Visual Mapping

Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions to improve ourselves. We look at the bright New Year and think of all the wonderful things that we can accomplish. I think the main reason that we fail in these endeavors is that we hide them away after we write them down. That Resolution written on that piece of paper or on that journal page will be hidden from view for the rest of time. How often do you return to your writings?

I’ve found a way that works a little better for me. I make a visual map of the things that I would like to have in my life for the New Year. I use magazines to clip images from. I use skills from kindergarten. I cut; I paste; I put it all on a piece of colored construction paper. It’s a fun afternoon. I sit surrounded by a mass of images ripped out of the magazines. After I’ve gone through the magazines ripping images that strike a chord in my heart, I go through them a second time and sort them into categories. The categories change, but some are pretty common: family, friends, career, wealth, and anything else that I feel like calling to me.

Now, don’t think that I do this every year. That’s my goal, but I don’t get to making time for myself that often. I did get to the process this year. I managed to set aside time because I invited a group of friends over to make dream boards. Since they were all coming over on a specific Saturday at a specific time-I had to be there and I had to make my own to show them how it was done. I harnessed my habit of only doing things for other people. I made the day all about my friends. I was just tagging along. Step one-admit you have a problem. Now, I have a new set of collages to show me the way to a better life-or the one that I desire. Mostly it’s about focusing on something like making time for friends.

I almost forgot to tell you the most important part. You have to hang to collages where you can see them every day. I hang mine on a bulletin board in my kitchen. I see those images several times a day. I think it’s a great way to activate your subconscious to lead you in the right direction.