Each year is full of new choices, opportunities and possibilities! Now is the time to create a 2009 Vision Board: a collection of images and objects that represent the goals, dreams and visions of all the goodness that 2009 has in store. No matter what the collective experience has been these last few months, we as individuals still have needs and priorities; And, when we focus on those specific things we want, they can manifest quickly and delightfully.

Most often, a Vision Board is created on a 20” x 30”-ish foam core or cardboard. There have also been some precious Vision Boards created on the inside cover of the year’s journal or day planner. I’ve also seen a collection of images kept sacred in a unique box, reviewed occasionally, removing or notating which images have already “come true.” On a board, the images are glued down (glue sticks are my favorite) with either lots of space around each image, the images overlap each other, or every distance in between. I call this negative space Breathing Room. If the images are too close together for you, your day-to-day experience might start feeling chaotic or you might literally find yourself “out of breath.” If the images are too far away from each other, then your goals may not manifest quickly enough, finding yourself “waiting with baited breath” for action to occur. Pay attention to your own design, and honor the balance that feels right for you. If necessary, changes can always be made later in the year.

Some start a new board each year and store them year after year. Others archive a photo of each year’s board for their album. Others add new layers each year to the same board, being careful to keep exposed those images and items with which they still resonate.

There are many ways to gather images for your Board. My friend Dave created specific folders, each with its own theme, and he loves filling them up year round. When he finds a great image he puts it into its respective folder – Abundance/Prosperity, Love, Joy, Career, etc. Then, at the start of the year, he chooses the ones he still feels drawn to. My sister, on the other hand, knows exactly what she wants each year, and has gone to great lengths for a specific image that conveys just the right feeling and goal. I choose images that pull me, inspire me, elicit a feeling so powerful that I hear myself say, “I want that!” And although I don’t always know how it’s going to manifest during the year, I always enjoy the divine unfolding.

The Bagua is a great tool to use as the foundation of a Vision Board, as it includes the primary aspects of life. (The Bagua is born out of the 8 trigrams of the I Ching, the Book of Transformations.) Current research says that the Bagua may mimic a thought pattern or even the way that information is processed through our brains. For this exercise, it’s basically a treasure map that reminds us about the treasures in our everyday life. You can download and print a copy from www.WesternSchoolofFengShui.com/materials.php

Each aspect or treasure does not have specific boundaries; instead, they overlap like a pile of puppies, allowing for plenty of amorphous layering of energies. Each area has meaning and emotional associations that can help us create a holistic Vision of our New Year.

Career is not the “9-5 job” but instead reminds us of our professional path. For example, why do we choose the jobs that we do? What is it about what we do that is fulfilling? What do we find when reaching into our own depths? What do we offer from within ourselves that is unique? There is mystery here, under the still waters that run deep.

Knowledge & Self-Cultivation says that we are always learning while at the same time, we have the ability to sit still in our wisdom. Images of meditation, quietude, scholarly endeavors and educational milestones are all associated with this area, but it’s not limited to such tradition at all. “I’m learning about self-love this year,” says Heather, and on her Board is a beautiful woman dancing, laughing, spinning, all by herself.

Health & Family is associated with new ideas, fresh starts and action. If you wish to include images of family and friends, make sure that they’re captured with an emotion you’d like to share with them throughout the year, instead of using just any old image. Who is your family of choice? What does health mean to you? How can you live healthier this year?

Wealth & Prosperity includes all types of abundance, not just the cash in hand. We can also have a bounty of opportunities and too many resources to count. It’s the slow, steady accumulation of wealth, like an easy breeze blowing in the branches all day long instead of an occasional, and unpredictable, gust. “I don’t need more money,” says Tim. He wins trips, receives unexpected gifts and generous bonuses, grows most of his food, and buys things that “just happen to be on sale.” What is abundance to you? What are you most grateful for? What makes you feel powerfully prosperous?

Fame & Reputation is associated with the light we shine outward. How do we want to be known and what do we want to be known for? We’re going to be known for something, now we get to emphasize the what and how. What are the unique gifts that you share? Which aspects of you have not yet been noticed? What makes you radiate and glow?

Love & Marriage, in addition to romantic love and intimacy, includes all types of relationships and unions like the ones we have with our clients, business partners and friends. Here, we are reminded that relationships are a two-way street so that giving and receiving come hand in hand. What types of relationships are you open to this year? How would you like love – in all its forms – to be a part of your life?

Creativity & Children is all about joy, unconditional happiness, unbridled laughter and child-like curiosity and wonder. In this culture at this time, we are not encouraged to be happy – we are encouraged to stay busy and be productive! When you have free time, what do you do? What do you want to do? What makes you happy? What fills you with joy? Is it time to reconnect with past joyful activities, or create new ones?

Helpful People & Travel connects us with all the helpful people in our lives: our support system, mentors, guides, teachers, clients, guests, and of course, that most profound Helpful Person, our Divine Source. Therefore, travel includes both our earthly and spiritual journeys. Here, we align with synchronicity, being in the right place at the right time. What is your Spiritual Source? How do you connect to It?

