My Vision Board Example and Goals Update
It’s almost February! Did you make goals at the beginning of the year? Did you fail miserably?
On January 3rd, I realized I hadn’t started my goals yet, and perhaps in the past, I would have scolded myself and become deflated for not even sticking to what I wanted to do! However, this year, I allowed myself “grace over guilt,” as I learned from Cultivatewhatmatters.com. I’m sharing with you today my progress with my goals for January, as well as my 2021 Vision Board! I hope you’ll be inspired to keep at your goals, and to not be so hard on yourself, as you begin to realize this is a marathon, not a sprint! Actually, it’s not a race at all!
Table Of Contents
2021 Vision Board
Money Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash, all others via Pinterest
View my full 2021 Vision Board on Pinterest
Above is a visual to summarize my 2021 goals:
My health
Grow my business
Find balance in my life
Connect with family & friends
Manifest good in our lives
Home organization
Increase savings account
Increase reading & continued learning
Continue reading to learn more about these goals, and my progress thus far…
Related Reading:
If you follow me on Instagram, you noticed my January goals were posted at the beginning of the month, as well as as look back at 2020.
Review of 2020’s Goals and 2021 Goals Reveal
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As posted on Instagram: Health is a priority in 2021!
🎉I started using the Powersheets from @cultivatewhatmatters 2020, and I have to tell you it made all difference achieving many of my goals.
🎉𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲:🎉
To exercise consistently
Plan vacations (haha, at least we squeezed one in the beginning of January!)
Get control of pain issues
More double-dates & group dates with our inner circle (that worked up through February)
Be an excellent doggie mom (after starting business 2019, my dog was feeling neglected)
Work on my business
Quality time with husband (oh boy, sometimes be careful what ask for! LOL)
Mid-way year, we revisit our goals, and revise them In the @powersheets, thankfully.
🎉𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 goals:
Video chats with friends
Promote business (I also had a separate list of goals for my business)
Create 2021 Travel Bucket List
Journal daily
Refresh (redecorate) living room, bedroom, office
Spring Cleaning
Continue spend QT dog & husband
🎉 Some these received more attention than others as became honestly bit overwhelming, yet gratefully busy. The bedroom office were redecorated room few upgrades. did not accomplish spring cleaning like wanted, but manage make effort quit work decent daily quality husband.
🎉𝗦𝗼, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭'𝘀 goals 𝗮𝗿𝗲: 🎉
My health
Grow my business
Find balance in my life
Connect family & friends
Manifest good in our lives
Home organization
Increase savings account
Increase reading & continued learning
𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 … 𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘁: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
If it’s got anything do decorating or renovating your home, I’d suggest following my insta account @julie_ann_rachelle — this could be just the motivation you need!
“I hope you’ll be inspired to keep at your goals, and to not be so hard on yourself, as you begin to realize this is a marathon, not a sprint! Actually, it’s not a race at all! ”
Gratitude for 2020
“On a positive note, the wonderful things that took place will propel me into the New Year with hope and zest. ”
As written on Instagram, “Thank you to all of you, my VFF’s, as @drewbarrymore says, “virtual forever friends!,” for saving 2020 and making it a bearable one. Thank goodness it’s coming to an end! Goodbye forever 2020, and may it be at least 50 years before we have to watch a documentary of this year in review!
Looking back on my own life over the year, there were plenty of good things as well as challenges. As I grew my business, I was:
challenged with time management, and finding balance.
There were challenges with finding time for friends, and I admit I used the pandemic as an excuse to focus more on my business, which I hate to admit.
There were challenges with creating a consistent schedule, consistency with my dog, and being able to spend time outdoors when I was busiest during the summer.
There were challenges with staying up too late, insomnia, and then a cycle of overwhelming exhaustion.
There were challenges with consistency with my workout schedule, which often happened in the late evening, which I would like to change.
The biggest challenge was the unexpected death of my very first best friend, Sharon, from pancreatic cancer and the subsequent mourning.
Above: Left to right - Sharon, Linda, and myself at our 30th high school reunion in 2019
On a positive note, the wonderful things that took place will propel me into the New Year with hope and zest.
The good things included my parents moving back, and getting to spend time with my nephew over the summer while it was safe to do so.
The good things included a focus on quality time with my husband and my dog, which meant not working late into the night as I had done in 2019.
The good things included our trip to Oahu in January before the pandemic hit the States, and learning how to snorkel which we enjoyed tremendously.
The good things included new medications for my migraines which reduced my trips to Urgent Care and the E.R., about 8 trips in total.
The good things included updating our home, specifically turning my scrapbook room into my design office, as well as refreshing the master bedroom and dining room.
The good things included a focus on taking weekends off, which I failed to do in 2019 as a work-at-home entrepreneur.
“I learned (in 2020) not to get caught in the comparison trap, and if I am, to do 3 meaningful things such as give my husband a compliment, give someone else a compliment, and give myself a compliment. ”
Last, but hardly least, I am tremendously grateful for the #edesignsisters.
Amanda, @fosterdecor, I am so grateful that you saw something in me that inspired you to connect, and create an awesome community of friends that I couldn’t have survived 2020 without. You are a rockstar, and you inspire me.
