Envision Success With a Vision Board Need a little help making your dreams come true? Try a tool celebrities Oprah, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner, and Lily Singh have used — a vision board. This poster-size collage of images, words, and affirmations depicts dreams, goals, or desires you want to bring into your life, from a career or financial milestone to travel, relationships, or achievements. Placed where you see it multiple times a day, a vision board should excite and inspire you. Oprah Winfrey claims she made her first vision board after Michelle Obama asked her and others in 2008 to envision her husband becoming president. Oprah responded, creating a board with a picture of the dress she planned to wear at Obama’s inauguration. Recording star Katy Perry says she created her first vision board at age 9 at a teacher’s request, featuring a picture of Selena Gomez winning a Grammy. Fifteen years later, Perry won one herself. Kris Jenner, the mother of the Kardashian sisters, says she found making a vision board inspirational after her children introduced her to the idea, adding, “Using the visuals just helped me see something come to life.”
The end-of-year holidays are festive but famously stressful, with fighting crowds and busting budgets. Here are five ideas to elevate your holidays by embracing new, simple family traditions. Shop-Local Friday Avoid door-busting Black Friday crowds by shopping locally. Visit nearby shops as a family and try out their offerings. Or stay even closer to home by gamifying Black Friday into an online scavenger hunt. Make a shopping list and see who can find the best deals on each item. Go Hunting Outdoors Work off that Thanksgiving meal by visiting a nearby park or trail for a hike and scavenger hunt. Give each family member a list of items to find. Small children might look for a pinecone or sparkly rock, while teens could hunt for a bird’s nest or a particular tree species. Your kids will learn about nature while enjoying some adventurous competition. Friendsgiving If you aren’t overwhelmed by relatives during Thanksgiving, consider letting your children plan their own Friendsgiving celebration. This relatively new holiday has become a popular way to relax with your besties, and hosting a kids’ version can help children strengthen social ties. Serve Thanksgiving leftovers or let the kids plan the menu. Year-End Gift Fest Three gift-giving holidays — Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa — all fall near the end of December this year. Consider making gifts rather than buying them. Purchase supplies for a crafting or baking session and encourage your kids to create keepsakes or treats for loved ones, such as beaded jewelry, photo albums, trinket trays, original storybooks, artwork, cookies, or candy. Your kids will see that many recipients value their effort in making gifts more than the money spent on purchased ones. A Year of Memories The year’s end is a time to remember special people and events. Decorate a glass Memory Jar and ask each family member to recall a few favorite happenings or activities from the past year. Record each one on a slip of paper, drop them into the Memory Jar, make it the centerpiece for a family meal, and take turns pulling out and reading each other’s memories. This simple ritual can spark plenty of fun, plus warm conversations about the abundance that families share. ELEVATE YOUR END-OF-YEAR HOLIDAYS
The concept is a little too New Age-y for some. JP Sears spoofs vision boards on YouTube, saying most mask greed as spirituality. The big houses, swimming pools, vacations, or career goals many choose to depict are all “decoys for money … setting you up to desire money while making you appear to be a spiritual person,” Sears says.
Advocates, however, say vision boards serve as an uplifting reminder of what you want from life. To create one, you will need a foam board,
double-sided tape, scissors, and images, words, or affirmations that delight or inspire you. Start with a list of specific goals, then source targeted images and words online that convey your vision clearly, says YouTube star Lily Singh. Don’t try to capture the dreams of a lifetime in one vision board. Singh’s first vision board expressed her desire to attract 1 million YouTube subscribers and move to Los Angeles, while subsequent boards displayed loftier aspirations. When you are satisfied that your board captures your dreams, Singh says, “Work your butt off (to make them come true).”
2 • NortonAccountingServices.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator