Dream Boards!

One of the goals I set for myself for 2008 was to have an active Dream Board. I was fired up about it in January -- so much so that I put up a makeshift version made out of a file folder, taped my first picture on it, and pinned it to my wall! I was on my way! I had a long list of things I wanted to put on it, and I was ready to get it all put together! I was EXCITED!!

Then came February...then March...then April...then May...! Somewhere along the way I bought a piece of poster board, which then sat blank for a while before I put it away. I had another picture that I'd pulled out to tape on it, and I had certainly given thought to other pictures I wanted to add. But I hadn't really taken action on it. It was still rolling around in my head.

The problem with that is that there are soooooo many other things rolling around in my head at any given time, it's easy for things like Dream Board details to get pushed aside. It's not an immediate need, after all, and there are always so many other pressing things that need time and energy. But none of them really brought to my life what I knew my Dream Board would bring -- which was the ability to see what I want, to look at it multiple times a day, and therefore have something that will be the target point of my energy.

I heard a statement recently about visible reminders: Visible is memorable. If I just think about something and store it in my mind, it's very easy for me to forget it. But if I can look at it every day, I'm constantly reminded of it, and knowing how the human mind works, I knew that my Dream Board would have no power as long as it just stayed in my head. It needed to come to life and reality.

So, I'm VERY proud to say, my Dream Board is UP! I got out the poster board, started aggressively seeking pictures, got my glue stick out and started constructing! Now it's about half-full, and I'm still printing pictures! It's prominently displayed on my wall where I can see it several times a day (especially when sitting at my computer!), and I'm so excited to have this visible, memorable representation of my goals! It gives me a boost of energy to look at it, to study the pictures, to see the life I'm working toward! If it's true that we move in the direction of our focus (which I fully believe!), then I'm moving in a very exciting direction, and I'm anxious to start bringing these things to fruition in m life! But I didn't just stop there! I also posted affirmations, a copy of my personal mission statement, and one of my favorite quotes from Robin Sharma (it's actually a 3-paragraph quote!)! I'm surrounding myself more and more with words and pictures that are specifically designed to move me forward. And I'm 100% sure that it will make a difference!

If left to its own devices, my mind will not do me the favor of helping me move forward. That's why I love the power of my Dream Board -- it gives my mind something intentional to focus on. And life lived intentionally is lived FAR better than life lived accidentally. Think about that!