Turning intentions into commitments that stick

Happy 2020! I hope your new year is off to a great start.

At my Dream Big Vision-Board Workshop on Sunday, 10 amazing women spent the day creating visions for the year that lies ahead. We started the day with exercises to help them get really clear about what they want to BE in their lives, what they want to DO, and what they want to HAVE in the year we are all stepping into.

After clearing the noise from everyone’s heads with a deep meditation, they each worked quietly to leaf through magazines and select images and words that called to them. They then arranged their choices with care and thought, and each assembled a fabulous vision board.

When each woman shared her board with the group, it was clear that she had created a representation of what was important for her, and where she would be setting her intensions and committing to action to bring those things into her life.

It was especially fun to hear from women who had made vision boards with me last year, recounting great things that had come into reality that had just been dreams, or long-held wishes that they had never moved forward with, at this time a year ago. 

If you have made a vision board, or have set intentions for things you want to make real in your life this year, what will it take to make that happen?

In the moment when we set aside time to actually create resolutions, or set goals, or get clear about changes we want to bring into our lives, it feels great.

What’s harder, is holding the energy of commitment, to follow through over time.

That’s why having a vision board, that is placed where you see it every day in your personal environment — or as was suggested on Sunday, making it the home screen on your phone or laptop — is so powerful.

Visual cues help us to stay aware of the things we determine are important for us, and help us commit to taking some deliberate action each day.

Why not make some visual cues for what you want to stay committed to?

Here are three ideas, in addition to making a vision board, that you might try:

1. The post-it notes in your drawer are a great resource.

If you are like me, you’ve got post-it notes in a range of fun colors. What you may not have considered is how they can be used to help you stay committed to taking action toward your goals and dreams.

For example, if you want to this to be the year you stick to an exercise practice, you could put a post-it on your bathroom mirror that says “Spend five minutes stretching.” In time, you can change it to say, “Tomorrow morning will be a perfect time for a run — put it on your schedule!” And, use colored notes in lots of places. You might put one on your fridge door to remind you to eat more vegetables. You can put others, with messages of any kind, on your monitor screen, the door of your coat closet, the dashboard of your car.

Have fun with this approach, and change the notes often, so you see a new color and a great message in lots of key places during your day.

2. Put the Reminder app to work on your phone.

Much like when we get calendar reminders that pop up all the time, why not set reminders to prompt you to take an action related to your dreams or goals? I have a client who swears by this, and I have started enjoying this approach.

It’s easy to set up reminders, and a great way to see a concrete prompt — to reach out and network, to slow down for five minutes, to make a date for a fun outing with someone you long to see more often, to make a brave move, to schedule that medical appointment you’ve put off — or any number of things that you want to do in the year ahead. 

These reminders can be rotated or changed over time. See how creative you can be about setting these prompts for yourself.

3. Try some mental visioning.

You may want to start each morning with a minute or two to visualize yourself taking an action that aligns with a goal or desire.

If, for instance, you want to have a lush vegetable garden this year, you could visualize yourself choosing plants to order from a catalogue. Later in the season, you could envision yourself turning over the soil and planting seeds for the cold-tolerant crops that can first go in the ground.

And, to make the visioning process even more inspiring, envision great outcomes, too. You can envision the lush garden and the gorgeous veggies you will harvest, each time you vision for a minute about your garden. “Seeing” the end result for your efforts in advance, and feeling the delight of that moment, will keep you motivated to take the necessary steps along the way.

What do you yearn to create in your life in the new year and the decade that lies ahead?

Do you want a new job? A new relationship? More adventure? To work for social justice? Better self-care? More space for personal creativity and expression? A clutter-free environment? A move to a new city? To take on a big project? Deep contentment and satisfaction?

Visualize those things, savor the visions, and believe.

You will be amazed at what you can create in your life when you set clear intentions and make commitments to take consistent action.