How to make THIS your best year yet (Intentions & Vision Board) E79

Today I will share with you my own process of how I created my vision board for this year. You can do this exercise at any time of the year and if you currently don’t have a vision for the future, I would highly recommend you create one. 

I share with you 2 concepts that are the foundations for my process and what to do once you complete your vision board. If you currently listen to this episode, no worries as I will explain everything in detail but you might want to check out the video so you see my process in action. Let’s get started.

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Difference between expectations and intentions

It is so important that you live from a place of intent. We are causing and creating from a powerful place of intent.

But where a lot of the suffering and disappointment happens is, when we create all these expectations.

We can end up being so overly focused and attached to a goal or outcome, that if we don’t get it exactly right, we cannot be satisfied with anything else we achieve.

I want you to be able to spot these expectations and be aware of them. Especially when you come up against them. We can all have these questions: What does it take? When will I be ready? How long is it going to take?

It takes as long as it takes

What I have learned is that the more I stubbornly try to hold onto how I think it needs to be or how it’s supposed to be, when it’s supposed to come, the harder it is.

The more attachment I have to the HOW, the longer it takes.

When expecting something, we set ourselves up for an argument with reality. When expecting something, we have already created a narrative about the result: “how it’s going to go”, or “how it should/must/have to be” and consciously or not, we are expecting that story to unfold.

There is already uncertainty involved in the actual achievement of these expectations despite our best intentions and efforts. Therefore to be attached to the results while making the effort to achieve them, can cause an unnecessary degree of anxiety, tension and fear of not achieving the results. It creates a fear of “losing”.

The alternative is to live with intention

We can have the intention to achieve and make the necessary efforts, without being worried about the fact that the result may not ultimately be achieved.

So, if we set our intention toward a goal, aim or purpose, while being detached from the exact outcome, we can pay full attention to our efforts, to the process or the journey, which can lead to the outcome nevertheless.

When we intend something and are open to the actual (and possibly different) outcome, there is an opportunity to learn, stay curious and be with a new perhaps better outcome.

It will free us from the fear “of losing”, it will allow us to focus on the present and enjoy the process. Setting an intention and letting go of any attachment to a specific outcome, allow us to control where we put our energy and cultivate mindfulness of our efforts.

An intention is simply an impulse, which gives structure and direction to creative energy.

The expectation is a hope that something will happen. It comes from an ego state that is identified or attached to the outcome.

Don’t be attached to the HOW

You want to be clear about what we want, but not the path towards it. Give flexibility to the process of achieving your dream! And there are a couple of reasons for this!

The universe is the best system to unfold the path towards your goal. Trust in the outcome. Give trust that you will reach your goal and fulfil your dream but leave the HOW you get there to the universe. Instead of the universe, you can say leave it to chance, leave it to fate, leave it to God, leave it to destiny. It´s all the same power. The importance is that you do not try to figure out every detail of the path yourself – that is not trusting, that is controlling.

You have a finite knowledge that you collected throughout your lifetime – you do not know everything, nobody does. If you already knew how you will exactly reach your goal, you would have done it. Make sense right? So let go of controlling, organizing and planning every step of the way. 

Be open to all possibilities! 

When you have an open mindset on the path, all the possible paths to your goal will be open to you. If you try to control it, you close the doors to most of these possible paths and your path might not be the right one for you or it will take you much longer to get there.

Be open to an unknown path, a way to reach your goal that you would have never thought about. if you are open to that, you will reach your goal faster because you allow infinite ways of reaching it into your life. And what do you think is better: To have just one path and it might not be the right one? Or to have infinite options to get there and for chance, destiny, fate or the universe to select the right one for you?

This does not mean that you don’t take any action towards manifesting your goals. Wishing without taking any action is like sitting at the train station and never actually boarding a train. You can sit there for a long time wishing to get to your destination but if you don’t get your bottom of the bench, you will never get there.

