Vision Board 101

I recently gave a speech to the most delightful group of ladies – members of the Ebony Women in Insurance Network.  I shared with them why and how to do a Vision Board.  And I am sharing my thoughts with you today.

 It is said that things are created twice – once in the mind and then in the physical realm.  Whatever we think about, whether consciously or unconsciously, we create.  And if we are not clear about our vision, then we will have a very fuzzy, confusing and conflicting reality.

“In the beginning was the word” – to quote a famous book.  That’s how powerful words are – they are not just semantics, they create.  And back of our words are our thoughts.  Our thoughts determine our future.  Articulating our vision is important because:

• Vision sets intention
• Vision focuses us
• Vision helps us to prioritise
• Vision helps us make good decisions
• Vision helps us to say YES and to say NO
• Vision lets us “live our best life” (according to Oprah)

So, if it’s so great, why don’t we all just do it?  Because we face two major challenges:

1.    Learned Limits:

One afternoon, many many years ago in the summer between high school and university, I was hanging out at home with friends shooting the breeze about what we wanted in life.  By that time I had decided that I was going to do business, having grown up in a family business and known business all my life.  So I declared “I am going to do my MBA”.   Howard, one of the guys hanging out looked me straight in the eye, with all seriousness and said “Marguerite, if you get your MBA you will never get married”.

Well Howard, I DID get the MBA and the MRS (at least for awhile).  And I also got 3 wonderful children too!  So there.

Howard’s response highlights that one of our challenges is the limits other people and society place on us.  This starts from very early in our lives.  Those of us who have children or were once children remember a time when NOTHING was impossible.  “Mummy, I am going to the moon, and then after the moon I am going high high high up to the stars.  And I will bring one back for you so you can put it in your handbag”.  Yes, and we KNEW this was possible.  But someone told us “No child ….. that can’t happen.  The moon is far away and so are the stars.  Plus the stars are too big to hold in a handbag”.  Really?  Says who?  What if someone had said to that child “Of course you will.  And I will keep my handbag close and look in it everyday to see the star you put in there just for me”.   We have lots of deprogramming to do!

2.  Learned Aspirations:

We are bombarded with examples of women who we are told have it all and whom we should emulate.  Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook is the one that immediately comes to mind.  Harvard MBA, loving, supportive husband, two cherubs, amazing career as COO of Facebook, net worth of $1.6 billion.  AND she leaves work at 5.30 p.m. every day to go home and play with her children!  Yes, we can all have it all! And that’s Sheryl’s all.  To adopt that wholeheartedly would be setting ourselves up – not because it’s unattainable, but because well .. is that what WE want?

Again, we have been programmed by our society as to what our vision should be.  Yes, we CAN have it all!  But what does “ALL” mean?  For each of us, ALL is different and very, very personal.  The challenge we face is defining what OUR all is.  The Vision Board is one great tool to help us define our individual “ALL”.

Stay tuned for my next blogpost where I will share HOW to make your Vision Board