“The story you tell yourself about yourself will help form yourself.”

Well, we flipped the calendar to November, and it’s that time of year again. October & November specifically have a way of turning me introspective (I used to think it was autumn…and then I realized in the spring of Australia that it was in fact just October & November). Daylight savings happens, we swap into a more home-driven approach to life, while simultaneously adopting the whirl of holidays.

I personally love to “write my way” into the new year, and creating a vision board has always been a relevant part of that process. I’m not as much of a goal-oriented person as I am a vision oriented person; while I have goals and I think they’re equally as important as vision, my vision usually has quite a bit of work put into it, and it takes priority in my brain (probably as a slightly more visual person). Visions and goals can align, but sometimes there’s a bit of room between the two, and I appreciate that space in time.

Here’s my personal process for writing a vision board:

Get in a Creative Space

I read recently that part of the reason why our culture finds it difficult to embrace creativity is because we despise boredom, when the reality is, boredom is often how we find room to play. To get in a creative space, start by decluttering and making room. Make yourself a matcha, or a coffee. I talk about the art of ‘gestalt’ in my book, The Complete Guide to the Enneagram. In short, ‘gestalt’ speaks to the necessity of keeping everything in its place so there’s less brain power being used by decluttering in your mind. It works. 

Get Curious

This is different for everyone. If it’s scrolling Pinterest, great. If it’s taking a long walk, your body needs the movement to think. For me, it’s unfiltered journaling and unwrapping my hopes for the year as they come up. Little ideas, big dreams, habits - the more that you explore and visualize. Do whatever gets your ideas and clarity rolling. Brene Brown’s book, Atlas of the Heart, talks about the major differences between the seemingly interchangeable terms ‘interest’ and ‘curiosity.’ Interest is a logical space, taken at a distance. Curious is an emotional space, where it’s close to heart. For your vision board, get curious and emotionally invested. 

Visualize 

Now’s the time to build your Pinterest board, cut through some magazines, grab your blank sketchbook or journal, or even tear up a book. Find things that truly inspire you - don’t just grab  the first image of the Golden Gate Bridge or Big Ben. Find the one that speaks to your soul.

Highlight It

Keep your vision close as a reminder. Screenshot it for your phone or laptop background; create a tangible board and hang it above your workspace; use your magazine cutouts to create a collage. My personal favourite way is to keep my vision board cut out and tastefully collaged above my bed. I don’t take away everything every year; instead, I purge through and see what I completed last year, and keep those pieces that still inspire me - some pieces I keep are poems that I’ve typed on a typewriter that I’ve had for over ten years. It’s a tangible representation of where I’ve come from and where I’m going. 

What will you put on your vision board this year? 

XO,

sierra mackenzie