How To Create Your 5-Year Vision (even when you don't know where to start)

When we first started Thrive Lounge, we hosted several events in our local community. At one event, people were invited to attend as the person they wanted to be in 5 years. Throughout the night, attendees would visualize their future by speaking as if they'd already accomplished their goals. 

At the end of the night however, we learned that many people struggle with visualizing their future and wanted to know HOW to create that five year vision in the first place.

That's when it dawned on me that while I think about my goals all the time, (I have goals lined up in increments of 1 ,5, 10 and 15 years. #obsessed) some people are still struggling to envision their 5-year goals, let alone anything further out. 

Heck, a lot of people are unclear about their vision for this year.

So, I took a step back to think about how I created my 5-year vision.

Here is what I came up with: 

STEP ONE: THE BRAINSTORM

Creating your 5-year vision isn't as easy as picking a goal out of thin air. (If you do it that way, you'll realize that you’ll end up changing your goals very quickly and very often. You will also be easily distracted by shiny objects.)

Instead, take an entire day (or week) to ask what you want out of life and write all of your ideas down.

Feel free to create a list of as many ideas as you can think of. BIG ideas - this is your future, your vision - NOTHING is impossible. Write everything down.

Just do me one favor, will you? As you're brainstorming, ask yourself one important question: 

What would I do if there were no rules?

Here are a couple more sample questions to get you started: 

• What did you always want to do as a kid?

• What's your life mission?

• What's are your values?

• What impact do you want to have on the world and other's lives?

• What do you want to be different than it is today?

Growing up, I always wanted to be a member of Destiny's Child. (Moment of honesty: I even wrote a letter to Beyonce telling her about my singing abilities and asking her to create a "Children of Destiny's Child" girl group. I WAS DEAD SERIOUS.)

In elementary school and junior high, I spent my afternoons creating dance routines and singing in my room. In high school, I spent my free time writing songs and doing performance poetry. When I thought about my 5-year goals, I definitely wanted to get back to singing, dancing and writing. 

STEP TWO: MAKE A DECISION: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH RIGHT NOW?

You really can do anything you want, but the reality is no one (not even Beyonce herself) can do EVERYTHING at the same time.

To give your dream the opportunity to be successful, you must make a firm decision to pursue that dream - and only that dream - until you have reached the goal.

OK, I hear ya screaming at me "That's too hard! I am multi-passionate and have several interests! I can't choose just one!"

Rather than tell you something generic like "do what makes you happy" or "pursue your passion" I'm going to be honest with you (like incredibly honest):

Choose the goal you're best positioned to accomplish right now.

Depending on where you are in life, there are some goals that you're in a better position to accomplish than others. This doesn’t mean that you can’t eventually do them all, but you have to pick one to start with

Here's an example from my life: 

Three years ago, I was working three jobs (and still struggling to make ends meet) but I really wanted to catch up on my bills, go to grad school, and start a business.

So….I started doing all three.

I had pretty much stopped sleeping in order to start a blog and learn to code. When I could find a tiny pocket of time, I studied for the GRE. (all while still working my three jobs).

After 3 months, I had gotten #nowhere.

Then one day, I simply asked myself "what should I do first?" And then it hit me. 

If I took the GRE first, then I could go back to school and get a better job. With a better job, I would have enough time to sleep AND create a side hustle.

Shortly after this revelation, I funneled ALL of my energy into studying to take the GRE. That fall, I found myself strutting down the halls of business school. 

Think about your specific situation... 

• If you have young children, you may not want to pursue a goal that takes you away from home.

• If you have worked in a certain industry for five years, you have unique skills that will give you a competitive advantage in reaching a goal related to that industry.

• If you have extra time on your hands, maybe you could spend that time creating a side hustle.

This doesn't mean that you have to throw your other dreams away. It simply means to grab the low hanging fruit, crush it, and then get started on your next goal. Being multi-passionate is a beautiful thing, but pursuing six goals at the same time means that each of your goals only get's one-sixth of your focus. It’s hard to be really successful only using one-sixth of your effort.

STEP THREE: OUTLINE

All goals (if they're big enough) will require you to step out of your shell a bit and do something new.

You may have to learn new things or re-train your brain to think a different way. (Don't worry, it sounds scary, but it's not. We all evolve everyday - this just means your evolution to your next move will be intentional.)

The next step in figuring out your vision, is outlining what it will take to get there.

Through creating an outline, you are doing several things. First, you're researching what it will take in order to reach your goal. Second, you're gaining an understanding of the distance between where you are and where you want to be. Third, you are breaking down your big hairy audacious goal into smaller bite-sized goals that are easier to accomplish. (More low-hanging fruit. :) 

To get started on your outline, ask yourself these questions: 

• What skills will I need to accomplish this goal?

