2020 Vision - My eyes have been opened to the benefits of creating a vision board.
My girlfriend invited me to a Brain and Body, bowing yoga class on New Year’s Day that was described as a “moving meditation for personal transformation”. It included creating a personal vision board as a way to start the New Year with intent. The bowing class was interesting, I can’t say that it was transformative, but I enjoyed trying something new. When class concluded, we gathered on the floor at the center of the studio to create vision boards. I saw it as a twist on New Years’ resolutions, which is a concept I don’t subscribe to but thought could be fun. I was open to change. The instructors brought in large sheets of paper, a few magazines, markers, tape and just a couple pair of scissors. I was keen to realize that resources were scarce, and we didn’t have much time to construct our vision boards. I hadn’t given any thought to my vision yet, and I began to feel a little panicked. Being a visual person, and slightly vain, it was important to me that my vision board look good. I grabbed a magazine and started leafing through it. I was looking for and tearing out any image that appealed to me. I’ve always believed that you should trust what you are drawn toward. Pick what you love, and it will find a proper place in your world. I rushed to cut out the images that I collected and began taping them to my board. The instructors would soon ask us to explain our visions to the class.
I designed my board, but I was still summoning my vision. Thankfully, explanations started on the opposite side of the room. I was inspired by everyone’s boards and their visions behind them. One man had been mugged while jogging, and held at gunpoint, just hours before class. His happiness to be alive and his vision to embrace life energized me and made me incredibly thankful. As I stared at my board, my vision began to emerge. The brain and its maze of interactive pathways was something I needed to explore. My only goal was to create something that looked good when we started. But, like so many things in my life, something which developed on a whim dovetailed neatly into my current situation.
Learning new ways to increase my memory and expanding my mind had permeated my thoughts for weeks. Late last year I began having trouble remembering little things, and my creativity was stifled. By November, as I was addressing holiday cards, I was struggling even more. This had me concerned. Was this the result of a busy life, or was this the process of aging? The imagery on my vision board spoke to the idea that tapping into the labyrinth of the brain was the key to “Finding Yourself”. Yes, it sounds cliché, but it got me focused on discovering how my brain works and finding ways to maximize its capabilities.
That’s the beauty of a vision board. It takes your dreams and ambitions and places them at the forefront of your mind. I brought my board home and pinned it prominently on the wall in my studio. The daily reminder has been fruitful. What materialized on January 1, 2020 was a vision not just for the New Year but for the rest of my life. I have continued to investigate ways to increase my memory and expand my creativity. The Brain Fitness Program, a program on neuroplasticity which I discovered on New Year’s Day, was my mind-blowing, starting point. Since then, I’ve filled my Netflix watch list with documentaries like The Creative Brain, “brainchild”, National Geographic’s Brain Games and The Mind Explained. I began reading Why We Sleep, Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD, and I have been playing Brain HQ on my phone nearly every day. I am focused now, and my daily efforts are making a positive, measured effect on my memory, which is boosting my creativity.
If you are struggling to achieve a goal, try creating a vision board. The text on my board, “People aren’t just smart; they’re prepared to spin a believable tale.”, is what I believe a vision board is all about. Dream it and you can be it. Think it and make it so. Wish it, want it and reach for it. No matter how you phrase it, keep your eyes on the prize, and you too can achieve 20/20 vision and bring your future into focus.
