How My First Vision Board Party Turned My Life Around

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

Vision boards have gotten some great press lately. From giving you an opportunity to decide on what you want out of life and being a stellar way to visualize your future, vision boards have become a staple in goal-setting communities.

Of course, we must turn everything into a mimosa-and-wine-driven experience, including the way we set goals. Thus, the need for a vision board party. 

I never believed I could build a vision board and my dreams would come true. I was pretty much born a cynic. I struggle to believe anything I can't physically see with my own eyes. (No one could verify this whole vision thing that's supposed to change your subconscious with cold, hard facts.) 

I believed I'd create my own luck through hard work and perseverance. I didn't need some silly imaginary vision to be successful.

Then there was the quarter life crisis. (I didn't believe in that either, by the way, until it happened to me.) 

 

I was struggling with my entire life...

After spending four years planning on going to medical school, one summer away from home at a medical program and one month in India shadowing doctors, I was rejected from every medical school I applied to.

Though I'd graduated from college with a 3.85 GPA, ran several clubs on campus and was highly active in the community during undergrad, no one would hire me. 

Finally, I suffered the worst break up of my life (so far) which meant that I had to move out of my home and find a place to live... while losing my primary source of income... while losing the only future I planned on.

It felt like my world was crashing down around me and there was nothing I could do about it. 

I started reading books. I started a blog or two. I started freelancing at nights and waitressing on the weekends.

It wasn't enough. 

I started to accept that this was my life now. I couldn't save myself. 

My girlfriend invited me to her Vision board party...

No matter how hard you try to hide it, you friends always know when you're struggling. (I could barely have a conversation without crying so I wasn't hiding anything. Everyone knew I was having a hard time.)

Luckily, I have amazing friends that want the best for me (and I'm sure you do, too). My friend invited me to a potluck-style vision board party where everyone brought in one dish and one bottle of wine. 

I met several women her were farther along in their own personal journeys. (I think I was the youngest person in the room.) Over entirely too much wine, we swapped stories of struggle and triumph and dreams for the next 365 days. 

Related: How To Successfully Host Your First Vision Board Party

What I really got out of that experience...

I was not alone.

Everyone struggles at some point in their life. Personal pain and failure is not a direction result of your age, how you grew up or your educational background.

We all feel it.

Life ebbs and flows.

Some women were making difficult life decisions. Others were hopeful that they'd find what they were looking for. Others, still were building empires. 

At any point in life, I could become one of these women. 

I, too, could turn my life around.

Before attending the vision board party, I struggled for so long I started to feel like this was going to be my life and it was about time I got used to it.

I stopped believing that I could change my life.

I didn't believe I was capable of making a big life change. I believed that the doors were shut. I screwed up too early. I was incapable.

Then, I talked to other women who'd been there, done that and lived to tell my story from a point of triumph. They encouraged me that my dreams were valid. 

I, too, could succeed. 

Related: 8 Mindset Shifts To Create Abundance (when all hope is lost)

I was worthy.

My self-esteem was severely lacking. (That part is obvious.)

I was so deeply depressed that I thought no one would want to talk to me. I was terrified anyone would ask me what I did for a living (my response would be "I fail for a living"). I never mentioned my school because it was a small liberal arts college no one's ever heard of.

I believed I was overall unworthy of friendship, mentorship or anyone's time. 

In my head, I was a loser. 

Not only were people excited to talk to me, they told me that I was worth more than I was giving myself credit for.

I was not unworthy. I was unaware of my worth.

I could choose.

Prior to that vision board party, I was letting every new tip, ad, or vision of success drive my actions.

If some online guru said they made a ton of money using social media or blogging, I tried it. I was willing to do anything and leaving my success completely up to whatever convoluted idea came my way. 

After failing in my career, relationship and finances, I didn't trust in myself enough to choose what felt right for me. 

Creating a vision board forced me to do what I hadn't done in over a year. I asked myself what I wanted to happen in my life next.

I did not have a fully developed goal, but I walked away from the party believing that I could choose something that aligned with my personality.

Here's What Happened the Following Year...

I got some of my peers together a few weeks later to complete my vision board. I wanted my friends to enjoy the shared experiences and crowd-sourcing of ideas that I felt at my first vision board party.

After replicating that feeling of inspiration and excitement about life with my friends, I wanted to have that feeling more often. 

• I created a local community group where women met monthly to share things we've learned, talk about goals and hold each other accountable.

• I decided to figured out what I wanted out of my life.

• I started taking online classes in anything that sounded remotely interesting.

• I deeply pursued the coding.

• I decided to go back to school.