• What classes do I need to take?

• What relationships will I need to build?

• Are there any experts out there who I can learn from?

• What will I have to do in order to accomplish this goal? (Don't skimp on this one! Be very detailed about your action items. This will help you in the long run.)

STEP FOUR: CREATE THE BIG PICTURE

Most people think about their vision in terms of their professional life. I love that more women are placing a strong focus on their career, but that mentality will make you Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada. #LonelyAtTheTop

Let's be real, a rich life is full of happiness, adventure, deep connections with family and great friends - in addition to monetary and career success. So take some time to brainstorm on what you want out of the other areas of you life. 

To get started, write one sentence about what you want to you want your life to look like in each of these areas: 

• Family

• Hobbies and Creativity

• Personal Relationships

• Exploration and Adventure

• Self-Care

• Money

• Career

• Spirituality

STEP FIVE: CREATE THE VISION

Now that you have an idea on the big goal that you want to accomplish as well as the secondary goals, let's put it all into one, solid paragraph. (Pro tip: Try for 3-4 sentences - and it's OK to revise it a bit.) Keep revising until you get it down to only the most important elements that you want to include in your life. 

STEP SIX: BE OPEN TO CHANGE

While I don't like to be ambiguous, I will break my own rules when I have to. When you start down the path of accomplishing your goals, you never really know where it will take you. Be open to new opportunities coming your way - as long as it is in line with your values and will still take you in the direction of your life's mission. You’ll lose focus if you take every opportunity that comes your way, but there also may be some pretty cool ones that you shouldn’t pass up.

Creating a 5-year vision is not easy. It takes a commitment to trying to uncover what your really want out of life and thinking about how to get it - without neglecting the other important areas of your life.

At the end of this activity, take a second to imagine what your life would look like at the end of your journey. After having accomplished the goals that you went after, ask yourself one question: "Am I happy?" If you've answered "YES" then you did it right. If not, try again until you're happy with your vision. 

Happy Dreaming!
xoxo

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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About the author

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

How To Crush Your Goals... Even When You Feel Distracted

Three years ago, I really wanted to go to grad school. I was working several jobs just trying to keep up with my life and I knew that going back to school would be my key to finally getting ahead. Even though I knew that's what I needed to do, it wasn't as easy as Nike would suggest. #JustDoIt.

It would always start off the same way, I would pick up a GRE book stare at it for a few hours and feel great! But then the next day would roll around and there was always something that came up. One day it would be that I was exhausted, another day it would be after school activities and PTA meetings, another day, still, I just didn't feel like it - but I did really want to accomplish that goal. 

The truth is, accomplishing any long term goal (like studying for the GRE) tends to be very difficult because it requires you to focus on one thing for months at a time. Even if you approach the first few weeks with gusto, that same enthusiasm will not last you two months or six months or a year. You need discipline.

Rather than internally scold yourself on why you don't have the discipline to complete your goals (like I did for about a year of false starts with the GRE), try to find another way to complete that same goal that comes more easily to you. Here are some of the things I do to continuously crush my goals - no matter how difficult they are.

Give yourself one cheat day a week.

All work and no play make you a very dull woman. #truth Make sure every week has time for you to enjoy your time alone (preferably with a glass of wine) or spend time with friends and family. This is the best way to clear you mind and take care of yourself so you don't hit burnout. After a good day of relaxing and catering to your personal needs, you'll be ready to attack your goals when you come back! 

Get an accountability partner.

An accountability partner is someone that you talk to periodically about your goals. My accountability partner is my secret weapon. (Seriously, I have two accountability partners for each of the big goals I want to crush this year.) Not only do my accountability partners talk to me about my goals, they also hold me accountable to the goals I set AND suggest ways that I can approach my problem from different angles based on their personal experiences. We call each other once a month and take turns talking about where we are on our goals and strategize on how to accomplish them. This makes goal crushing more social - and more fun!

Related: How To Have Productive Calls With Your Accountability Partner

Set a trigger point to remind yourself when to work on that goal.

Sometimes working on a goal is simple enough, but finding the time to work on that goal is the difficult part. With events and networking and building/maintaining relationships, it's understandable that long term goals fall through the cracks (Hey, you can always get to it tomorrow, right? WRONG.) The best way to get a goal to completion is to do it every day so find something that you do every day and commit to following your goal right afterwards. For example, after I put my daughter to sleep, I work on my goals. Also, on Sundays after breakfast, I work on my goals. I don't put anything else in that time and after a while you'll get used to doing it that you don't need to be reminded or force yourself to do it anymore.

