“Whatever your preference, just find a way to put your goals out there, heck it’s the least you can do and it’s certainly the best start and it has been proven to work” – Kutlwano Ditsele. And I couldn’t agree more with our film maker. This is something I prescribe to and highly recommend to just about everyone I come across.
Early last week, I was assisting my eight-year-old put together his vision board. His was simple but had a very strong message – he had pictures of Trevor Noah and had pictures of himself in Trevor Noah’s position on TV, red carpet you name it. Trying to look beyond the Photoshop, I asked him to interpret it for me and he said “mommy Trevor is my role model and when I grow up I want to be on TV just like him and have lots of money in the bank.” We went on to have a lengthy discussion about this new vision I knew nothing about till this very moment-all along I thought my son was into inventions haha! I am however happy about one thing, he has grasped the significance of vision boards, the significance of putting it out there.
It could be a vision board or a word board whatever you chose to call it whether you prefer pictures or words , the important element here is to have it documented/recorded. Put it out somewhere be it on your phone or a paper or a wall or a chart whatever medium, as long as you can see it and always refer to it when the need arises. There is power in putting it out there!
Whilst we are still in the early stages of 2019, I would like to recommend that you put out there what your vision is for the year, for the next few years or even your long term vision for your life. Since I have decided to dedicate 2019 to self care I have put together a word board for self care and a health plan that I intend to adopt permanently. I have also had to revisit my vision board and make necessary amendments because I have outgrown certain interests and have developed more passion for others. I have also rediscovered my primary goals and so my vision board has to reflect these developments and that’s exactly what I have done. One thing that stood out for me the most is that my previous vision board had children while in real life I had non at the time and this time around I have filled out my role as mom now that I have my two sons. Ten years ago I had written about how I wanted to be on TV and host a Radio show and over the past five years I have managed to do just that and I find it ironic that now I am even taking a break from set life just to write some more. It is indeed a beautiful thing to watch how your vision board comes alive. About three years ago one of my childhood friends wrote on her Facebook wall that she wanted to live in Cape Town, South Africa. She had fallen in love with one of the most beautiful cities in the world during her short stay there and she wanted to relocate. As I am writing this article , my friend has been living in Cape Town for over a year now, she ended up getting a working opportunity there and had to relocate as a result. What am I saying to you? There is power in putting it out there!
You’ve not committed to it until you’ve written it down. I feel strongly about this statement because until it’s been in writing or recorded somewhere it just does not exist. You see, writing forces us to think things through or process them which also enables planning. Ordinarily, not a lot of people set aside time for planning and so when you write, planning then becomes a by-product. You are then able to utilise the time to purposefully consider and re-consider what it is that needs to be done. Once you’ve written it down, you now have something to commit to, which then gives you a sense of accountability and so you are propelled to act. I also advise you to re-visit your writing especially the lists. Making some changes as you go along and ticking the things you have done is a rewarding feeling and serves as encouragement for you to see to it that the rest gets done. This system is also a sure way of keeping one’s life organised, but most importantly, when you write, you commit it to the brain.
Why is this important? Your vision will shape your path, it will outline your habits and serve as a guideline for the decisions you make along the way. The earlier you have one, the better but it is never too late to enquire of yourself. Your vision is the throb of your purpose, it fuels your everyday and serves as a skeleton or plan for your character. Without it you have no authentic drive, no accountability towards life. Without a clear vision chart you have no sense of direction and that is a life crisis. The chances of a recorded vision (vision chart) manifesting into a reality are much higher than those of a vision that is not recorded. This is just another of those mysteries about life. If you are reading my article right now, I encourage you to have a vision, create a vision chart and then run with it.
By Lerato Charlotte Letsoso | Email: leratokayise@gmail.com