By the end of that year, I started to see glimpses of what my life would become if I continued down this path. That was the year I found my passion. The following year, I cut my expenses, quit all my jobs and went to grad school fill time. The year after that I graduated with a job in my field, effectively tripling my income. 

It all started with everything I learned at my first vision board party.

If you're wondering whether to host a vision board party this year, do it. Even if you feel like your life is going well right now, do it for a friend. 

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 Strategies To Reach Your Life Goals When You Suck At Following Through

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

Ever wonder why some people are super bad ass in school, but once they enter the "real world" all of a sudden they totally suck at adulting? I have. 

That was my story.

I was at the top of all of my classes, ran social clubs, teachers pretty much drooled over my brain and presented me with the best opportunities. I was the definition of cream of the crop and, for me, it was a freakin' cake walk. 

Then I graduated. 

I struggled miserably with finding a job, got rejection letters from every medical school I applied to and then dug myself into a deep hole of debt.

I kept wondering...

"What happened to me?" 
"Is this really my life?"
"I know I'm smart. Why can't I get through this?"

Unlike school, real life doesn't come with a well-crafted curriculum, teachers to guide you or classmates that you can lean on for support. 

BUT...

You can create the same type of support system in your adult life to help you hit every goal on your list. 

talk to A Mentor

A mentor is someone who has already accomplished the goal you're pursuing and can give you solid advice on how to get to the next step. 

Your mentor will invest their time sharing their wisdom with you. You are less likely to feel lost and overwhelmed while working towards your goal because you'll have someone you can go to with questions, concerns and set backs. The best mentors that have been there, done that and lived to tell the story will let you know exactly where they messed up and inspire you to keep going when your goals get rough. 

If you have no one in your life that you can turn to as a mentor, you can take a FREE live class on creativelive.com. There are classes on everything from personal finance to freelancing to creative pursuits taught by top industry experts. They can mentor you on the internet - and you don't have to spend a dime.

Join A Social Group

I'm not talking about a networking or bird-watching group (or whatever else you're into). Join a social group that brings together people working towards similar goals. Goal-focused social groups surrounds by other people having the same conversation. 

For example... 

• Join a financial freedom community if you'd like to get out of debt, learn frugal habits or start saving more.

• Join a photography group if you want to learn more about your camera or how to be a professional photographer.

• Join a public speaking group if your goal is be more charismatic when you deliver presentations.

The other people in this group will have different levels of experience with your same goals. Some will be just starting out, others will be well on their way (and happy to share what's working for them). There will be some who are already successful at paying off their debts and can share their story of how they did it and what to watch out for along the way.

At any point in your journey, there will be people at your same level that can support you emotionally, people that you can support with your experience and others that can answer your questions.

(Pro Tip: Here is where you can find a mentor! Keep an eye open!) 

Get An Accountability Partner

An accountability partner is someone that you touch base with periodically to talk about your progress on your goals.

Achieving any long term goal can feel like you're working on it in a bubble, with no one from the outside world to talk to about it. If you fail, no one knows except you. There's no one to hold you accountable to those goals except yourself. 

Your accountability partner help you set meaningful goals and stick to them over the long term because they'll be the eyes that see if you fail. Having someone there to watch your progress triggers your brain to keep going (even when you feel like sitting on the couch with a big ol' glass of wine). 

Related: How To Have Productive Calls With Your Accountability Partner

Join A Niche Group Online

I love in-person interactions, but it's inevitable that you'll have questions or start struggling with your goal at the most random times. You'll be researching a topic and have a question about your goal or want to know someone's personal experience about a certain strategy or solution.

In these times, it's important to have an online community that you can go to to ask questions, celebrate your wins or even get inspiration and learn different methods people are using to tackle their goals. 

Create A Daily Affirmation

An affirmation is a sentence that helps you stay aligned with your purpose. I've personally used affirmations to create an abundance mindset when I felt like giving up on my long term goals.

You can have all the tools and support in the world, but your ability to get up everyday and work towards your goal starts with yourself. You have to believe that you can make a difference in your life. If you don't, it'll be harder to push yourself through difficult times or to find the answers to the challenges in your way (because I can guarantee you there will be challenges). 

Affirmations are like personal taglines that empower you in your goals.

Here are some examples: 

• I am capable of making a difference.

• I have everything I need to be successful.

• I will find a way around any obstacles I encounter.

Your affirmations will help you stay grounded in your beliefs. 

Related: Top 10 Quotes Guaranteed to Inspire A Kick-Ass Day

Setting a goal is easy - we always know what changes we want to make in our life. Following through on that goal is hard, but it's even harder when you're doing it alone. Creating your own support system as an adult can give you the expertise, community and emotional support you need to guide you from start to finish (no school necessary). 

 

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!

