Are Your Goals Crushing You? The Secret To Successful Goal Setting

After college, I had a very difficult time trying to find a job and I struggled to find my place in the world. As a straight-A student, every teacher's favorite and overachiever. (Seriously, I was nominated for the math and science honor's society when I wasn't a math or science major.) I had my life together - and more importantly I knew that after graduation I was going to totally win at life. 

And that is the opposite of what actually happened. 

The next two years of my life was a series of closed doors, failures and one incident where I cried in front of the lady interviewing me at a temp agency because the only job I qualified for with my straight A's, leadership and community service was a receptionist. Even my induction into the math and science honor society meant nothing to her. (Side note: Why did no one prepare college graduate me for the real world?)

I took the job - and the heartbreak that came along with it. 

At that moment I decided that if the world (and the snooty lady at the temp agency) wasn't going to choose me, I would choose me. I decided then and there that I would start a blog - and I also got a part time job as a waitress on the weekends. 

I started to blog about arts and crafts and parenting (because I was sooo original at the time). After about 6 blog posts, I decided I wasn't making any money so I started working on a project to sell arts and crafts activity kits to families (because my six blog posts meant I was totally qualified to do that). Once I started doing research on what it would take to create these arts and crafts activity kits, I realized that I would need...

(you guessed it) capital.

My new receptionist job didn't quite pay me enough to start a side business so I started to freelance on the side - and when the money didn't add up, I started to study for the GRE. 

I didn't have much additional time to study with the blog, researching the arts and crafts kit, managing the social media accounts for my blog, waitressing and freelancing. So I started to wake up at 3AM to study. #teamnosleep

During that low period of my life I learned one thing for certain: 

CHOOSE ONE THING AND DO THAT ONE THING UNTIL YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL

In a world of it being common (and even praised) to be multi-passionate or a serial entrepreneur and where everyone seems to be on the constant quest to having "it all" it may seem counter-intuitive to pursue only one thing. (THERE'S SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY!!!)

I've found that's the best thing you can do to actually accomplish your goals and become wildly successful, here's why: 

Choosing one goal funnels all of your energy in one direction. 

Just take a second to think about how many projects I was working on: 

1. Blogging + Social Media

2. Creating Arts and Crafts Kits

3. Waitressing

4. Freelancing

5. Studying for the GRE

After work and family time, I would go straight to sleep and my side hustle hours were from 3AM - 8AMeach morning before it was time to get back to work. That means I had five hours to work on any items I had to do that day. That means If I had freelancing projects, I could not study. If I had to publish a blog post that day and schedule social media, I could not work on my arts and crafts kits. 

Focusing on one goal means that all of the time you have and all of the energy you have to give can be directed into one thing. Rather than taking your available hours and splitting them between different projects you can focus all of those hours into ONE project. This speeds up your ability to move forward on that project leading faster improvements, bigger wins, and higher probability of success.

Your brain can focus deeply on what you are doing.

When I was working on several different projects at once, I could never focus deeply on what I was doing. For example, at any given time, I could receive an email from a freelance client while I was at my receptionist job or while I was waitressing and it would completely derail my productivity. I could no longer focus on what I was doing. I would try to reply to my clients while I was waiting for food to come out of the kitchen at the restaurant. I would constantly get distracted by an idea for one project while working on another. My brain wanted to solve too many problems. 

Your brain is constantly working to solve your problems, even while you sleep! This is great when you have one project that you're working on because even when you're not thinking about it you are constantly working on that goal. Each new idea builds on the last and rather than being a distraction, it's an enhancement to what you're working on. 

Once you are clear on what you want, the universe aligns to give it to you.

I decided to focus all of my energy on studying for the GRE because I knew that getting a better job would be the key to unlocking more income and greater potential for myself. I got rid of the blog and stopped working on the crafts business. I even got rid of all of my freelancing clients (except for the highest paying client). I also quit the waitressing job.

Once I knew definitively that I was taking the GRE and going to grad school, I was able to pick and choose only the activities that aligned with my goal. I started to invest my free time into studying for the GRE. My receptionist job, which started off as my source of depression became a huge opportunity because while I was sitting at a desk all day waiting for phone calls, I utilized that time to study even more. I also started to network with people that went to the schools I applied to who gave me insider's information and contacts at the school.