Stephanie, @rumbleinteriors, I am so grateful that you spoke up and seconded my desire to start something that turned into the eDesignsisters, if you remember. You inspire me to be a better friend, and I thank you.
Amanda, @gritinteriors, I am so grateful to have become friends with such a sophisticated, gorgeous, and inspiring designer. You are a steadfast, calm friend that everyone needs in their life. Wendy, I am so grateful we connected in 2020 and for the times you made me laugh, and lifted my spirits. I will always be grateful for your beautiful smile.
Julie, @julie_rawding_interiors rawding, I am so grateful to meet you as someone from my ancestor’s country, and for your awesome design meditation download. I am so inspired by your desire to start a magazine
Ashley, @ashleyberdandesign , I will always be grateful to get to know such a kind and beautiful soul, and a design genius at that. I’m so happy for you to get married in 2021!
And Julie, @juliegstudio , I am so grateful to have become friends with a kindred spirit in politics, and an amazing interior architect that I definitely look up to. Your brave journey to start your own firm will only flourish in 2021!
Finally, I would like to end (this instagram post) on the main lessons I learned over the year. The good and the challenging taught me to stick to my values, or I’ll be unhappy.
I learned not to get caught in the comparison trap, and if I am, to do 3 meaningful things such as give my husband a compliment, give someone else a compliment, and give myself a compliment.
I learned that manifestation works. I learned I need to make a determined effort to make time for friends.
I learned I need to slow down. I learned it is okay to accept help. And I learned that I am good enough.
January 2021 Progress Update
How are your New Year's goals going? Don't fret if you haven't done them every day or even every week....life is a marathon, not a sprint!
This is not a race.
Girl running down the street with a plastic flamingo during the Christmas fun run in Vilnius, Lithuania (taken December, 2019). Photo by Dovile Ramoskaite on Unsplash
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Embrace progress over perfection, even little steps are progress.
Just continue building up bit by bit.
February is a new chapter, so if you haven't had a chance to start on your goals yet, you can start to make progress in a few days!
Sometimes we are harder on ourselves than we need to be.
“A cultivated life happens when we get grateful.”
For instance, for my monthly action items at the top of my tending list for January, you'll see that I made progress on all of those monthly action items.
However, it wasn't until I started writing this post that I realized I had indeed made progress on ALL of them.
I thought I only halfway succeeded until I expanded my definition of progress.
Progress doesn't mean you have to have completed the goal completely!
Can I tell you that some of these goals I've been working on for a year, and didn't make progress on until now?!!!
Do you do a monthly review? According to my planner from @cultivatewhatmatters, "a cultivated life happens when we get grateful."
“I’m choosing grace over guilt over making slow progress with blogging in January.”
Here's some of my January month-in-review….
Some people I'm grateful for and why:
My husband because he's the most supportive when I need a cheerleader.
My parents because they are so thoughtful and loving, and I'm so grateful that they moved back to the area.
Linda for her lifelong friendship across the miles, for being dependable, loyal, accepting, trusting, and caring.
Good things this month:
I received my first affiliate check, thank you for your support!
I lost weight from my workouts on the elliptical.
I saw the periodontist about my gums (they are thin due to having braces as a kid), and she claimed my teeth are some of the cleanest she's ever seen!
Connecting with family over video chat!
Self-care
Learning (reading and studying new languages)
Planning
I'm choosing grace over guilt about:
Making slow progress with blogging
What I read or listened to:
Audio Books-
At Home with Madame Chic by Jennifer Scott
Blinks (condensed versions of books)-
We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter. Author: Headlee
Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life. Author: Perkins.
What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism. Paperback. Authors: Rather, Kirschner
Ready Aim Fire!: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SETTING AND ACHIEVING GOALS. Authors: Woods & Fisher
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. Authors: Reed & Hastings
Flawsome: The Journey to being whole is learning to be holey. Author: Murch
Create Space: How to manage time and find focus, productivity and success. Author: Draper
Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term. Author: Cote
28 Day Personalized Growth Plan (more summarized books) Started 1/24
Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results (Volume 1) . Author: Guise
The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM). Author: Elrod
Thinking, Fast and Slow. Author: Kahneman
Deep Work (Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World). Author: Newport
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Favorite Memories from this Month:
Cozy movie nights with my husband
Video chats with Mom and sister
Getting things accomplished!
I'm saying no to: Subjective tiredness
I'm saying yes to: Routines
February Goals / Tending List
“ When you look at a monthly calendar and see a lot of text all in the same color, it tends to blend together. Choosing a different color for items related to finances, home, family, work, blog or other areas of your life can help you quickly see areas of priority for the day.”
As for February, you can see in the first photo my goals for the month broken down into monthly action items, weekly action items, and daily action items.