The Simple Guide To Using Gratitude To Supercharge Your Goal Setting

Did you know that gratitude and goal-setting go hand in hand?

Being appreciative of what you've accomplished helps give you the strength to push forward and continue to accomplish more. 

A few years ago, despite my obvious lack of funds and clear desire to be frugal AF, I decide it was about darn time I took a vacation. It'd been almost two years since I'd done anything other than struggle and wonder why I was still freaking struggling. (That was my vicious cycle. It looked something like this: struggle-pity-struggle-pity-struggle)

I planned to spend two days in Chicago (that was all I could afford). I had a deep dish pizza, tried my first chili dog, went on the beautiful architecture tour and meandered around the city. I spent the rest of the time in my room, enjoying silence with a bottle of wine, cheese and fruits I picked up from the grocery store. 

I was so relaxed, I missed my plane to go back home. 

Rather than feeling angry that I'd wasted the money I was fighting so hard to earn, I felt a calmness. I realized that, for the first time ever, I had enough money to buy another plane ticket. I would get to stay another day in this beautiful city.

That feeling was gratitude. 

What is gratitude? 

Gratitude is the conscious decision to appreciate someone (or something) in your life simply because it exists. Many people show gratitude for a person when they receive a gift, mentorship or support. It's also common to express gratitude for a course or program that made a significant life difference for you. 

If we take this idea of having gratitude and apply it to progress towards your goals, you'll see that we become more exited about the difficult journey. 

How Can You Use It For Your Goals?

Accomplishing large goals can honestly feel like a pain in the butt. They drag on forever, one tiny shift at a time and usually we'll make progress without even noticing it because the larger goal is still staring us in the face, mocking us with with it's incompleteness. 

If you're working on a long term goal like losing a significant amount of weight, writing your first book, getting out of debt, or finally socking some money away in your savings account, it can feel like FOREVER before you start to see progress. 

Spending a small amount of your day, even 5 minutes, having gratitude for your ability to inch towards your goal, will change your perspective, increase your happiness and supercharge your ability to crush your goals.

How Do I Get Started? 

Start with noticing that you're making progress. It happens very slowly so it's easy to overlook. To be grateful for your progress, don't overlook the small things. 

Imagine that you have a goal of saving $1000 in your emergency savings account. The first thing you probably did was decide that you were going to do this because you want more security in your life. Maybe you made a budget to start saving a bit of money. Maybe you cut back your expenses to be able to make this goal a reality. 

These small, intangible (damn near invisible) goals might not have made a difference in your bank account (just yet) but they are the stepping stones you'll need to sock away some serious cash.  You can be grateful for them by noticing how much money you'll now have available each month because you were courageous enough to set an important goal for stability, savvy enough to create a budget and strong enough to make sacrifices that would serve your goal. 

Create A Daily Gratitude Habit

The only thing you really need to start incorporating this into your life is a pen, paper and a willingness to give it a try. Start today by simply writing down the answers to any of these four questions on a daily basis to create a gratitude habit:

 

What are you grateful for today? 

You always have something to be grateful for while pursuing a goal. Maybe you can finally fit into that little black dress because you've been eating healthy regularly. You might have the first chapter of your epic novel finally complete - you can be grateful that you only have 36 chapters to go. 

In my story, I was grateful that I was able to pay for another plane ticket. After years of struggling and watching my bank account go negative several times, I started to see myself as a poor person. I started to believe that at my core, I was a person who would struggle to succeed. Being able to afford my plane ticket was a moment of gratitude because I realized in that moment that I was making progress. 

What did you learn today? 

Big goals have a way of teaching us some serious lessons. Sometimes we learn new skills (like that one time when I started paying my student loan debt I learned more than I ever wanted to know about interest rates). Other times we learn new things about ourselves (like how courageous, scrappy and unstoppable you totally are under pressure). 

Whipping out my credit card and dropping and unnecessary $200 on another plane ticket wasn't the greatest feeling in the world, but I did learn that I was on the right path. If I continued to sock away money,  it would add up. It would protect me in difficult times. I would be there when I needed it. 

What did you accomplish today? 

The big win (your end goal) is not the only accomplishment. Each day you take action toward your goal will bring you a new success. If you're trying to lose weight, every time you eat a healthy meal is a win (especially since buffalo chicken wings are so darn tasty). Every time you put on your running shoes and hit the gym is a win. It's your job to recognize it. 

To be perfectly honest, I hadn't even realized that I was accomplishing anything. $5 saved here and $10 saved there felt like a massive failure to the 3-months of living expenses I was striving to save. I didn't even realize that the ability to cover my ass is an accomplishment - and that I'd earned that. 

What brought you happiness today? 