Create hard deadlines for yourself.

Some people are able to get things done simply - because. But, trust (and believe) not everyone functions that way. In fact, I love setting hard deadlines for myself to make sure that I get things done on the day I say I will.  For example, if you're thinking about creating an event, the best way to make sure that event happens is to set a date and pay for the space. Better yet, you can start marketing it so people know that you have an event scheduled. (Try not making that deadline. 😃) For this to work, it can't be an arbitrary deadline - make sure that you're held accountable to this deadline by something concrete. For example you could try pre-selling your product and agreeing on a launch date or betting friends and family you'll get it done - and put money on it!

Go to a conference. 

Conferences (that, of course, are all about the project that you are currently working on) have a keen way of revitalizing the way you originally felt about your project. For example, if you're a blogger, but you've been having writer's bock and haven't been able to complete a blog post in a while, going to a blogger's conference like Blogalicious or BlogHer could be really helpful for you. You'll learn new tools and tactics to implement in your journey that could be game changing. You'll also meet new people that are traveling the same path as you and can identify with what you're going through that could give you tips on how they've forged through.

Schedule a nice break at the end of your goal.

I love accomplishing a huge task with the understanding that once this task is complete I will be able to have a nice, long break (that usually consists of me, on a rooftop or massage table immediately followed by wine). Having a light at the end of the tunnel gives you something to look forward to. It also makes it easier to suffer through the difficult times of working through a goal because you know that your moment of peace and relaxation is right on the other side of your accomplishments.

Some people really struggle with staying on track while others can power forward on their goals without ever losing steam. To get though the GRE, I met with an accountability partner IN PERSON once a week and we would work through different pre-tests in the work book and give each other an assignment at the end of our study sessions. Another one of my best friend's even paid for the test for me (I told you I was barely keeping up during that time - I wasn't kidding). With one best friend as an accountability partner and another putting the money up for me to take the exam, I was more focused than ever. 

There is nothing standing in your way of accomplishing your goals, you just have to find the motivators that work for you. When you find yourself struggling with sticking to your goals, just choose one of these tactics and work through the list until you find something that works for you. 

Best of luck goal-crushing! 
xoxo

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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About the author

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

How To Successfully Host Your First Vision Board Party

The year is almost over and I'm already getting mentally prepared for a new beginning. Right after the holiday season, we all will slowly drift away from holiday pies and gift giving into the inevitable my-life-is-gonna-be-super-lit-next-year mode. (I'm getting ready for all the inspirational posts and three full days of working out at the gym before February comes around and things go back to normal.)

Personally, I'm excited to get my vision board party on with my best girlfriends. Vision boards are done best as a community (in party form with Lauryn Hill playing in the background and an unlimited supply of wine nearby) because you'll get the benefit of sharing your ideas with friends and building your team of cheerleaders supporting you in reaching your goals - plus there's wine.

Once you have all the vision board party planning out of the way, your date is set, and all of your BFFs have invitations in their inbox - what happens next? What do you do once they arrive at your house and are mid-way through their second glass of wine?

There are three key pieces to hosting any super successful vision board party that you'll need to make sure it's fun and engaging, but not too overwhelming or structured.

 

Let Your Guests Introduce Themselves To Each Other

I love to start vision board parties by giving each person the floor, one at a time, to share both who they are, their experiences and their goals. I love when event hosts allow for full introductions to the entire room because you get to know a little bit about everyone in the room.

Without formal introductions, you are basically meeting people by chance based on what time you walk in to the party or who you randomly lock eyes with while getting your second brownie at the dessert table.

This is the best format for introductions at a vision board party because you can be more intentional about who you talk to before you leave. For example, if you're struggling to get a job in a certain field, but someone else at the party works in that field, you'll learn that during the introductions and you can make sure to chat with them at the party.  (Side note: This is also why it's important to limit the number of people present at the event - it's much harder to do introductions for 50 people than it is for 8-10.)

Related: 8 Fun Vision Board Party Activites + Ice Breakers

 

Make Sure Everyone Knows What A Vision Board Is

While vision boards have gotten a lot of good press from celebrities and influencers sharing their great experiences using them, some people won't know what a vision board it so it's always good to give a brief introduction to vision boards.

You can share your experience or bring an old vision board to share with the group. You can also take some time to talk about different types of goals you can put on your vision board.

Vision boards are very versatile and don't only have to speak to your professional goals and relationship goals, but they can be a guide for anything you want to accomplish for yourself.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About Creating A Vision Board

Leave Room For Eating + Building + Networking

The best part of any event is that feeling you get at the end of the night when you walk away having met someone interesting or getting some life changing advice that you can immediately apply to your own challenges.