Manifesting isn’t dreaming and wishing. Manifesting is deciding and acting.

The energy of your action towards your goals is fuel for the journey. It strengthens the signal to the universe that you are serious about your goal. Keep taking action towards your dreams. Just think about all these successful people who reached immense accomplishments in their lives. They did not sit back at home on their couch and did nothing. No, they worked very hard to get to where they are today – that does not mean that they knew the path.

While you are taking action you want to be open to new input, new ideas, new perspectives, and new ways of doing things. Be open to trying out new things, and be open for surprises and wonders to happen. That´s where all the magic is – in the newness that is coming into your life maybe tomorrow but that is unknown to you today.

Keep taking the actions that you think are the right ones for your current version of yourself and stay open-minded to becoming a new version of yourself in a day, a month or a year.

One breathing exercise to ground yourself in the present moment

Close your eyes.

Sit up straight. Role your shoulders back.

Place your left hand over your heart.

And while breathing with me, bring up the sense of being present, being in the here and now.

Count your breath in and out on the count of 4. Breathe in 1,2,3,4 and breathe out 1,2,3,4. Breathe in 1,2,3,4 and breathe out 1,2,3,4. Breathe in 1,2,3,4 and breathe out 1,2,3,4.

Keep breathing in this rhythm and focus on being present and connected to your inner and higher intelligence to give you the best guidance for your vision of the future.

And when you are ready to come back, open your eyes.

Linda’s Vision Board Process – Start with Intentions

So how do you find an intention: 

> Keep asking yourself “Why” until you get to the core of what you really want. You might end up with a feeling.

> An intention is much more powerful when it comes from a place of contentment than if it arises from a sense of lack or need. 

> Intentions are in the here and now — they’re about how you are being in the moment as you work toward your goals.

Write all down that you want to feel more off in the future and really from here on forwards. Don’t worry if you don’t find them all straight away, you can keep adding as you build your vision board on a piece of paper.

Examples of Intentions

Let me give you a few intentions as examples to kick-start your process. My own ones for this year are:

• Joy -enjoying my life more on a daily basis
• Freedom – feel free in everything I do
• Genius or Growth – become a master in my area of expertise, keep learning
• Self Realization – raise my clarity of the person I want to be and fully step into that role

Other intentions are:

• Feel more love in your life
• Health and wellbeing
• abundance – feeling wealthy in all areas of your life
• Feel more happiness in your days
• Living in your purpose, being a role model for others.

Linda’s Vision Board Process – Add 3D experiences for your intentions

Now start with one of the intentions and think about what kind of experience supports your intention. What will give you the intention as the end result of an experience? If you want to feel more loved, think about an experience that makes you feel more loved.

Please focus on experiences that are in your circle of control. So don’t set expectations that include specific other people doing something for you. You are in control of yourself and not of others.

You can still dream big in your experiences – and remember it’s not up to you how or when this happens, so don’t create specific expectations in what you are writing down. Try to stay away from numbers or dates that might limit you or make you disappointed later on. Try to use descriptions that would describe them instead.

Examples of 3D experiences for your intentions

Let me give you again some examples – first from my own.

• For my JOY intention, I have written down the 3D experience of flying. I wanted to start learning how to glide now for a couple of years, so I want finally do it. But I keep it open to the experience of flying because I enjoy any kind of flying experience.
• For my FREEDOM intention, I have written down the 3D experience of Traveling. When I travel I feel free so I would like to travel again this year.
• For my GENIUS intention, I have written down the 3D experience of Stepping out of my comfort zone. This is what I need and I know if I do it more, then it helps with my intention of growing.

Other examples of 3D experiences for your intentions:

• If you have the intention of LOVE you could want to spend more time with your dearest friends.
• If you have the intention of HEALTH you want to create the experience of going to the sauna once per week.
• If you want to feel ABUNDANCE you might choose the experience of giving money to a good cause.