There is at least one reason to be happy in every day and it may have absolutely nothing to do with your goals. You can be happy that you've spent time with family or that you took a peaceful walk around the block. Happiness is everywhere around you, take time to appreciate the little things and you'll find more energy to tackle the big things as they come. 

What Tools Can I Use?

Start a gratitude journal

You can use any blank journal to write down the answers to any one of the questions above on a daily basis. Your entry should describe what you're grateful for each day. Here's an example: 

Today I am grateful for waking up this morning energized to go to the gym. I remembered to put my shoes right next to the bed last night so I didn't feel the urge to lay back down. 

It can be as long or short as you like. Over time as you continue to write about your success, you'll notice it comes easier to you and you start to feel gratitude even when you're not writing it down.

Recommended: The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day, is a proven system based on psychology research to improve happiness by establishing a gratitude habit just 5 minutes every day.

Create a gratitude log

A gratitude log is a simple list of the things you're grateful for and looks something like this: 

I Am Grateful For: 

1. Completing the outline for my first book.

2. Waking up this morning energized to write.

3. Finding a great podcast on writing and publishing a book.

You can continue the list for as long as you like. The benefit of this is it's easier to start because you only have to write a few words.

Being grateful places you in a position to enjoy your journey on the way to accomplishing your goals. With this very simple habit, you'll acknowledge the improvements you're making in your life on a daily basis and you'll feel happier and more excited to keep pursuing your goals. 

What are you doing to have gratitude for your journey? 

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!

9 Crowd-Pleasing (and Affordable) Wines You Need At Any Vision Board Party

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

No vision board party is official unless there's wine involved.

You can forget everything you need to build the vision board, totally lose track of the magazines, forget to bring your cork board and lose the scissors on the way to the party and you can still have a successful vision board party. 

But forgetting the wine! Well, that's blasphemy! Throw in the towel, your party will be a dud.

Since wine is the cornerstone of the vision board party, you'll want to make sure you have the right kinds of wine and a good variety to make sure everyone in attendance will have something to sip on.

Here are my top recommendations for affordable wines to serve at your vision board party. I've divided the recommendations up into whites and reds (because I know it's difficult to know what's what just from the name). 

They're all from Revel Wines, an online wine shop that specializes in great-tasting wines that won't break the bank and they deliver it right to your door (one less thing to worry about while you're party planning!) 

The Whites

Your whites will be community tables faves, especially if you're serving light-feeling foods like chicken and fish options.

2014 Shadowland Reisling

The 2014 Shadowland Reisling is your ultimate crowd-pleaser wine. With a sweet, fruity taste, this wine pairs well with those shrimp skewers you plan on making. This is perfect to get the party started and get people talking to one another and sharing stories, (mainly because they won't be able to put their glass down)! 

2014 FLO Moscato

At every vision board party you go to, you'll have your wine newbies and your wine snobs. 90% of people are newbies and will want the sweetest rendition of wine you have. I always recommend getting a few bottles of 2014 Flo Moscato because, well, I've never found a newbie who didn't like the sweetness.  

2014 Sunday Funday White Blend

The Sunday Funday White Blend won't be as sweet as the Moscato, but it will have a crispy, fruity refreshing taste to it. I'd pair this with some shrimp fried rice from the local Chinese food spot. (Trust me on this one!)  

2016 Hyacinth Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite wine of all time - especially if it comes from New Zealand (and this one does)! It's not a sweet-lover's go-to kinda wine. (In fact, Sauvignon blanc is one of the driest whites out there!)  The crisp, fruity flavor of this wine if perfect for a Sunday Brunch vision board party.

The Reds

Since most vision board parties happen from November - January, I like to have a nice assortment of reds to sip on. Reds are better for winter because they're typically served room temperature and pair well with those hearty holiday dishes everyone's passing around the table.

2016 Our Daily Organic Cabernet Sauvignon

I love having a good cab lying around because this will be your "safe" wine that everyone has at least heard of once before. The 2016 Our Daily Organic Cabernet Sauvignon that can be paired with a smoked cheddar that will definitely keep the crowd happy!

2015 Whiplash Malbec

The Malbec is one of those "introduction to red wine" kinda wines. The 2015 Whiplash Malbec is a bold and intense red that pretty much starts a fruity party in your mouth. It is great paired with heavier meats like a steak or some barbecue ribs (though you'd want to find a way to serve them so it doesn't make a huge mess over anyone's big vision). 

 

2015 Whiplash Red Blend

 The Whiplash Red Blend is a bold California red that pairs well with spicy foods. 

You can get all of these wines (and several other amazing wines) at Revel Wine.

Planning for your vision board party can be a beast, but if you make sure you have the right wines available, everything else will fall into place. 

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!