Drilling down to one goal, gives you the opportunity to only do things that will move the needle in pursuit of that goal. Rather than running around being busy and overwhelmed, you can be confident that you're doing what matters most. 

You now have time to take care of you.

Pursuing multiple goals is tough business (especially if your goals don't align very well)! The first thing that I lost when pursuing multiple goals was the time for myself. I did not have time to rest properly or have a cup of tea (I probably couldn't afford it at the time if I wanted to). I was constantly serving the executives at the company I worked for, the guests in the restaurant, my clients and my family (being busy is not excuse for not showing up for your loved ones). 

Following one goal, means that you can do less but it will amount to so much more - and you can finally take that much needed time to take care of you. #YouDeserveIt

This lesson was one of the first (and most important) adulting lessons I learned. Once I defined the one big hairy audacious goal to pursue, I was able to better plan out my next steps - and the same will be true for you. 

Happy Goal-Crushing!

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.

Why Vision Boards Work - And Why You Should Create One

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

Let's chat about what an ordinary day of adulting really looks like, shall we?

You wake up via an annoying cell phone alarm, after ever-so-gracefully hitting the snooze button about three times. Then you stumble out of bed and commence your daily routine of making yourself look half way decent and head to work. After a long day's work, you come home, have dinner and shoot the breeze (possibly watching Netflix or Hulu) until you go to sleep and do it all over again the next day. 

Here's the deal - it's incredibly easy to live that same exact story over and over again - day in and day out. 

While doing something different, going on adventures, pursing new goals, or learning something new look amazing as you're scrolling Instagram, they all TAKE EFFORT. It takes a significant amount of your time and energy planning and executing for these things to actually become a reality. (Oh, and you also have to be consistent because if you're not careful, you could start planning and then your goals can disappear in an instant if the roller coaster of life get's in the way.)

That's where vision boards come in. 

A vision board is a visual representation of all the things you want to accomplish over a certain period. While it's common use a poster board to build your vision, you can create a vision board using any medium that fits best with your style.

I like to do create a vision board at the beginning of the year instead of setting a New Year's Resolution because I love having a huge canvas each year to set goals in every area of my life. 

Creating a vision board could be just what you need to break out of the every day snooze fest, here's why:

Vision Boards Give You A Reason To Reflect On What You Want Out of life.

In any given day, you can point out the things you don't really enjoy about your life. You can also daydream about things you'd want to accomplish if you had only the chance. Thinking about these things every day means absolutely nothing if you don't make an effort to fix them.

Creating a vision board is your opportunity to reflect on your life - the good and the bad - and redesign your story. Through your vision board you can set goals to do more of the things you enjoy about your life and less of the things you don't enjoy. Your vision board is your escuse to take a moment to think about your needs and focus entirely on your action plan to make it happen.

My favorite book for exploring your self, your desires and your destiny is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A friend gave this book to me when she realized I was struggling with adulting and needed a serious lifeline. Now I recommend it to others. 

Your Vision board serves as a constant reminder of your goals.

The real power in vision boards is the daily interaction with them. If you put your vision board in a place where you'll get to see it every day, it will begin to train your mind to think about the things you want, even when you're not necessarily thinking about them or focusing on them.

While you may have had difficulty focusing on accomplishing your goals, your vision board will be your point of focus. Depending on what you put on your board, you're placing yourself in the position to solve those problems or focus on those goals even when you're not trying. 

Your Vision Board Is Your Reminder to live a full life

The most powerful thing about the vision board is that it's your own blank canvas and you're absolutely unlimited in what you can put on it. Your business goals can sit right next to your travel goals, next to your money goals, next to your relationship goals. When  you look at your board, you're not only thinking about the home you want to buy, but you're also thinking about how you're going to align your money habits to reach those travel goals and buy your first home. With a vision board, you begin to view your life as one full picture and it's your job to put all the pieces together in perfect harmony. 

Vision boards are powerful for many different reasons, but the biggest value you get from a vision board is the effect it has on your mindset.

