"There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right...." ~ Martin Luther ~
"Who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity will be far short of it." ~ Burmese Saying ~
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle ~
"There are two things to aim at in life; first to get what you want, and after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind has achieved the second." ~ Logan Pearsall Smith ~
"Failures do what is tension relieving, while winners do what is goal achieving." ~ Dennis Waitley ~
"Men's best successes come after their disappointments. ~ Henry Ward Beecher ~
“This shift in mental posture aligns you more precisely with your goals. Once you decide that something is a priority, you give it tremendous emotional intensity, and by continually focusing on it, any resource that supports its attainment will eventually become clear.” ~Tony Robbins, best-selling motivational author and speaker
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become” ~Buddha 562-483 B.C.
Many women as they struggle to reach their physique goals encounter obstacles to sabotage their efforts at every corner. If you are serious about achieving your fitness goals, one thing you can do to get an advantage is to create a vision board. A vision board is a collage of images and/or words that are assembled to represent your deepest goals and dreams. The purpose of the vision board is to constantly keep your goals in mind, thereby activating the Law of Attraction and attracting the goals you desire so that the images turn from 2-D into a reality you manifest.
The vision board provides the bridge from imagination to reality. You are creating a tangible representation of your thoughts into something you can see and touch. This is a powerful step in manifesting your goals. When you see your board again and again, by placing it in a location conspicuous for you, you are constantly affirming and projecting your desires, which takes it a step further. Your mind is a magnet that draws closer the things you think about. This is the basic tenet of the Law of Attraction. You attract into your life anything that you give attention to, whether it is positive or negative. By focusing on your goals you draw them closer and closer, and you will find that people and circumstances arise that will assist you in achieving your goals. Part of the science behind the phenomenon is the brain’s Reticular Activating System, which filters through the endless data input and decides which messages receive top priority. By consciously focusing on your goals, your brain is given the task to become aware of related matters and needed resources with which to realize your goals.
Valerie Waugaman, former figure athlete extraordinaire, is one notable competitor who used a vision board to help motivate her during her training for the Arnold Classic in 2007. Coach Dr. John Berardi described:
“Val's program was very demanding, requiring 1-2 workouts every day,” says Dr. Berardi. “And as you'd imagine, Val needed to dig deep to find her motivation. Vision boards and frequent positive reminders played a big role. In her home gym, she posted a photo of herself shaking Arnold's hand and winning the Arnold Classic title. She also had a visual motivation board in which she placed her core values and a number of motivational messages. Further, she kept a daily planner full of positive messages to keep her spirits up when things got tough.”
“When it comes down to the final weeks preparing for a figure competition,” says Valerie, “my mind starts asking me, 'Valerie, this is hard... Why are you doing this?' At that point the only thing that keeps me focused is connecting with my core personal values and moving towards my ultimate vision in life. I remind myself that it is not really about me winning a contest; it's about a greater purpose. The stage is really an avenue to serve others... a challenge... an opportunity for personal growth. Now that gets me FIRED UP!"
An example of another celebrity who utilized the vision board is John Assaraf, successful entrepreneur, author, and featured in the movie, The Secret. In 1995 he had cut out a picture of a 7,000 square foot dream home on top of 6 gorgeous acres. In 2000 when he moved, his son asked him what was in some of the boxes. “Vision boards,” he replied. When the son didn’t understand, Assaraf opened up the box and pulled them out. To his astonishment and delight, he had just purchased the exact home that was on his old vision board.
As a personal trainer with a holistic approach to fitness, I encourage all my clients to create vision boards to focus their efforts and remind them of their physique and/or life goals. I recently created a vision board with the bulk of the board dedicated to images of physiques that inspire me endlessly, and a portion of the board related to emotional, psychological, and financial goals. You can create a vision board any way you want to.
Here’s how to make your own personal vision board:
1) Buy supplies: You will need posterboard or other sturdy paper, a glue stick, scissors, and a bunch of magazines that you enjoy and that inspire you.
2) Cut out pictures, words, and phrases: Go through your magazines and cut out any images or words that jump out at you.
3) Refine: Go through your stack from step #2 and decide which to include, and more carefully cut out the images and/or words you will include.
4) Arrange: Place the images and/or words in an arrangement that pleases you.
5) Glue Away!
6) Place strategically: You may want to place the vision board in your room where you will see it daily, or somewhere you feel comfortable posting it and still have frequent exposure to the board.
Vision boards are an amazing and powerful tool to help you create success along so many levels. If you find that you are not meeting your physique goals-whether it is fat-loss, muscle gain or other, then create a vision board to remind you of your goals and keep you motivated! It’s inexpensive and fun to create and you enable yourself to manifest your goals through the law of attraction. Here’s to health, wealth, passion, happiness- and six pack abs!
By Kristina Dobyns: NASM-CPT and Holistic Life Coach
