire you: You can do a lot of things with this one.. Remember, there are no rules! I pinned some photos of my family on my vision board because they have always been a driving force of starting my business and the BIG decisions I’ve made in my life so I can spend more time with them. I also like to add other people who I look up to and who have inspired my journey. Maybe that’s personal connections or people I look up to in their careers.

• Pictures of things you’re working towards: While your vision board shouldn’t just be about material things you’re after… that definitely can be a driving factor behind some of your goals so put them up! For me, this year I was really thinking of buying a new car so I picked a few I was looking into. Another long-term goal that Evan and I are working towards is having a cabin of our own. So I also included some photos of cabins. Other things you may be working towards are vacations or places you want to travel to. Maybe you want to live a nomadic life for a while, or maybe you want to go on an international tour… whatever those BIG things you’re working towards add them!

• Abstract photos/images: Not all of your vision board choices have to be so black and white in their meanings either. Some might have deeper meanings that aren’t right on the surface and just embody having more self-confidence, self-care, and working on your mental health. Remember this is YOUR vision and there are no rules when it comes to what inspires you.

Now that you have some of the basics for vision boards it’s time to make your own! If you want more tips and resources for working on your goals, be sure to check out my Get Your Goals page too! There’s a whole lot more where this came from!

If the first 10 days are any indication of how the year will go... I'M ALL IN BABYYY! Can I have a humble brag moment for a second?! Because, guys, my first week and a half of the year has been that good. 

Here are some of the highlights so far:

• Bold & Pop biz explosionnnn! We already kicked off some brand spanking new projects that I'm SO excited to work on and our email boxes have been flooded with schduling other new projects. Gosh, I love the new year and getting to help other biz bosses make their dreams a reality!

• Had an awesome coffee intro meeting with a fellow creative entrepreneur in the city who I just know is going to become a great new friend. One of my clients, who I also adore, made the intro and I am just so dang thankful to have such a supportive group of women in my life!

• Got to meet one of my biggest biz role models, Melyssa Griffin! #CareerFanGirl moment. I've looked up to her so much and learned so much from her blog while building my business and it was so dang cool to meet her. She organized a local NYC bloggers + entrepreneurs meet-up while she was visiting the city and it was SO awesome! Normally going to an event like that would kind of scare the crap out of me but, I put on my big girl pants and met an awesome group of like-minded goal chasers! We had so much fun getting to know each other that we're even going to start regular meet-ups. Woop, woop!

and then just some extra awesome bonuses

• The Seahawks won their first playoff game!

• We had our first surprise snow storm of the year

• I picked up some super cute new office supplies -- yes there are donuts and pineapple designs involved

• anddd the Second Avenue subway opened (YES really!) and I rode it... and it's more awesome than I thought it would be.

If there's one thing I can say.. it is that the positive vibes are a-flowing! I'm such believer in the power of a positive attitude and plan on lighting them off like fireworks this year! 💥 Is every day going to be full of glitter, ice cream, and ponies?! Of course not -- although it would be cool if it was! The point is, the way we approach things can have such a profound effect on the path our days and then ultimately months and years turn out. Put positive vibes out there and get positive vibes in return! Having a positive attitude isn't about always find the good in the bad either, because let's be real here... sometimes life will deal us some really crappy cards and things will just downright fall apart. Instead, it's about never forgetting all that you are thankful for even in the darkest times and using that as strength to continue on your journey. You know the one thing that the good and bad times have in common..? Neither last forever so this year let's all work on spreading a little more positive vibes -- because the world could really use a lot more of that right now.

So what is my advice on keeping the good vibes rolling? Here are 4 things I'm working on this year.

Setting Intention Goals

This year I went to town on my yearly goals -- both for biz and personal -- and keeping them at front of mind is key for me this year. So what does living with intention really mean? Well, something I did this year was pick a word to help define what I want this year to mean. Followed by picking a different work for each month. Each word focuses on a different part of my life or goals that I want to shine a spotlight on for the 28-31 days each month. This is also about focusing on the things that matter most in life. I'm definitely a goal-hustler, but life is more than just accomplishing goals. Living with intention is all about putting your full heart and soul into each thing you do and really giving it your all instead spreading yourself too thin and then disappointing yourself when you can't do everything. 

Creating a Vision Board

Adding on to living with intention, this is the first year I created a vision board. While I've had some digital versions before and I usually write down my yearly goals, I've never done a full-on vision board until this year. My vision board is all about capturing those positive vibes -- those feel-good emotions you're flooded with when you nail one of your goals. I wanted to create a board that gave me that kick of inspiration every time I looked at it. Why do so many people fail to keep up with their new year's resolutions and goals? 1.) Because it's not a part of our habits already and making changes are fricking hard and 2.) Because piggy-backing off of not being a part of our habits, it's easy to push them aside and forget about them. It's become the norm to give up on them so we don't give ourselves a hard time. Well, it's a little harder to forget when they're staring you right in the face each and every day which is why I love my vision board. It's a constant reminder of how far I've come, where I'm going and tangible goals I want to cross off. If you want to join in on the vision board party I also wrote a blog post on this if you are looking for some tips on why they can be powerful and how to create one.

Prioritizing the Positive

This year I'm really focused on trimming negativity from my life. Sometimes you just have to take a look at the forces in your life and evaluate what is good and what isn't for your well-being. Sometimes that is relationships you have, your career path, where you live.. the list goes on and on. If something doesn't feel good anymore and is bringing you down more than bringing you up, then it might be time to close that chapter -- even when it's hard. You know how they say when one door closes, another opens?! Well same goes for this. 

Letting Go of Guilt for Saying No

This one is a tough one for me.. (as I'm sure a lot of you!) While "no" can be looked at as a negative word sometimes, I'm flipping that on its head. While I still plan on saying YES to a lot of amazing things, I'm working on not feeling guilty about the things I say no to. The truth is there are only so many hours in the day and one thing I am guilty of is trying to do everything. I'm learning that it's okay to say no without any other reason than you're not feeling it. We all need some rest and the reality is we can't be everywhere all of the time. I would rather commit to one after work event a week and be fully present and excited about that engagement, than be burnt out each day because I committed to 4 events that week. I want to feel good about all of the things I say yes to and that means finding my limits and being honest about the things I can give my full attention. Now this does not mean to bail last minute on your friend's happy hour because you're tired. Guys, that's crappy and one of my biggest pet peeves. The key to living with intention is honoring your word from the beginning. Either commit or don't, but make that decision and stick to it.

I hope you've found some of these tips helpful! I know I've already said it a million times but I'm so excited for so much that 2017 is going to bring and I hope you are too!