The second you decide to create a vision board you are making a consious decision to put yourself and your needs first. You make the decision to take control of you life. You assert your strength over your life. When you create your vision board, you paint a picture of your future - you tell yourself and the universe that this is what you will have. And even if you don't hit the moon, you'll surely land amongst the stars. 

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!

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

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

No matter how many people talk about their success using vision boards (the great Oprah included), vision boards can appear to be completely non-magical right?

I mean, seriously, it's made of white poster board and some old magazine clippings, there's no gold, silver or diamonds involved. But no one can deny, that no matter how flimsy, these little boards with tiny pieces of paper glued to them have the power to change lives. 

Vision boards have a unique way of keeping your personal goals front and center - and top of mind throughout the year. (There is no way you're going to forget that you wanted a promotion when you have a poster boards that says P-R-O-M-O-T-I-O-N in huge letters sitting above your nightstand.)

Every time you look at your goals, you'll think about them - and that prompts your mind to think of new ways to solve your largest challenges. 

When you create a vision board you’re forcing yourself to take some time to think about what you really want out of life.

That time of internal reflection is the first powerful point in accomplishing your goals because you take the time to decide on those goals. You are focusing your mind on what you really want. 

You don't have to settle for the white poster board that most gurus opt for when creating their board! Nothing against the white poster board at all, but we're all about being true to you, here! 

Here are a few ways to infuse a little bit of "you" into your big vision this year:

If you're financially conscious, create your vision on a cork board.

I'm a huge advocate of being frugal any chance I get so a cord board is my canvas of choice when I create my vision board. I create a vision board every December so I could easily go through 50 poster boards over the course of my lifetime (hopefully many more). However, by my second year of creating a vision board, I opted for a beautiful cork board that I can use year after year.

(Pro tip: This also looks really good if you want to hang it up in your bedroom or somewhere else prominently visible in your home.)

In the first week of December, I take a look at my vision board and take account of what I've accomplished and what I haven't tackled yet. Then I remove the old quotes and images and re-use that same cord board to build my vision for the next year. 

For the designers, build it on canva.

Some people are designed-inclined. (Yes, I'm looking directly at all of you Pinterest pinners with your perfectly designed pins that you make look effortless.) 

For all of those fortunate enough to have some real design skills (or just enjoy creating beautiful things), you can head over to Canva to create a beautiful design.

Canva is a design tool that you can use to create pretty much anything! You can upload pictures of you and your family, your grandest relationship goals, add in your favorite vacation spots and type in your very own quotes. Then (the icing on the cake) you can order a printout of your creation right there on the site.

(Pro-tip: If you're on the computer a lot, save your vision board as your screensaver. Remember, the goal is to put your board somewhere that you'll see it daily.)

If you like to journal, build your vision inside your personal journal.

I try to journal at least once a week. (I used to journal daily, but hey, who's keeping track?)

I love blank journals with motivational quotes on the cover.  

If you're known to carry a journal around, like me, why not take your big vision and create mini vision board right on the inside of your journal. That way, as you write in your journal, you can reflect on your goals.

(Pro Tip: I also carry around an old school paper calendar like this one. That could also be a great place to put your vision.)

If you don't want to share your goals, use an envelope strategy.

Sometimes you have goals that you don't want to share with others. Maybe you have a special goal that you want to keep all to yourself until you're ready to share. How about rather than not putting the goal up on your board at all, put it in an envelope and put the envelope on your board. That way, it can still be a part of your big vision AND you still get to keep that goal all to yourself. #winwin

For the sentimental, stick with the paper - and keep it throughout the years.

While I've been tearing down my vision every year to replace it with a brand-spanking new one-year plan, one of my best friends was doing the exact opposite. She creates her vision board on poster board and keeps it each year. She even had a cute poster board holder that held all of her vision boards from the past to present. With about 4 vision boards under her belt, she could clearly see what goals she was pursuing and how her priorities have shifted over time. 

Similar to eating a Reese's (and from what I hear, skinning a cat) there's are multiple ways to do it. Just remember that creating a vision board is all about you and the goals you want to accomplish. The most important part about the vision board is that you create it to fit your needs and inspire your inner soul. 

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.

---

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 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!