My wife Sarah and I chose to spend our short holiday break exploring popular Colorado destinations. This included Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen and Red Rocks! We felt blessed and grateful to have such a scenic and awe inspiring break from reality. This gave us the change to simply enjoy our time together, and focus on our goals for 2024.
The number one topic of conversation with friends since then has been What is your New Year’s Resolution, and How will you Keep It? As such, I felt compelled to blog here about the process we use to shape our annual plans and goals, as well as the path to maintaining accountability!
Let me start by saying we don’t really find the need to make a “Resolution” per se, in that our daily/weekly/monthly life goals have been constant. We work hard to communicate with each other regarding our professional, personal, spiritual, financial, physical, and other goals. We also go out of our way to focus on supporting each other’s goals. That being said, we Did make one BIG change this year…but I will wait until the end of this discussion to share it!
We started our pre New Year by spending a considerable number of hours (driving in the rental SUV across the State of Colorado!) discussing a variety of topics that are important to us as a couple, as well as to ourselves as individuals. We realize that the better we are as individuals, the stronger we are as a couple, family, and team.
While our list of topics is not meant to be all inclusive, and lists will vary from person to person, couple to couple, etc., in general it was comprised of;
- Spiritual – Our relationship with God including prayer, as well as grace and gratitude. Do we give back?
- Health – Physical and Mental. (Most people overlook the importance of mental health, to include stress)
- Family – Our relationship with immediate family and relatives, as well as those closest and in our circle of trust.
- Financial – Do we have a plan? Are we living below our means and being fiscally responsible? Is our credit strong?
- Professional – Where are we in our short, medium, and long term goals? Are we satisfied?
- Dreams – What do we dream about for our family and our future? Where will we live? What will we do?
- Goals – Are we setting realistic goals? Do we have lofty enough goals to motivate and inspire us?
Once the discussions about these topics was in loose form (Sarah took GREAT notes!) we set about creating a “Vision Board” that would encompass all of these topics in a simple, visual format. What is a Vision Board and how does it work? A vision board is a visual representation of one’s goals, dreams, and aspirations. It typically consists of a collage of images, words, and affirmations that reflect the things a person wants to achieve or manifest in their life. People create vision boards to help them clarify their goals, stay focused on their aspirations, and visualize the future they desire. The process of making a vision board involves selecting and arranging images and words that resonate with one’s goals and values. Some believe that creating and regularly viewing a vision board can help reinforce positive thinking and motivate individuals to work towards their objectives.
For us, we decided to use all the above! I bought a bunch of random magazines for the purpose of clipping out the printed text words as well as great pics to help motivate us. We also went to a local craft store to purchase stickers (letters and symbols, etc.). There is No right or wrong way to make your own vision board. The real purpose is to create something visually and aesthetically pleasing. More importantly, however, it needs to be displayed in a location where you will be forced to look at it every day! For us, we chose the hallway wall just outside our bedroom door. It’s literally impossible to walk past this and NOT see all the words, phrases, pictures and content! This daily reminder, no matter how subtle, plays a key role in helping your subconscious mind to visualize your goals and help turn your dreams into reality! If you don’t believe me, Google it and do the research! Experts and psychologists agree!
Oh yeah, and if you are still here and wondering what our mutual New Year’s Resolution is? NO ALCOHOL for all of 2024! Check back in for my next blog on the why we chose this and the reasons behind it!