Visions for 2015

So, before I waffle on about happiness, databases, studies and proven concepts, I thought I would take out some time to finish off my vision board for 2015. Yes, its almost a month over due, but better late than never. In a previous blog, I discussed my vision board and how I felt it was instrumental in shaping my life in 2014 and help me take control of my life. So with that firmly in focus, the visions for 2015 are taking place. Here is my new board:

Unlike last years, this one, I think is quite feminine. There are obvious pictures of things I want to achieve this year (glamour is a very central theme), but other pictures were just quite random. This year, I also included quotes to keep me focused.

As I was cutting and sticking the last little bits and bobs after dinner last night, a curious little seven year old also wanted to know what I was doing, so I explained the vision board to her. Instantly she sat down beside me and started mauling magazines for pictures that she like. I want to share that with you too, my daughters vision board.

I looked at her creation and thought to myself there is alot I need to learn from that child - diamonds, sapphires and pearls being obviously her focus (why didn't I think of that!!). In either case, these are now being put up for both of us above our beds to ponder upon this upcoming year.  Lets see if our visions are realised.

Visions

If I am entirely honest with myself, my quest for self realisation and content started way before reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. Over the last 3/4 years as new years comes around, I always found myself reflecting and actually thinking "this year certainly was worse than that before, next year must get better". But it never did. Pressure, stress, demands all seemed to increase from work and home year on year and I felt totally out of control of my life. I needed to take control back.

It was perfect timing when I was introduced to the concept of a vision board.  I was told it was simple: flick though pages of a magazine, cut out pictures you like the look of. Some may have meaning or purpose, some might not, they just caught your eye. Then stick them beside your bed so you see them everyday. I am always skeptical of such ideas because there was no logic to this as I was cutting and sticking like I was back at primary school, but I had total faith in the person who told me about this. This was December 2013.

I would like to share my vision board with you 10 months in.

There are pictures I purposely put in there. The two women running. I wanted to get well enough to run again. The scientist - to remind myself why it was I became a scientist, I want to stay in the lab and my vision was to work on that this year and to try and steer away from management. But the rest I just liked the look of. The pictures of the sunhat, frogs, woman swooning in black and white are all pictures of unexpected things that occured in my life this year that I can directly relate to these pictures. But because I had them in my vision, I felt totally in control of these unexpected events, they did not take me by surprise, nor did they phase me.  And taking control of my life once again undeniably makes me happy.  Being able to set yourself a task for over a long period of time, or to be able to make sense of the nonsense gave me a sense of control like I never felt. And I didn't feel overwhelmed or over stressed, because I had the vision. And it wasn't the board that changed my life. I just made some very far fetched connections between my life events and these pictures which made me feel like its all part of the plan.  This gave me great happiness and satisfaction and was indeed the start of my happiness project that evolved into this blog.

I still have 2 months to go before my vision board ends, so I could still make sense of some of the other pictures. Or maybe I won't, but I am not disappointed, it was a valuable experience and I can't wait until December to do it again. But this time I will have a Ferrari slap bang in the centre!