I hope these examples gave you a good idea of what we are looking for.

Linda’s Vision Board Process – Check other goals to align with your intentions 

If you have any other goals in your life maybe from your job, as part of your partnership or family, then make sure that you align them with one of your intentions. 

Goals are that much more powerful if you know why you are working towards them. And if you cannot make a direct link of find an intention that is inspiring for you behind a goal, then reflect if this should be really a goal for you or if it needs changing. 

If we don’t really believe in something then taking actions is that much harder – especially when you want to create a long-term practice or habit.

Example of aligning other goals to your intention

Let’s say you set yourself the goal of losing weight. That is an experience you would like to have. So ask yourself why? Try to find something inspirational. 

Let’s say you want to look better. That would not be enough of an intention for me. I then ask: Why do you want to look better? The answer could be to be more confident. OK, now we are getting closer. 

Maybe one more time: Why do you want to be more confident? And an answer could be to be able to fulfil your purpose. So that is your inspirational intention: I want to be living my purpose. 

The question back to you is then: Do you really need to lose weight before you can live your purpose? No. You can start doing that today but you could still work on losing weight to increase your confidence over time.

Right, now you are ready to create a display of your vision board so you can use it on a regular basis for manifestation purposes. We want something that keeps reminding us of our intentions.

Create your Vision Board

You have options on how to create your Vision Board. The easiest would just be to use what you have just written down and display it somewhere where you see it on a daily basis. I went ahead and created a physical board with pictures and words that I can hang up next to my desk in my office where I spend most of my time. Every time I enter the office I will look at my board. 

I found images and pictures that represent my 3D experiences in the most inspiring way. Again, thinking big here not small.

If you want you could turn your vision board into a recording that you listen to on a regular basis. You can just record yourself on your phone describing the intentions and the experiences.

Another option is to create a video that you watch daily. That is, of course, a bit more work but it can be very impactful as you can use powerful video footage, underly it with inspirational music that helps you create powerful emotions.

So select one of these options. And I am sharing with you now why you need a minimum of one display of your vision board.

Repetition is key

You want to create a daily routine out of reviewing your vision board. Like with anything else we want to be consistent and build a practice. 

If we want to become fit, we create a regular practice and stick with it. If we want to lose weight, we know that watching our nutrition just for one day won’t be enough. And the same works for our vision board. Make sure to create a daily habit of reviewing it.

And the important bit when reviewing your board is to create the emotions that you would feel when these goals and dreams become reality. The visualisation of your intentions and goals is just one part of manifesting them. The feeling is the second important part. So it’s important to bring up the emotion of your future before it actually happens. Every time you see your vision board take a moment to bring up the emotion to complete the manifestation process.

I created a visualisation meditation that helps you in this process. I guide you to bring up the images, the pictures and the feelings of your intention and experiences. That way you begin to reprogram your subconscious mind to your new future and your new self. Happy manifesting!

Two easy ways to show your appreciation!

If you found value in today’s episode, here’s what you can do to show your support:

First, consider making a donation to the podcast. Every little bit helps to cover the costs of producing and hosting the show. And ensures that I can continue to bring you the latest insights and opinions on the topic of energy and improving your life.

Second, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This helps boost the podcast’s visibility and attract new listeners, which helps me create more tailored content for you to enjoy.

So whether you choose to donate, leave a rating and review, or both, know that you’re an integral part of my vision. You are helping everyone who struggles with burnout or high-stress levels to experience how awesome their life can be. So, thank you for your support!

You Might Also Like

• Your message to the Universe (AKA Goal-Setting) Episode 13
• Don’t worry about the “How” when manifesting Episode 57
• How to mentally rehearse yourself a new life? Episode 75

Free Meditation to Manifest Your Goals

This meditation is for you if you need help in manifesting your goals, vision and intentions.

I’ve created two versions for you to choose from based on how you are feeling and how much time you have: 17-Minute OR 10-Minute.

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