5 Steps to Capture your Dream
My cousin who had been preparing to be an engineer all his life woke up one morning to tell his parents that he wants to be a scuba diver. They were petrified not in the least because they had to google to find out whether it was really a profession, not something my cousin was making up. When I heard of it, I was certain that it was the lockdown doing the talking. In his defence he did not say anything but showed me something mind-blowing. He showed me his future vision board, a bulletin that he had prepared of how his future wants to look like, which was filled with oceans and seas. I was sold but I cannot really speak for his parents.
In any case, we have all been there. Not knowing what to do next or thinking whether this is what we really want to do. A good way to find that inner voice is the future vision board. I have 5 easy steps to craft your own vision board. As an added bonus, it might even serve as a stress-relief activity.
- Pen down your Dream Life: Without any censor, just pen down your hopes, ambitions and dreams as it flows into your head naturally on a paper. Consider the different facets of your life when listing them down: Family and Friends, Social Circle, School/College/Work and Self. You can use the following questions as a starting point. But bear in mind that this list is neither meant to be exhaustive or restrictive. So feel free to be as creative as you like.
a. What would your office/workspace look like?
b. What would a day in your life look like?
c. Which are the places that you would like to travel?
d. What would you do with your free time?
2. Time to flip the G ’old Newspapers (and Magazines): Once you have an overall idea of what you want your future to look like and ergo your vision board, it’s time to make them. Flip the pages of newspapers and magazines and cut out clippings that speak to you in terms of what you have just jotted down. Once again do not hold back or rationalise the process, cut out anything that you like: names, pictures or words.
3. Glue them All: Now that we have our pictures at hand, it’s time to make the vision board itself. Sort through the pictures and paste similar pictures together. Similarity simply refers to the motive behind you choosing the picture and has got nothing to do about the pictures itself. If you pull up two pictures, one of scuba diving and margarita when thinking of the beach holiday, then paste them together. Do not feel pressured to make your board look pretty. It’s ok however you are making it because it is yours.
4. Reflection: Sit back and look at your completed board. See whether the board represents everything that you wanted it to and whether it contains everything that you had imagined. Most importantly see whether it fills with you a sense of longing to have all of those that you have put up there. Are you invigorated to imagine yourself in those places, doing those things? If you have honestly answered yes to all of these questions, then et voila your vision board is ready.
5. Over the Dresser: Place your vision board in a place where you will see it frequently. Preferably as the first thing that you see when you wake-up and before you go to bed. The purpose of the board is to motivate you, so make sure that it stays somewhere handy. Make revisions and edits as you deem fit over the course of the time.
