Did you make any new year's resolutions for 2023? Have you done a good job of sticking to them thus far? If you haven't set any goals for the new year or are struggling to live out the action steps to achieve the goals you set, I encourage you to make a vision board and write your goals down.
Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, studied goal setting and found that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals just by writing them down.
When you have a visual representation of your goals, your mind can more easily focus on them, which helps you better develop strategies for achieving them. However, coming up with a whole list of goals to put on a vision board, as opposed to just one resolution, can be hard work. Here's how I got started:
Instead of rushing to come up with a new year's resolution before the clock struck twelve on New Year's Day, I spent the whole first week of the new year taking time to think and pray about the things I hope to accomplish this year. I think it's important to be reflective and realistic before committing to any goal.
After I had taken time to reflect, I made a list of my 2023 goals. I took this list and printed off two copies, one for at home and one for the office. As someone who makes a daily checklist and marks tasks off one by one as I complete them, having my annual goals in front of me in list format helps me to visualize them as things I HAVE to do, with December 31st being the deadline.
I'm also very visually oriented, so I printed photos of the items on my goals checklist and pasted them onto a vision board. Seeing happy images of other people who have the things I want or have implemented actions on my list in their lives motivates me to work harder to achieve my goals.
Most of the goals I set for myself this year are actions that will help me achieve a specific feeling I desire to have more of in my life. For example, meeting with a financial advisor or committing to a monthly savings goal will help me feel more peace and security. Living a more active lifestyle, drinking more water, and being more intentional with my garden will improve my health and help me have more energy. So, when selecting images for my vision board, I chose people who looked "at peace" while budgeting or people who looked "energetic" while going for a morning run, as a reminder to myself that those positive emotions come with the achievement of my goals.
If you're interested in creating your vision board but need help getting started, check out my recent vision board reel or use my 2023 goals list below for inspiration.
August's 2023 Goals
- Pray More Often, Especially When Seeking Clarity
- Read the Bible and Do a Devotion Daily
- Find a Home Church
- Think Before Speaking, Especially When Frustrated
- Listen Without Interrupting
- Spend More Quality Time with Loved Ones
- Live a More Active Lifestyle
- Drink More Water
- Learn to Cook Without Recipes
- Be Intentional With My Garden
- Send More Handwritten Notes and Cards
- Read More
- Set and Meet Monthly Savings Goals
- Meet With a Financial Advisor
- Take More Pictures