When I went to my first vision board party, my life was in a very sad place but I met women who assured me that they've been through similar issues and encouraged me to keep going.

They didn't see me the way I saw myself at the time, they saw my potential and I could feel the love and excitement about goal-crushing in the room. In order for anyone to get that experience at your event, you have to give them breathing room to meet and chat with the other people in the room.

Related: How My First Vision Board Party Turned My life Around

At the end of the night, your guests may not walk away with a completed vision board (and that's been true for the last 5 vision board parties I've been to) but they will walk away with new friendships, a clear idea of what they want to accomplish, and positive vibes that will last them for days.

Let’s get your vision board party scheduled on the books! Here are some great ideas for Vision Board Party Invitations. I’m looking forward to hearing about your party!

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

How To Plan An Unforgettable Vision Board Party

So, you're ready to start planning your first Vision Board party? Congrats! You're in for an incredible experience and a miraculous year, I promise. :)

Vision Boards are effective in helping you crush your goals because they help you to start envisioning the future that you want for yourself.

Hosting a Vision Board party makes the creating of your Vision Board a group activity where you can let your hair down, chat with friends and make long-lasting connections. My favorite thing about Vision Board parties….. is not the food or the wine (gasp!), it's the sharing of success stories and ideas that occur between guests as they share their goals for the year. 

I have learned a lot about this whole Vision Boarding thing over the years and there's definitely a way to create an unforgettable experience for your guests.

Here are my top Vision Board party planning tips. 

Create The Right Guest List

Just like any party, the most important element is the people in the room! Interaction between the guests you invite is what makes all the difference between an epic party where people met new besties and that awkward party of wall flowers where everyone is silently working on their boards and you can hear a pin drop.

To start, you want to invite people with diverse backgrounds. For example, don’t just invite all your entrepreneur or side hustler friends, invite your friends that are students, corporate queens, and do-gooders holding it down at a nonprofit. This will ensure that the ideas shared are met from different perspectives around the table - not just head nods and repeat strategies.

New ideas always leads to additional conversation and that's the best thing you could have at your event - engaged guests. 

Also, don't be afraid to invite people from different age groups. While more experienced + seasoned friends can give you words of wisdom, younger friends will bring a breath of optimism and lighthearted naivete that only the youth can offer.

Finally, invite your friends who are happy to share information with others. If you have those friends that don't want to tell anyone what they're doing or how they've achieved their goals - they might not be right invite for this kind of event.

Having an abundance of givers (rather than takers) will ensure that everyone can benefit from others in the room - and that the conversation keeps flowing. 

Have The Right Drinks.. (and food, too, I guess)

I truly do believe that it really doesn't matter what you eat at a Vision Board party. At our first Vision Board party, we had barbecue chicken - no dessert, no sides (the other attendees forgot to bring a dish) and we still had an amazing time laughing and swapping battle stories.

The only thing you truly need to have an amazing experience is good wine... and it doesn't have to be fancy wine, either. It just has to be good. You'll want to go with a crowd pleasing wine (aka. something sweet that keeps people drinking and talking... drinking and talking.)

Pro Tip: Don't try to be cute and put the wine on an expertly-designed pinterest-ready table on the other side of the room - put it right in the middle of the table that you're creating your vision board on. If the wine is close by, no one has to get up. They can stay engaged without skipping a beat. Just sit back and let the magic happen. 

Related post: What Kind of Food Should You Have At Your Vision Board Party? List of Do's and Don'ts

Get The Right Materials

You can find the materials you need to build your Vision Board pretty much anywhere. I think it's crazy how the most simple things in life can create a massive change for you….. if you use it the right way. 

To build your Vision Board, you need to decide what you’ll use as the foundation to build it on. I like to hang my vision board on the wall throughout the year so I use a cork board with thumbtacks (this also caters to my frugal side because I re-use that same cork board every year - going on three years strong). #minimalist

A cheaper way to create your Vision Board is to simply get a poster board, scissors and glue.

You could also glue your vision to the inside of a journal to inspire you as you write in it.

Then, you'll need  to get magazines, but not just any old magazines. I like to be strategic about the type of magazines that I look through when building my Vision Boards (because some are definitely better than others when it comes to over-the-top quotes and boss images.) 

Related: 5 Unique Ways To Create A Vision Board That Fits Your Style

With the right people, the right drinks (& food), and the right materials you'll be well on your way to creating a Vision Board party to remember!  If you’ve already hosted a party, comment below with your favorite tip.

Happy Creating! xoxo

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

---

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!