Kudzu Principle #2—Visual Goals: Believe it or not, valuable lessons can be obtained from kids on the issue of goal setting. As adults, and even as far back as high school, we were taught about writing down our goals. In those formidable years, and even today, we understand the basics of goal setting by writing goals that are S.M.A.R.T., which tells us to write them as Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Then we learn about objectives and benchmarks and a whole host of formats for successful goal achievement. Are written goal important? Oh yes! They are essential for anyone who wants to achieve all of their dreams. The unfortunate side of this issue is that most people don’t set goals because they are afraid of not achieving them. There is a creative way to be a dynamite goal-setter and remain inspired with beautiful thoughts of obtaining our hearts desire.
Some of us remember school projects, in which we had to cut up magazines to build a collage of pictures, to represent our hopes and dreams. Today’s version of this task is called ‘a VISION BOARD.’ Childish and silly? Not really! Scientific research has now been tied into what Vision Board proponents call ‘The Law of Attraction.’ The law is based on the theory that we “‘attract into our lives anything that we give attention, regardless of whether it is positive or negative,” says Life Coach Priya Deelchand. Furthermore, the practice of building a Vision Board activates the RAS, or Reticular Activating System, that works like a radio tuner to our soul. Like the practice of written goals, Vision Boards help us attract the people, resources, and skill-sets required for us to achieve our goals. So, what goes into a good Vision Board? First of all, the board is made up of Visual Images comprised of the things, traits, and skills you would like to possess. If a picture won’t describe it, then supplement with words and phrases to increase the emotional response you get. Your board should contain images that appeal to your passions and make you happy every time you look at it, fueling those passions even stronger. The Vision Board should also be strategically-placed where you will view it daily. The web is full of ideas on how to build and lay out your Vision Board. My first Vision Boards were a collage I created on the software program Picaso. This program allows you to gather images and it will create a collage for you. What I’m now recommending for your Vision Board is to use one of those digital picture frames. This way, you can load your images onto your digital frame and have your goals and dreams flash in front of you all day.
The elements of a great Vision Board comes to us from John Assaraf who tell us that are four elements of a good board. Your board must be VISUAL (no brainer), meaning that it should have as many pictures are possible. Quotes and words are great, but don’t illicit the same response to the Reticular Activating System. A good Vision Board is EMOTIONAL. The very sight of your board should inspire a positive emotion and make you feel good simply by looking at it. Just knowing that having a visual image of that dream job, car, or vacation in front of you is the fastest way to achieve it. Your board should be STRATEGICALLY-PLACED where you can see it often and draw from its energy. Keep it in your day planner or framed in your office or home, or consider the digital picture frame as mentioned before. Finally, your board should be PERSONAL in such a way that no one can look at it and make fun of your dreams. That type of negative emotions will kill the spirit of your board. If you think someone will scoff at it, then keep it where only you can see it.
Having a Vision Board does not replace the need for clearly-defined, Written Goals. Great leaders are goal-oriented and the habit of writing and accounting yourself to Written Goals is a universal leadership trait that has stood the test of time. Supplement your Goal-Setting routine with inspirational images on a Vision Board to bring the ‘Law of Attraction’ into your journey of success.