Hey Hive friends, we’re on the next leg of 2023 and I’m curious to know how you’ve been holding on. Are you taking in that it’s two months before the “Ber” months?
ᴾʰᵒᵗᵒ ᵉᵈⁱᵗᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ᶜᵃⁿᵛᵃ
If you’re a Filipino, you know how much September-December means, right? It’s the start of the festive season – hearing Josie Marie Chan’s Christmas carols and seeing colorful parols again – and the signal of another ending of a year.
ᴳⁱᶠ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵖᵉᵃᵏᵈ.ᶜᵒᵐ
There is no doubt that for most of us it’s been a challenging year. While we claim we’re in the post-Covid era, many are still experiencing the aftermath of the pandemic, economically, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. But I encourage us to look at the brighter side: We are still here. We survived and that’s what matters. I’m proud of us! You should give yourself a big hug.
"A master lives in the world of transformation, not the world of loss and gain."—Dr. John Demartini
However, mastering how to embrace changes and overcome challenges is easier said than done. I know that for a fact because I started 2023 with unemployment and breaking out of a scarcity mindset and unhelpful habits. In January, I was a lost sheep, wandering the deep forest without any sense of footing. I had existential questions like:
- Who have I become? Do I like who I have become?
- Who do I want to be? What is my future self like?
- What do I need to release and accept now?
Through many reflections, I realized that my future self has an abundant mindset and helpful habits. What I mean is, Ish in the future believes that she will find a job that is not toxic, pays well, and with genuinely good people. That kind of job exists in her reality. Ish in the future also sleeps early, sets her boundaries, hygienic, sociable, and eats well. She also travels outside the country and makes memorable memories. She nurtures her inner child through art, games, and watching anime. Wanting to encapsulate these realizations, I created a vision board for 2023.
What is a vision board?
According to Perry (2023), vision board is a physical or digital collection of images or objects that help you arrange your goals. It is highly personal so it includes everything that you want to manifest, i.e. 5-year-plan or yearly plan. The sky is the limit with your vision board. Personally, I made sure mine had these six categories:
- Healing
- The Wounded Healer
- Finances
- Health
- Spirituality
- Travel
They are all aligned to my values back then, which was to prioritize healing in forms of therapy, advocacy, exercise, building a relationship with the divine, and going outside of my comfort zone. I created mine using Canva and grabbed photos from Pinterest that sparked some good feelings in me. But to be honest, after saving it as my desktop wallpaper, I completely pushed this at the back of my mind. It was like a cute little self-project, until it hit me after my Bangkok trip that it’s very rewarding to know I checked one off of my goals in the vision board.
ᴾʰᵒᵗᵒ ᵉᵈⁱᵗᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ᶜᵃⁿᵛᵃ
Amazed, I gradually realized what else I’ve accomplished, such as reading books in nature, doing live mental health talks, inner child journaling, being more connected to my Spirit guides, and more. It was as if the pictures came to life.
ᴾʰᵒᵗᵒ ᵉᵈⁱᵗᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ᶜᵃⁿᵛᵃ
Just as June ended, I looked back on the vision board I made and felt like it was the right time to start a clean slate. It’s okay, I thought. Goals come and they go – we adjust our values to what we need in the present moment. So, I took the time to edit in Canva, something that matches the “ideal vibe” for the other half of 2023 – vibrant, colorful, and happier.
ᴾʰᵒᵗᵒ ᵉᵈⁱᵗᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ᶜᵃⁿᵛᵃ
As you can see, I changed my categories as well and simply included “Self-improvement” for everything under my own healing. If you wish to try one for yourself, there are many templates in Canva or you can simply use a blank document and add your photos. You can also use this guide by Psychology Today.
It doesn’t have to be solely pictures; you can add personal items if it’s a physical vision board. There are no exact rules here as long as it helps you put into perspective what it is you envision your life to be.
Davis (2021) shared that initial research suggests vision boards “can help us more easily reach our goals. This may be due to how vision boards help us gain self-awareness and self-reflect on what is important to us.”
You know what? Who says your goals should be limited to the corners of your mind? Express them! Be creative with them! With this, I sincerely wish you luck and abundance with your goals. Feel free to share what they are, no matter how small or big. For me, I really want to learn one creative hobby by the end of the year, which is crocheting.