It’s February already! January is gone and so potentially are those fleeting new year resolutions so many of us make. If you’re like me, it takes me a little bit of time to get into the swing of the new year. But the new year is the best time to set goals and create a plan. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to focus on your inspiration for the year ahead!

Inspiration for the Year Ahead

I’ve never been one for making serious resolutions.. The process hasn’t really worked for me in the past. Resolutions always seem to get forgotten about after the second month, and I seem to drift into old habits the same way as the year before.

This year I needed to make a change to my routine. Once it had become clear that 2018 was truly underway, I realized I was a bit behind with, well, everything. I started to work on what I wanted my year to look like visually. It’s not an easy process to set goals, but I figured if I could see where I wanted to go, it might help keep me on track.

Create Focus

I started by cleaning out the spare room and turning it into more of ‘my space’. Art supplies and staging accessories overflowed from all corners. When we don’t have guests staying, the room becomes a combination of messy office / art studio / storage closet. I recycled, repackaged, reorganized, and made a space that felt a bit more inviting and comfy.

Images to Inspire

I’m a fairly visual person, inspired by beautiful images, colours, and places I’d like to see. I decided having some visual inspiration might help keep me on track. For me it’s not so much about material objects, but I love to travel and I have a list of places I’d like to go. I printed off some photos – places that could be on the agenda for this year, some that are still on the list of dream destinations. Sunset amidst the gulf islands. A super stylish pre-fab cabin, as I’m totally inspired by the tiny homes and container homes popping up everywhere.  Design ideas, saturated colours. My workout goals. I created a vision board which I can already feel working its magic over me.  These images inspire me as I sit down at my desk at the beginning of the day.

Set Goals 

I’m also a list person. I have to write things down and then cross things off. So my board also contains a couple of lists; one for each of the businesses we are currently working on, to-do lists, blog ideas, and any other specifics that I need to keep top of mind. I didn’t glue anything down. My board will transform as time passes and new ideas flow, and new inspiration comes.

It’s Only Been a Month…

.. but so far it’s working. Seeing my fitness goals posted on a board has really helped me focus on my workouts and what my overall objective is. This in turn helps me feel much more energized and able to focus on the other items and goals on my board. My lists help me navigate the crazy world of social media where I tend to get overwhelmed by the scope of it all. And as for the travel, well, who knows where we’ll end up…

What Inspires You?

Think about what inspires you most. What are you goals for the year? Where do you want to go? What do you want to achieve? Whether they are financial, social, health & fitness related, focus on your inspiration. I find it really helps to put a picture to all that good stuff floating around in your head.

Check out this article on Huffington Post to help you create your vision board. 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-rider/the-scientific-reason-why_b_6392274.html