As I reflect upon the experiences and lessons learned from the past year and prepare for new year and it's opportunities, I like to create a vision board to help me focus and create direction in my life...

I first read about vision boards in a book called ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne and I have adapted that process to produce a succession of digital visions over the last few years which can either be printed out and pinned up on the wall or which can be created as a  wallpaper on various devices. 

Once I started to create a vision board for myself, I realised what a powerful tool it is for manifesting my plans and dreams, for creating my chosen reality. A small example of this: I remember on the first board I ever created I had an image of Half Dome in Yosemite National park (I chose it because it was so beautiful, I had no specific plan to visit there) and two years later, because our daughter had moved to work in San Francisco, we went out to visit her and went to Yosemite!

If you have never made one you may like to try these steps. Firstly, make a list of the key areas of your life:

• Family, friends, relationships
• Finances
• Health
• Holidays and leisure
• Personal development, spirituality
• Work and career
• Dreams and purpose

These may not all be areas which you wish to focus on and there may even be others you wish to add.

If you already have some specific plans in any of these areas note them down.

If you know that there need to be changes in some areas but at the moment you are not quite sure how or what, turn them into questions eg: How can I earn some more money? How can I improve my fitness level? etc.

Start to find some images to match your plans and dreams... possibly from browsing through magazines.   Simply set aside some time to look and find beautiful images that inspire you.
Personally I also like to list key words ... eg. balance, positivity, compassion, vitality, creativity...

Out of these words may arise some positive affirmations eg.  I promise to make the rest of my life the best of years of my life... Every day is a new opportunity to help someone... Self care is important...

At this stage, or maybe earlier in the process, it is also very helpful to meditate on your plans and dreams, whether you are already crystal clear about them or very unclear (or somewhere in between!) Here is a simple way to do this:

• Come into a comfortable sitting position with an upright spine
• Begin to focus on your breath, releasing any negative thoughts with each out breath until you start to come into stillness
• Now bring your awareness to your heart and have gratitude for all the goodness in your life, the roof over your head, the food in your fridge, friends, family, etc. and do this until you are brimming over with gratitude
• Now focus on the year ahead, at this point it is full of possibilities, opportunities, duties and experiences
• How do you want to feel this year? Sit with it…
• What are your dreams? Sit with it…
• As you rest in your heart space allow feelings, thoughts, ideas to flow through you. Observe them.
• And see if a word or an idea stands out for you
• Gradually start to bring your awareness back to your body and then note down anything you have received.
• Repeat this as often as needed!

Now have some fun putting it altogether. You can do this on a piece of paper or card with pictures to stick on or hand drawn with writing. Alternatively you can use a device of your choice... I like to use a powerpoint slide and populate it with images, words and short phrases. Just find a way that works best for you.
 

Finally make sure you place your perfect vision for the upcoming year somewhere that you can see it every day or better still, several times a day so that it is a constant reminder of your chosen reality. It really will help to keep you on track. That is not to say that life won’t throw up a few surprises along the way which you had not envisaged... that can happen… but that is all part of the adventure, isn’t it! 

Wishing you a very Happy, Healthy, Abundant New Year and decade!

Footnote: I have just reread this, 23rd May 2020, in the full knowledge that so many plans have had to be changed for so many in this year of Pandemic! However looking at my own Vision Board again for 2020 whilst a couple of dreams and plans have not yet manifested quite a lot already have…and it’s only May, a way to go yet!