I’ve always known what a vision board was. I've heard my
friends Robin Beazley and Rachel Hunter talk about their impact for years. Taking the life and goals you vision for
yourself and putting those images together on something concrete. However, it wasn’t January 2017, when I was invited to
Keep Collective's Director Retreat in Tucson, that I went through the exercise myself.
When we were presented with 12x12 inch foam core boards,
scissors and magazines I got excited. I used to be a big scrapbooker in high
school. It was really my first experience
with graphic design, something that I have a passion for, but now use Photoshop
and InDesign to make my visions come to life.
While I was at the retreat, surrounded by other entrepreneurial women, I started to think about what was important to me and where I wanted to take my business, career and personal life. As I cut and pasted pictures that represented my vision I knew that they were all things that I wanted, but looking back a year later I really didn’t know how much of an impact my board would have on my life.
My vision board sat on my shelf behind my desk, and everyday when I walk into my office it greeted me. The first big vision that came to fruition was I knew that I had to make a change in my career. For 10 years I climbed the corporate ranks landing in the director of marketing position for one of the fastest growing agriculture companies in the U.S. Despite how much I loved my job, I just couldn’t do it anymore. It kept me on the road all the time, and if I was going to make our family more of a priority in 2017 something had to change.
While I was at the retreat, surrounded by other entrepreneurial women, I started to think about what was important to me and where I wanted to take my business, career and personal life. As I cut and pasted pictures that represented my vision I knew that they were all things that I wanted, but looking back a year later I really didn’t know how much of an impact my board would have on my life.
My vision board sat on my shelf behind my desk, and everyday when I walk into my office it greeted me. The first big vision that came to fruition was I knew that I had to make a change in my career. For 10 years I climbed the corporate ranks landing in the director of marketing position for one of the fastest growing agriculture companies in the U.S. Despite how much I loved my job, I just couldn’t do it anymore. It kept me on the road all the time, and if I was going to make our family more of a priority in 2017 something had to change.
My Keep Collective business was exploding and I knew
financially it could take me further than working in a corporate setting. Two
phrases on my board “what does life look like” and “signs you’re working too
much” were daily reminders that change needed to happen. In February, I finally
summoned up the courage and walked into our vice-president’s office to quit my
job. She is the most incredible boss I have ever had. Instead of leaving
the company, we worked out a new structure and position giving me the
flexibility I needed. #success
Other graphics on my board represented the continued growth that I wanted to see in my KEEP business. A picture of my bracelet engraved with the phrase #armpartysquad. At the time our team wasn’t a Director team - YET. In April, my team rallied around me and we officially hit Director status. A 10 to represent being in the Top 10 of sales and sponsoring at our convention in July. I earned number 1 in the company for sponsoring and was also in the Top 10 for sales. And finally the number 250. I knew that would be approximately the number of women we would need on our team to achieve Senior Director status by the end of 2017 and earn a $5,000 bonus. In October we achieved that number and in November I was named a Senior Director. Today our team represents nearly 300 women from across the U.S. and Canada. You might say I became a believer in vision boards.
Other graphics on my board represented the continued growth that I wanted to see in my KEEP business. A picture of my bracelet engraved with the phrase #armpartysquad. At the time our team wasn’t a Director team - YET. In April, my team rallied around me and we officially hit Director status. A 10 to represent being in the Top 10 of sales and sponsoring at our convention in July. I earned number 1 in the company for sponsoring and was also in the Top 10 for sales. And finally the number 250. I knew that would be approximately the number of women we would need on our team to achieve Senior Director status by the end of 2017 and earn a $5,000 bonus. In October we achieved that number and in November I was named a Senior Director. Today our team represents nearly 300 women from across the U.S. and Canada. You might say I became a believer in vision boards.
Tips to create your vision board.
Get comfortable.
Give yourself some space to spread out and get
creative. Invite a friend over or do the activity with your spouse so you can plan together. This can
play into accountability when others know your goals. Wine will be involved in my activity ;)
Gather your supplies.
Grab glue, stickers, washi tape, scissors and
lots of magazines. Be careful to not only pull from the magazines around your
house. By grabbing a couple magazines from your local drugstore or grocery
store that you normally wouldn't read you will expose yourself to future that you haven’t imagined yet.
Don’t be seduced by marketing or follow clichés.
Just because everyone in the magazine has a fast
car, big house, and “perfect” body doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean that is what
your vision should be. Look beyond the images for deeper meaning or use words
to describe your vision.
Keep it simple.
My vision board was clearly displayed where I could see it ever days in an area where I was actually working on those goals. However, I also love the idea of taking a picture and storing it on your phone or using it as a screensaver on your phone or computer.
This is a process you should enjoy and allow self-reflection. I would love to hear if you create a vision board for yourself and what tips you have to share.
Keep it simple.
My vision board was clearly displayed where I could see it ever days in an area where I was actually working on those goals. However, I also love the idea of taking a picture and storing it on your phone or using it as a screensaver on your phone or computer.
This is a process you should enjoy and allow self-reflection. I would love to hear if you create a vision board for yourself and what tips you have to share.