You’ll notice above that I’ve color-coded my planner, and then I also color code my calendar. While you can use color psychology to use your colors or use colors to indicate urgency, I assigned a random color to each category of my goals list. Thus:
Health: GREEN
Business: PINK
Balance: AQUA
Connection: YELLOW
Manifesting: PURPLE
Organization: ORANGE
Savings: DARK GREEN
Learning: RED
Monthly Action Items for february:
Photos via ILoveNY.com: Top Row, L to R: @heidi.spitzig.photography, @adksteward, @msmith.photo; Middle Row, L to R: @denimcm_pics, @dloyd81, @adirondackjoe; Bottom Row, L to R: @jacob_sporn, @claireebruce, @squirrelynina2
SHOP THIS LOOK
One of the books I read this month suggested that for each goal you want to accomplish to do a "why" drill.
Keep asking yourself why you want to do it over and over until you get to the core of your reason.
1. (Balance) Explore NY State (sites, antiquing, nature, etc.)
Why “Drill Down”
Why: I want to engage in leisure time
Why: because it's good to get out in nature
Why: because it's good for mental health, good exercise, and for a break
Why: I want to get out because we are cooped up during the winter
Why: because I want to see more of this state that I didn't grow up in
Why: because my family used to have fun going on day trips when I was growing up in Ohio, and I want to do that here in NY too
Why: because it helps expand the mind
Why: to be well-rounded and live a balanced life
Why: because I tend to overwork
Why: because I don't like to go out in the winter snow and cold
2.(Business) Send newsletter
(Need a new service for your newsletter? Try Flodesk. Use this link to get 50% off your subscription and I get $19)
Why “Drill Down”
Why: to engage readers
Why: to update readers about my blog
Why: to create clients
Why: to share my talents
Why: to fulfill my purpose
Why: to live a happy life
Why: to look back at the end of my life without regrets
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
3. (Connection) List celebrations for the year on celebrations tending list
Why “Drill Down”
Why: during the pandemic, it's more important than ever to make effort to celebrate
Why: because it's easy to be complacent when we aren't able to gather
Why: I don't want to treat special occasions as just another day, even if it's a pandemic
Why: it's a boost for mental health, and lets others know how much I care
Why: because no man is an island
Why: we are stronger together
Weekly Action Items for February:
1.(Business) Blog and promote blog
Why: to demonstrate my expertise and help educate about design and decorating
Why: to gain readership
Why: to gain clients
Why: see newsletter
Image via Pinterest from theinspiredhome.com
SHOP THIS LOOK
2.(Organization) Organize bathroom under counter
Why “Drill Down”
Why: organizing the house will help with efficiency
Why: disarray makes it hard to think
Why: a disorganized room reflects a disorganized mind
Why: mental health is important as well as productivity, routines and rituals
3.(Savings) Save money in individual savings account
Why: husband expressed desire for me to start my own savings account in addition to our joint savings account
Why: to have extra money when I need it
Why: to save up for emergencies, unexpected expenses, and big purchases
Why: to feel better about myself
Why: to improve confidence and self-esteem
4.(Connection) Tend to friends:
Why: my tendency to overwork and not schedule in time for friends
Why: as a natural introvert I like my own company
Why: I'm my own best friend but I want to keep my friends
Why: I want them to know how much they mean to me, and I want to be there for them
Why: because they are awesome
Why: because they are interesting, caring, intelligent, worthy beings
5.(Health) Do Physical Therapy:
Why: tennis elbow
Why: I want to heal
Why: I want to be at my optimum
Why: I want to not be in pain
Why: when you have your health you have everything
6.(Manifesting) Try spiritual bath:
Why: part of manifesting goals
Why: to cleanse aura
Why: to bring in good for the rest of the year
Why: to have a better year than 2020
Why: 2020 sucked
Video: stayforevertrue
Daily Action Items:
1.(Business) Study business of interior design (workshops)
Why: to be better
Why: always striving to be the best I can be
Why: to serve my clients
Why: to bring joy to their lives
2.(Learning) Read:
Why: to learn and for leisure
Why: I get too busy and don't make time for it
Why: I do too much "reading" on the internet
Why: The internet and social media can chew up your time
Why: Not sticking to routines, to-do list, etc
3. Manifest: (journal or use affirmations)
Why: to achieve my goals and highest self
Why: to feel accomplished
Why: for self-growth
Why: to increase confidence
4.(Health) Workout:
Why: to be healthy
Why: less pain
Why: less stiffness
Why: good for memory
Why: good for self-image
5.(Business) Instagram (either post or comment):
Why: to engage with followers
Why: see newsletter
6.(Learning) Learn Spanish:
Why: to expand my mind
Why: feels good to understand another language
Why: self-growth
Why: continue to grow mind
Why: learning is a huge value of mine
7.(Business) Write (blog):
Why: the more writing the better
Why: Google likes blog updates
Why: Google likes long blog posts according to @alyciawicker
Why: to gain readership
Why: to be good at what I do
Why: see newsletter
To sum it all up, 2020 had its ups and downs however I am happy and grateful for all the good things. My 2021 goals are to: Grow my business, find balance in my life, connect with family & friends, manifest good in our lives, home organization, increase savings account, and increase reading & continued learning. I’ve broken these goals down into monthly, weekly, and daily action items that I’ve shared with you. Hopefully, you’ve had some inspiration to keep going or even to get started! If you have a room refresh or home decorating on your list, let’s chat to see how I can assist you! (
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