So I got caught up with a group that decided they wanted to spend the first Sunday of the year putting together their vision boards. I had no idea what a vision board was, but I knew that it was a fun group. I didn’t want to be the party pooper, so I went along.
I started to feel a little weirded out when they told me they were bringing paint, glitter,scissors, and poster boards. I’m thinking “Are we playing arts and crafts here?”
I brought my journal, so that I would be able to make the most of my time by at least writing. We started as a group of about 6. Phone calls and texts turned into emails, and the next thing we know, we are 40+ people in a park with wine, food, and markers, cutting away and sharing our visions with each other.
“Anyone got a picture of the ocean?”
“I’m looking for a beach cruiser bicycle”
“If you find a picture of Peru, let me know…”
Then I realized something beautiful was happening.
We were shaping the future by sharing our vision.
At the end of the day, I was still putting my board together, and thinking of things I wanted to add. I ran out of space, so I had to go to the other side of the poster.
I ended up with a board that had extrinsic goals on the outside, and all of the intrinsic goals on the inside. With the one exception:
Freedom.
“When you put your board up, put it somewhere that you see it every morning,” a directive from an experienced vision boarder.
I’m not really the type of person to put things on my walls.
When I got home, my board actually stayed in the car for days. But something happens when you commit your actions towards a goal. Like it or not, those actions become a part of you.
I had made something and I wanted to share it. I also wanted to look at it all the time, to remind myself of the important things.
Wouldn’t you know it, it’s on my wall now. The first thing I see when I wake up.
So here’s to arts and crafts, creating visions, and trusting your friends to lead you into the right kind of silly stuff. If you have a board that you’d like to share, I’d love to look at it, listen to your goals, and see where our futures willcross. In the meantime, I have mine for you to see. Happy new day.
sGB
