GOAL SETTING + VISION BOARDS
A dream goal without a plan is like a wish upon a star. You have no idea where and if you will land, and there is no guaranteed outcome.
Despite having tremendous responsibilities and a tumultuous past, I have always managed to meet and exceed my goals. Many people have reached out over the last few years to ask what the secret to my success has been. While the obvious answer is “hard work” that does not quite give you any information, and I am a big believer in actionable items.
My love of education and my commitment to self-improvement has inspired me to do quite a bit of mindset work. So much of what the gurus suggest (meditation, manifestation, and gratitude, for example) feel like false hope placebos to most people. Yet time and time again you hear the same things from the happiest, most successful people in all walks of life. While traditional meditation continues to be a growth opportunity for me, one of the practices that I have had the most success with and that I have always relied on is goal setting with visualization. In the most mythical sense, visualization aids in manifestation as it sets your intention and primes you to receive that which you believe is already yours. A little crazy, I know…
In the most practical sense, getting clear about what you want does help you to design a pathway and a process to getting there. My family and I have used visuals to reinforce our goals on a daily basis, thus helping us reach them. For example, when my family was influx between one home and another we rented a small townhouse in my kid’s school district. As much as we loved apartment life, we are homeowners at our core and very much wanted to buy our next house. We placed a photo of one of our dream homes in the center of our vision board. I encountered this image every day, multiple times a day, which reinforced what I was working so hard for. My husband and I took the kids to see model houses and visited open houses two or three times a month. We would sit and visualize our days in different communities and homes until one felt right. We had been mentally and emotionally setting ourselves up for this move for months, and every decision we made was geared towards making this home a reality.
If the idea of buying a whole house feels overwhelming and too aggressive, let me give you an example that may be a little easier to grasp/ After a few years of abandoning my Weight Watchers program, I wanted to get back into shape and regain my healthy habits. I found a photo of myself from when I felt the best about my body and my life. I added that to the mood board. When you start and stop your day by looking at a photo of yourself living your best life, looking your best, and feeling your best, you will undoubtedly make decisions that will lead you back to that place. I find that I am much less likely to dive into a sleeve of cookies if I have just seen a photo of myself in a bathing suit on the beach. Healthier choices become easy when I have a visual reminder of their outcome.
What does this have to do with wedding planning? Nothing, and everything. My goal is to make the world a more beautiful place, and I want to help more people (that’s YOU) live beautifully by giving you the inspiration and tools to make your dreams come true. Whether you are a wedding professional, creative pro, or engaged couple this process is not just about designing your wedding. It is about designing your life.
As we begin the second half of this year and move forward, I encourage you to spend some time thinking about what the world would look like if it was a perfect place. Get clear about your goals. Write them down, organize them into steps, and tie them to visuals that inspire you. You can create your own Trello Board, Excel spreadsheet, or poster board, but if you prefer a done-for-you option with a proven track record of success, click HERE and purchase your Goal Setting Vision Board today.
Dream big, practice gratitude, and get clear about your goals. Once you complete your vision board, I would love to see it. Please send a copy to admin@andreaeppolito.com so that I can check it out and follow along with your progress.
Always…a
