Back to the Drawing (Vision) Board

It’s 2015 and the beginning of a new year. With a new year comes new hopes, dreams, aspirations, and those dreaded resolutions that most people seem to make but can’t seem to keep even after a gallant effort. Sadly, I was one of them.

Every year I would mentally think of all the things I wanted to accomplish before year’s end. Lose weight. Travel more. Stress less. Earn more money. Hit the gym 5 days a week. Be in a fulfilling relationship. Grow my business. I mean my mental list would go on and on. Herein lies the problem. My list would go on and on and I had given myself a year to accomplish it all. Sometimes we think we can conquer the world when in actuality we barely can get through the day. That’s how disappointment and the feeling of failure sets in; by establishing resolutions in an ever-changing world where time and seasons are sometimes beyond our control. So much for resolutions huh.

In the past, as the time and months went by, I would notice things were falling off of my mental resolutions list. Not because I was checking them off due to completion, but it was because I would either lose faith in believing they would come to pass, lose interest in them, or distractions would rear it’s ugly head. When one area of my life appeared to go in the right direction, another area seemed to suffer. I didn’t know how to achieve balance without going unbalanced. I had to do something. Mental notes weren’t cutting it and pressuring myself to do it all in a year wasn’t healthy either.

Hababkkuk 2:2-3 (ESV) states
2 And the Lord answered me:
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

I knew I had to take a look at the bigger picture of what I wanted my life to look and feel like. Hence, the need for me to create a vision board (a visual display board of specific life’s goals) so I could visually see, affirm and focus on my goals  and the development of a  lifestyle and wellness planner (which will be available to purchase by mid-February) where I could find balance, purpose and my goals written down on paper.

As the scripture states, the Lord promised that if you would write the vision and made it plain enough for you or anyone else who reads it, the vision will come to pass at the right time. Not before its’ time or beyond its’ time, but in His time. Even though it may seem like it’s taking long, do not grow impatient in waiting…choose to see it through. He said it will not be delayed nor denied but given in it’s right time. Those words alone should give anyone hope to hold onto their future.

This is my year to dream big, live on purpose and be unstoppable while choosing to see it through! So, back to the drawing or should I say vision board I go. I want to set realistic goals that will encompass many areas of my life without over complicating it and causing it to go unbalanced.  As the saying goes, the only way to eat an elephant is to take one bite at a  time.

Visionary thinkers are imaginative, open minded individuals with a big picture mentality who dream with clarity, lead, inspire and embrace others into the folds of their plan. By definition’s end, I consider myself a visionary in my own right. I started Beaux Cadeaux, an online personal and corporate gift retail business in 2002 and in 2015, Fit and Finally Free, a lifestyle and weight management company and blog dedicated to help, inspire, and encourage people the freedom to work, play and live well. I’ve always had visions, but stood in the shadows of them out of fear. Now is the time to make the vision plain for me as well as  for others to see.

In order to stay on track with my visionary thinking, I created an acronym of V.I.S.I.O.N.A.R.Y goals to help me identify what is needed in order for me to achieve a well balanced life and live a life with intent:

V-Vow to live on purpose and walk in your purpose

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I-Inspire others to be an inspiration

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S-Set realistic goals and not resolutions

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I-Imagine your future is bright and the possibilities are endless

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O-Observe the areas in your life where there’s a need for improvement

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N-Never give in to small minded people or small minded thinking

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A-Aspire to be a better version of you than the day before

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R-Realize that Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your dreams

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A-Accentuate the positives of life…gratefulness can be found there

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Y-Yesterday is gone…so move forward in seizing the day

I’m excited about what my future holds and the journey I will be taking in getting there. I am no longer confined nor defined by resolutions but enrobed in realistic goals set by me, my vision board and planner.

In going forward in 2015…

•Ditch the resolutions
•Set realistic goals with intent
•Create your vision board
•Purchase my lifestyle and wellness planner or a day planner
•See, affirm and focus on your vision board daily
•Write and be accountable to your planner daily
•Remember the acronym for accomplishing VISIONARY goals
•Proclaim you are a visionary in your own right
•Enjoy the progress and journey towards living a well balanced life

So what are your 2015 goals? Share in the comments section or tag me on facebook and twitter. Use the hashtags #2015visionarygoals #2015goingforward