How To Create A Vision Board: Part III

Happy New Year everyone! Can you believe it's 2012 already? I'm so incredibly happy you guys have been my faithful readers for another year and I'm wishing you the utmost success & happiness in 2012. So far Ive instructed you on how to make a vision board (Part I) and I've showed you how it helped me (Part II). To close out my How To Create A Vision Board series, I'm shining the spotlight on you! I had an open call for people to submit pictures and stories of how they did their own vision boards, and how they've achieved success. I received some amazing submissions from three special ladies. Here they are:

Ty of GorgeousInGrey.com writes:


I just read your post and I wanted to share a picture of my mini vision board that I created on my journal. I wanted to be filled with positive vibes so I put different words and things on the inside of my journal.

I even put the logo to our local newspaper, just because it was the letter b and my former last name is Brown. So I started actually reading the paper and thought about contributing.. about 4 months later I emailed the editor with ideas and I'm now a freelance writer for them.

Mia Anita of Bigger Than Hair and The Style Edit writes:

My board focuses A LOT on career paths and professional goals and desires. It has a touch of spiritual and romance but not as much as the financial, career, etc.

Last year when I still lived in L.A., I had a vision board party for my close friends. I didn't tell them what we were doing, I just led them to believe it was a normal girls night event I usually had but just with a bunch of magazines. I then revealed what we were doing and we got to cutting. The process of creating the vision board really put into perspective of a persons goals or lack thereof. It makes you sit back and began a goal oriented thinking process that everyone doesn't do automatically.

Blake of BlakeVonD writes:

I'm submitting a pic of my vision JOURNAL. I wanted to give the traditional vision board a little twist (see her post here). I like this idea because I can carry it around with me AND write down things that are important to me/pertain to those goals. I love the idea of having them in the same place. And I can add to it as the year goes on! :)

And there you have it ladies & gents! If the vision board concept can work for them, it can work for you. Do what suits your lifestyle best. Just remember to stay focused and all your dreams & desires will come true for you - one after another.

P.S. If you're a fellow blogger, check out my post on IFB - 5 Tips For Creating a Blog Vision Board That Works. Similar to my series, but more focused on blog goal-setting!

How To Create A Vision Board: Part I

Note: This is not my 2011 vision board, just a digital representation

So this entire year I've been raving about how much creating a vision board at the beginning of 2011 has helped me go above and beyond. It's truly miraculous all I've been able to accomplish this past year as a result of staying focused on attainable goals and literally staring at them everyday. So I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Vision boards work. Seriously. If you don't believe me, keep reading. In this 3-Part series "How To Create A Vision Board", I'm going to walk you through what I did to make mine, how mine helped me achieve success and then finally how others have achieved success using these methods. Happy December - get ready to take 2012 by storm!

Step 1. Decide on your goals for 2012 and write them down.

They should be concrete, attainable, and well thought-out. Don't just throw "Win a Million Dollars" on there. Take a few days to truly reflect on the things that you lacked, the things you really craved for but couldn't have and the things you regretted not pursuing this year. This should drive your goals for next year. Feel free to steal inspiration from people you look up to and admire. There's nothing wrong with that, and they don't have to know. Warning: Positive goals only. If your motivation is to see your ex-boyfriend's new girl fall off of a cliff in 2012, this is not the right exercise for you. You're better off seeing a hit man. Better yet, you might need Jesus. Just saying.

Step 2. Shop for Materials.

Ok, once you've taken some time to reflect on the goals you'd like to accomplish, it's time to go shopping! Head to your local pharmacy, bookstore, and/or craft store to pick up your favorite magazines and other inspiring materials. Search for publications that truly represent your personal goals. Some of my faves for personal/career motivations are Essence, Ebony, Uptown, and Black Enterprise (these publications normally contain images of people I personally wanna be like one day). For fashion, I love Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Nylon, and Lucky. Whatever your goal is, choose mags that center around that theme.

Step 3. Research.

It's time to research the images you'll be looking at all year long and set them aside for Step 4. This is another activity you'll want to set aside at least 2-3 hours for. Remember, your vision board is a year-long image that you'll look at daily. It's a work of art. You want to clip images that really represent your goals and tug at your emotions and motivations when you look at them.

Step 4. Put it together.

Source

So here's the tricky part - you'll want to arrange your vision board so that everything flows together well, and so that it looks pretty. Again, you're going to look at this e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y. It should look as fly as you!

My personal recommendation is to separate different parts of your board based on your goals. In Part II, I'll show you how I did mine but basically you can arrange the images in different sections of your board to correspond with each goal. So for example, have health in the upper right corner, career at the bottom left and spirituality in the middle. Whatever you prefer!

Step 5. Hang It In A Visible Place.

The point of the vision board is just that, vision! You must be able to see your board easily. Hang it in your bedroom, or living room. Wherever you spend the most time, that's where your board should be. If you're a workaholic, keep it at your desk at work! You can even take a picture of it and make it the background wallpaper for your cell phone. Whichever way you choose, just make sure it's easily visible and always in your face. It pays off, trust me.