The Center is the “Hub of the Wheel,” the Heart, wherefrom all aspects originate and broadcast outward into our lives. What is at your center? What is the essence of you? Do you have a theme for your year? An emotion that is the foundation for all your thoughts and actions? One vision that is the impetus for all the others?

Focus on What you Want

We’re tapping into the Law of Attraction to align our conscious and unconscious, so be mindful of what you’re choosing and why. There’s no right or wrong, as long as you know the reason why and it feels good. With that in mind, please watch the words you choose to put on your Board. On her 2007 Vision Board, a dear friend Sally glued the phrases “A little bit of Romance” and “Am I on Track?” So guess what she got? That’s right – just a little bit of romance and she spent most of the year wondering if she was on track. Avoid questions by simply rearranging the words to form the answer, for example: “I Am on Track.” Gary posted the words “fighting arrogance” and he attracted several new arrogant people into his experience. He eventually removed the phrase altogether and these arrogant people, much to his relief, suddenly took their business elsewhere. This year, he’s choosing the phrase “Everyone is Peace.”

“I want to get out of debt” is a commonly heard goal. Although we know that we don’t want to be in debt any longer, with this phrase we’re actually still focusing on the debt. Instead, consider 1. How to get out of debt: Do you need an image that represents a gifted financial planner? Or, that money management class schedule finds itself on your Board? Perhaps a book that will help you restructure your finances? 2. You may also want to visualize what you’ll do once you’re out of debt: Take a trip? Reward yourself in some way? Throw a party with your best friends? Dance on the beach at sunset? Bring THAT feeling or that specific image into your Vision Board. 3. Once you’ve decided on a payment plan, include those numbers and your final payment date, even if it’s a few years, or Boards, away. 4. Choose words and phrases along the lines of “freedom,” “there’s more than enough $$,” or “always paid on time.”

Find a Way to Say Yes

The dreams generated by a Vision Board can be big, so make sure that you can say a Big, Beautiful, Confident Yes to everything on your Board. If every dream and goal that we had came true this year, then next year would be pretty boring. In other words, you may need to plant the seeds for the future.

Let’s say you have a dream to be the CEO, but deep inside yourself you’re really thinking, “That will never happen, I’m just a secretary.” So, what can you say Yes to? Can you say Yes to Shift Supervisor? Yes to Personal Assistant to the CEO? Then next year’s Vision Board includes the next Big Yes and in a few years, you are the CEO!

The same process might apply to “My Vision is to get married/find my soul mate/live happily ever after.” Although I have met a few people who, within a year, really did meet and marry their soul mate, this is not the typical life experience. Instead, you may choose to start with images that represent your ideal partners’ values and characteristics, images of how and where you meet, what happens on your first date, passions that you share, and more of those juicy, falling-in-love details. What is it about marrying your soul mate that you can say Yes to today? Vision Boards are as much about the Journey as they are about the end of the year review.

Be Specific

I was looking at Victoria’s Board from last year, she was disappointed that it “didn’t work.” It was a gorgeous Board, framed edges, much thought and attention to detail. What caught my eye were the images of several couples in their early 20’s, all in various provocative positions with long brunette hair tangled and glistening bodies entwined. Victoria, however, is a very blond 57. “To find a picture of a man my age, I’d have to look in the AARP Magazine!” And to that, I responded with a Big Beautiful Yes.

If you’re including yourself in your Board, you may choose actual photos of yourself, images of people who look like you, or you can literally replace their face with yours.

More examples: If your Vision includes “health,” be sure to select images that signify either physical health, mental health, heart health, endurance, strength, nutrition, etc. If you’re looking for an abundance of clients, then represent your ideal client, or add photos of those perfect clients you already have. If you’re envisioning travel, where are you going, when are you going and how are you getting there?

Be as specific as you can, focusing on that which you precisely want.

Activate your Vision Board

Please choose mindfully where you place your Vision Board. They are living things, full of your dreams, thoughts and associations. Keep it active by displaying it where you’ll see it every day. You may consider framing it at the foot of your bed so that it wakes you up and tucks you in every day. Perhaps it’s next to the front door so that you and all your guests can enjoy it, share it, talk about it.

You may choose to locate it in the Bagua area that you most wish to activate. To determine your Bagua areas, draw a tick-tack-toe grid over a blueprint or bird’s eye view of your floor plan. The main, front door entrance will be in either Knowledge, Career or Helpful People. You can also locate the Bagua areas of any room by holding the Map in front of you while standing in the doorway.

Keep your Vision Board active on a daily basis by embellishing a nearby tabletop or shelf with flowers, fruit and plants, or add to it with the movie ticket stubs, fortune cookie fortunes, receipts and thank you cards accumulated during your year. At the very least, take a good look at it a couple times a year, allowing yourself to discover what’s already come true and which powerful Visions continue to unfold. What’s most important is that it remain active in your conscious and unconscious experiences, however, that’s most appropriate for you and your lifestyle.

At the end of the year, review, circle or check off the images that manifested, so that over time, you have an ongoing record of your dreams fulfilled!