Tag Archives: inspiration

How to Make a Vision Board

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Back in elementary school I remember us doing one particular project where we made a collage out of cut-outs from magazines and colorful scrapbook paper. From then on, I collected quotes, pictures, recipes, and clothing inspiration from magazines and catalogs and would make collages,  lookbooks for back to school shopping, and even a portfolio of recipes that I wanted to try.   I use the following method to create a collage or “vision board” to display things that inspire me, things that I would like to try, and exotic locales that I would like to visit.

Many popular gurus  say that to make your dreams come true all you need to do is glue images of what you want to a vision board, place it somewhere where you will be able to see it often, and wait for the things to show up.  In my opinion, a vision board is a great tool for inspiring yourself to try new things, but it isn’t the means by which you achieve your goals. To get what you want, you have to take action! A vision board is a great way for you to outline action steps and to serve as a visual reminder to go after your dreams.  Here is how I make my vision board. The push pins allow me to change out the pictures and quotes when I have accomplished them or if they no longer inspire me (versus gluing the cut-outs down which is more permanent.)
You will need:

- A stack of magazines and catal0gs

- Push pins

- Scissors

- Cork board squares (You can get these at your local drug store in the school supplies aisle or online at amazon)

- 3M Command Strips  (Available at the drug store or at any office supply store)

Supplies

Step 1:  Take your magazines and catalogs and cut out things that inspire you. This can be pictures, words, quotes, things you want to buy, etc.  It may take you awhile to amass enough cut-outs for a vision board. I have been building my collection for several years. I store mine in a zip loc bag.

Step 2:  Secure the cork boards to the wall using command strips.  Don’t worry about making it even. Once you have the pictures posted on there you won’t be able to see the gaps.

Step 3: Arrange your cut-outs on the cork board and secure them to the cork using the push pins. This is where you can get creative. I have one board for things that I want to buy, one for places that I want to go, One for inspiring quotes, and one for uplifting pictures. Or you can just arrange them in a way that is visually inspiring to you. My finished product:

My vision board has all kinds of thing on it. Hairstyles I want to try, inspiring quotes, people jogging (because I want to start jogging again), fashion and other random things. I posted it near my desk so that I will see it often. From start to finish it only took me about 20 minutes and it is a great way to add a pop of color to your walls.

Do you have a vision board or do you use another method to set goals? Let me know in the comments below!

Spontaneity

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Rittenhouse Park (Taken with my Instagram)

I am a planner. Not in terms of my occupation, but in terms of my mindset. I’m that annoying person who always has to know “Who, what, where, when, and why.”  I hate surprises. Not knowing is not an option for me.  It makes me quite anxious. When I go on vacation, I am not able to relax unless I have a full itinerary planned out and Google Maps directions ready to go for each destination. Yes, it is that bad.

This morning, I knew that I had to buy a dress for one of my best friend’s upcoming wedding, so I picked out several stores to visit and got ready to head out the door. Right when I was putting on my sandals, one of my friends texted me to let me know that her phone was on the fritz, and that she was wondering if I was headed to Center City (Downtown Philadelphia) so that we could meet up and so that she could get her phone fixed at the phone store. She would not be able to call me once she got to Center City since her phone was not working, so I let her know the names of the 3 stores that I would be visiting and had her write down my number so that if she was able to find a phone, she could call me. She assured me that she would would somehow find me when she got there. My friend is very much the opposite of me. She is very free-spirited and has a “go with the flow mentality.” She was confident that she would be able to find me, but I was not so sure.

I was stressing out big time. I hated not knowing how I was going to find her and how she was going to try and find me without a phone.  Long story short, she was able to borrow a phone, and ended up being in the same building that I was in. Things worked out after all! We spent hours meandering  around the city, spending entirely too much money at Macy’s, stumbling upon a huge fountain at a park, and sitting on a park bench eating water ice (It is kind of like a sno cone).

Rita’s Water Ice (Taken with my Instagram)

I guess all of this is my long winded way of saying that it doesn’t hurt to go without a plan every once in a while. In my mind, going without a plan guarantees that everything is bound to go wrong, but today proved me wrong.  I ended up having a great day and I got some shoes. (Ok, several pairs of cute shoes.)  Are you up for some adventure in your life? Throw out that to-do list and see where your day takes you. Let me know how it works out for you.

-Sylvia