Stay tuned for Part II (update: see it here) - I'll show you how I put my Vision Board together for 2011 and how each of the goals on my board were achieved this year. In the mean time, have any of you created a vision board? If so, I want to chat with you!

Email luvbrownsugar@gmail.com with either a) a picture of your vision board or b) a story highlighting how it helped you in 2012.

LoveBrownSugar Chic: Turning Over A New Leaf

 So I don't have anything profound to say in this post. I just figured the title was appropriate given the ridiculous amount of leaves in this photoshoot, and the fact that 2011 is upon us...(sue me for being stereotypical!)

One thing I'd like to do more often in 2011 is recycle fashions. This hobo I'm holding was way in the back of my closet. I hadn't worn it in years. Then I rediscovered it and fell back in love. So here's a challenge for you fashionistas out there with a retail addiction similar to mine. Once a week starting in the New Year, reach way back in your closet and pull out just ONE item you haven't worn in a long time. And find a way to re-work it. You're guaranteed to stumble on some old gems...

Another thing I'd like to do more often is try out new, quirky trends that I otherwise would SMH at...

Case in point: the "Nerd" trend. I guess, considering I literally wore glasses from 5 years old until my sophomore year in college, I never saw the appeal of this trend. I used to hate my glasses. I even got teased for wearing them in elementary school. Now "four eyes" is a term of endearment? Fashion, I tell ya...

Tip: I picked up these little plastic spectacles at a local Five Below store. Don't splurge on trends. Go cheap until you're sure you love it!

 

And last but not least, I do solemnly swear to try out a few new photoshoot poses. This one's getting old!

What new leaves are you turning over before the New Year? Soundoff below!  

Jacket: Thrifted, Turtleneck: Thrifted, Jeans: H&M, Shoes: Rouge. Jesus Piece: Forever 21. Ring: Pnk Elephant Accessories. Red Glasses: Five Below.

- Photography by Justified Photos

LoveBrownSugar Feature: MASQUE Magazine

My lovely friends over at Masque Magazine were nice enough to feature yours truly and a few other blogger divas in their recap of Blogger's New Year's Resolutions for 2011. I know I said HERE that I wouldn't have any resolutions, but when they obliged, I couldn't turn them down! Here's what I had to say...

"To live 2011 for myself and God’s approval, and not for the approval of others. Oh, and to scratch at least 3 things off my bucket list."

Check out the full article including what the other bloggers had to say over at Masque Magazine...

My Resolution? Not To Have Any...

 So a few weeks ago when I posted about ways to Turn Your Hobbies Into Hustles, I mentioned that I wasn't making any resolutions for 2011 and that I would explain my reasoning later. Well, here it is. I know this time of year is usually chock full of end-of-year countdowns and calls for action in 2011 and I think that's perfectly fine. However, this year, I'm challenging myself to stray away from making "resolutions" and instead to set myself up with actionable goals in 2011 that I can truly be held accountable for. At the top of the year, I'm used to setting myself up with a hefty list of resolutions. They normally go a little something like this:

I resolve to drop 20 pounds this year.

I resolve to get straight A's in all my classes (back when I was in high school/college).

I resolve to be a better person.

And on and on, you get the picture...

The Dictionary.com meaning behind a resolution is - the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc. The main issue with this method of thinking is that you can resolve that you're going to work towards something in 2011, but without an actionable goal and an action plan, you won't get very far! Here are three reasons you should set goals instead of resolutions...

1.  Goals put those resolutions into action. For example, the definition of a goal is the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end. It's more definitive than a resolution. Instead of just saying "In 2011, I'm going to lose 20 pounds", I should set goals for myself. Example: "By February 2011, I want to be down 5 pounds, exercising regularly 3 times a week and eating as least 5 servings of fruits & veggies a day." Yeah, it's a lot more to process, but breaking down my overall goal into small actionable steps makes the whole process easier to implement and work towards.

2. Resolutions are a one-time declaration. Goals are an ongoing process. Everyone always raves about New Year's resolutions, but rarely do you hear people taking about mid-summer resolutions, or just "this current week" resolutions. With goals, you set the expectation that they should be re-evaluated and assessed every once in a while, AND you can set them at any time. Who says January 1st should be the only time you have perspective on things in your life you want to change? Success is an ongoing process that, to me, never ends until you die. There's always something new to learn or something greater to achieve. So don't fix yourself so heavily on setting goals ONLY in the beginning of the year. Be flexible!

3. Goals help you track your progress. This time next year, I want to be able to say I've accomplished something. With subjective resolutions like "I want to be a better person" or "I want to be organized", it will be very hard for me to actually measure what I've been able to accomplish. The smaller and more specific you make your goals/plans for the year, the easier it will be for you to track how well you've done. Try this. If you've already got your "resolutions" mapped out for the year, instead of taking them as-is, break each one down into at least three actionable goals and give yourself a deadline for each one. I guarantee by this time next year, you'll thank me! Enjoy your holiday and many blessings for the New Year.

Any goals for 2011? Share them below! I always enjoy being inspired by you guys.