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It's time to achieve your goals.
By Susan Saint-Welch — Written on Jan 12, 2019
We're almost a full month into 2019, but it's definitely not too late to make this your best year ever!
By learning how to make a vision board, you can reprogram your subconscious mind to attract what you consciously want and lead your best life.
Happiness in life can be achieved through manifestation.
We experience the world in a way that makes sense to our subconscious beliefs about how the world works. Therefore, we attract experiences that match our subconscious beliefs.
If we expect failure or disappointment, we will usually experience failure or disappointment. If we strongly believe that we will not get a good job, we probably won’t. And if we expect success or happiness, we will usually achieve it.
Our beliefs are very strong and powerful. If you find yourself not getting what you want in life, examine your real beliefs about what you deserve and are capable of having.
When things are not working out for us, it's because our actual beliefs aren't positive. In fact, they are likely negative and filled with doubt and fear. But once we discover those negative beliefs and work with them, we can learn how to be happy and manifest positive change in our lives.
Our beliefs match our life experience. We often experience negative events because we feel we don’t deserve better.
This is really important to look at if your life is not giving you what you want.
We can also experience negative events when we doubt our abilities. Or, perhaps we fear that if we succeed, we might surpass the success of a parent, spouse or sibling. As a result, we might fear that relationship will change.
In order to reinvent our subconscious beliefs so we can manifest our own happiness, making a vision board can help.
I very much believe in doing vision boards. I've probably made about nine vision boards and can report that, in every case, the pictures or sayings manifested into my life.
But I don't just put pretty pictures up on a board. When I make a vision board I also take my negative beliefs and turn them around in a positive manner. For example, if I am afraid to succeed, I will put a new saying up on my board, such as, “I Spread My Wings and I Soar!“
However, it doesn't stop there. In order for my vision board to help me manifest change, I need to work on my beliefs about why I am afraid to succeed; I need to be able to believe that I can succeed.
But to do so, I would first need to examine my beliefs that go into my fear of failure. I ask myself questions like, "What negative things might happen if I go after what I really want to do? Is it about being afraid of failing? If I 'fail' does that mean I will never be successful at something?"
Questions like these help me find and understand what might be getting in the way of what I truly want in life — and can help you do the same!
Here's how to make a vision board so you can learn how to manifest your best year (and life!) ever.
1. Choose the color of the board
The color of the board is very important. The color begins to open up the subconscious mind to positive thoughts and possibilities.
Look for a color that makes you feel good or you are drawn to. The "right" color makes you happy.
2. Choose the size of the board
The size of the board is up to you. You can choose colored paper that is 8" by 10". Or you can choose a poster board that is 2’ x 3’.
Choose what feels good to you and what can hold the words and images you want to display.
3. Pick out images
Look for pictures of what you want to see, experience or feel when you have what you want.
For example, if you are trying to draw a certain type of person to you as a mate, what qualities are they going to possess? You can pick a picture of someone who is happy and dancing, or someone who is in charge of other people and looks successful.
Perhaps you are looking for someone who will be a good father. Then, you can choose a picture of a loving father with his child.
4. Choose your activities
You can include photos of various activities you want to be doing, such as dancing or being in a new job that you will love.
If you want to start a family, perhaps you will choose a picture of a mom with her child.
5. Choose your sayings
If you want, you can choose sayings that affirm the things you want to draw into your life, such as: "I am at my perfect weight for me!" or "I am in a job that I love!"
Here, you want to choose any doubts or negative beliefs that you currently have and turn them around into positive statements.
6. Figure out where to place the vision board
I place my vision board in my bedroom where I can easily see it. However, some people are more private and may choose somewhere others will not see it. It is totally up to you. However, I recommend putting it where you can easily view it often.
Some people prefer to make a vision board online. There is not a right or wrong way to create a board.
Remember: The subconscious mind is very concrete. It does not analyze and it does not question. It is fed what you tell it, so be very mindful of your thinking and words — not just for the vision board, but always.
Author and life coach, Tony Robbins, says to be aware of the words you say, such as, "Life is too hard." If you do, you are programming your subconscious mind to look for proof of this belief in your life.
We usually find what we are looking for — good or bad — when it comes to our beliefs needing proof, which is why learning how to make a vision board of your best year ever is a great way to manifest happiness in 2019!
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Susan Saint-Welch, LMFT, is a marriage and family psychotherapist who has been practicing in-person and online in the Los Angeles area, helping couples and individuals learn healthy communications skills, and guiding single men and women to get un-stuck and find the lasting love they deserve. For more articles or to schedule an online session, visit her website, Life and Relationships 101.
This article was originally published at Life and Relationships 101. Reprinted with permission from the author.