It’s January 4th and I just put the finishing touches on something I have tried to do every year since opening my business, and that is: create a vision board.

For me, a vision board is a collection of visual cues that help align my intentions on the inside with my actions on the outside. After identifying what experiences I want to have in the new year, I gather specific images and/or phrases that I feel will inspire and motivate me daily and then reflect on who I will need to ‘be’ in order to receive them into my life.

Often synonymous with ‘intentional manifesting’, vision boards are far from a “sit-back-and-wait” past-time. They invite us to take a much more active role in understanding who we are (our limitations, our strengths, our fears, our aspirations, etc.) and implore us to relish in the present moment. As a “living” document, the process of becoming is emphasized as more important than focusing only on the end result.

Let’s say, I want to be known as a valued contributor to the massage industry – inspiring my clients, peers, and the public to recognize the power of massage in healthcare and understand its healing is both intuitively-based and clinically-grounded.

How will I gain such a reputation?

For starters, I might create content addressing the myths and benefits around massage. Then gather testimonials from my clients whose health has improved since seeing me for treatment. Finally, I’ll post this information on my social media platforms and encourage sharing.

This plan is not rocket-science but at its core, it may very well challenge my current way of doing things. For instance, as a recovering perfectionist, the idea of recording (and then posting) an instant and imperfect video of myself is asking me to step into a more confident version of myself. Scary, yes, but “worth the risk” if I want to move closer towards my goal of being esteemed in my field.

Now you may be asking what happens if I don’t follow through on my vision board items. Have I failed? Here’s the thing (and I really want to emphasize this to my fellow high-achievers), it is like the quote that says: “it is not about the destination, but the journey.” Whether you create a vision board, make a journal entry, or write down some bullet points on a napkin, if you want to improve what is, becoming aware really is the first step.​

Life is not ready-made, it is not fool-proof, and it certainly isn’t predictable but remember, the goals you make for yourself are not meant to exhaust or berate you, they are meant to inspire and grow you.

Try things on for size, put back what doesn’t fit, start small, take time for rest, compare only to the last version of yourself, and focus on what makes you feel good. These are the things that move you forward.