Have you ever made a vision board? They are one of my favorites tools to work on visualize the goals that I’m working on and to help me stay in a growth mindset. Both on the days I’m feeling pumped and more importantly, getting me back on track on the days I’m not.

Why Vision Boards are Powerful

Your mindset can have such a powerful effect on your success. Writing down what you want to accomplish is one thing, but actually BELIEVING you can make it happen is a whole other. Vision boards can help you get into the feeling and believing part because you’re actually visualizing your goals coming to fruition. They help you raise your vibrations and really get into that growth mindset. Plus, they can also help with manifesting, which could be a wholeee other blog post. Basically though, they help you think out what you’re working towards while also putting it out there to the universe of the direction you want to take your life.

So What is a Vision Board Really?

While there are a lot of different ways you can create a vision board, the key is to put together a collection of photos, inspiring quotes and other items that represent your goals and ambitions. Vision boards are all about visualizing and manifesting your dreams. Even the process itself is inspiring because it forces you to take your goals one step further and find visual components that you can identify with and that represents your bigger picture. It’s more than just a bulletin board or wall filled with pretty pictures – it’s a collection of items that drive out different feelings and emotions to help you maintain a driven and positive mindset. The goal is to remind yourself where you’re at, what you’re working for and how hard you’re working to get there.

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Ok Cool, So How do I Make One and What Should I Put on it?

So where do you start when it comes to creating one? The first step is to find a bulletin board or part of a wall in your home or office that you will see regularly. Personally, I like to have mine from and center but other options are on the back of a closet door, inside a cabinet or take a picture of yours and make it the wallpaper on your computer or phone. To have the best effect though, it should be somewhere that you’ll see it regularly. It won’t do a ton of good shoved in a drawer! Next up it’s time to start looking for some things to actually put on your vision board Here are some suggestions based on what I included on mine.

• Affirmations and positive quotes: You know those quotes that just resonate with you and represent where you’re headed or who you want to become? Put them on your board! I have a lot of quotes on mine because they really serve as reminders for the mindset I want to stay in.

• Pictures of those who inspire you: You can do a lot of things with this one.. Remember, there are no rules! I pinned some photos of my family on my vision board because they have always been a driving force of starting my business and the BIG decisions I’ve made in my life so I can spend more time with them. I also like to add other people who I look up to and who have inspired my journey. Maybe that’s personal connections or people I look up to in their careers.

• Pictures of things you’re working towards: While your vision board shouldn’t just be about material things you’re after… that definitely can be a driving factor behind some of your goals so put them up! For me, this year I was really thinking of buying a new car so I picked a few I was looking into. Another long-term goal that Evan and I are working towards is having a cabin of our own. So I also included some photos of cabins. Other things you may be working towards are vacations or places you want to travel to. Maybe you want to live a nomadic life for a while, or maybe you want to go on an international tour… whatever those BIG things you’re working towards add them!

• Abstract photos/images: Not all of your vision board choices have to be so black and white in their meanings either. Some might have deeper meanings that aren’t right on the surface and just embody having more self-confidence, self-care, and working on your mental health. Remember this is YOUR vision and there are no rules when it comes to what inspires you.

Now that you have some of the basics for vision boards it’s time to make your own! If you want more tips and resources for working on your goals, be sure to check out my Get Your Goals page too! There’s a whole lot more where this came from!

You guys know I am ALL about accountability and check-ins when it comes to working on goals. I think they are so key for growth and making sure the things we’re working on actually still align with where we want to go. Plus, as cliché as it sounds, it’s important to remember that working on your goals is more about the journey than just the destination. When you decide you want to work on your goals you’ve made a commitment that you’re choosing a life of growth and hese check-ins are so helpful in keeping you on track.

Today I’m going to walk you through the framework that I use each month to look ahead, get intentional and set myself up for success. I’ve also included a free worksheet at the bottom of this blog post if you’d like to give the process a spin for yourself too.

Motto or Word of the Month

This is a pretty popular technique and it’s one I love because it allows me to set a tone for my upcoming month. Sometimes I’ll pick or more energized word or motto like drive, or momentum and other times my focus will be rest or reset. Sometimes a single word doesn’t totally represent my mood so instead, I’ll go with a phrase like “get shit done!” or last month I embraced my inner Kacia Fitzgerald and picked “do the damn thing!”

Top 3 Monthly Goals

While of course, I have bigger goals I’m working towards, I like to narrow things down to the top 3 things I want to get accomplished this month. For me, I’ve found writing down a huge laundry list of goals is the fastest track to failure so I like to only focus on 3 things instead. This allows me to really prioritize, which then carries into my weekly and daily activities.

Reminder of the Bigger Picture

The next section I check-in on, is how my monthly goals and the other things I’m working on support my bigger picture goals. Personally, I like to always have the big picture front and center so I know exactly what I’m working towards. This is a great way to really start to understand how small wins propel us and help us grow over time too.

Habits & Routines

This one is BIG! Habits and routines are really the backbone when it comes to making progress on your goals. That’s because there aren’t a lot of things we can do just a couple of times and hit our goals. So in this section, I’ll identify different habits or routines that I am making a priority for this month. Sometimes this section stays the same month-to-month ( if it’s something I’m continuing to work on) and then other times I’ll introduce something new.

A really valuable tactic when it comes to developing routines and habits is starting small and then piggybacking off of other tasks on things you’re already used to doing. For example, brushing and flossing before bed is a no brainer for me... it’s something I’ve done for years. If I just got some new face moisturizer and using it before bed before has been a struggle before, I may try to put it out next to my toothbrush so that I don’t forget. The stronger your routines and habits get, the more things you can start adding until they all just become things you naturally do.

Distractions I Need to Nix

This one is really important too. We all have the same amount of hours in the day, but the way we prioritize our time makes all the difference in what we accomplish. So if you want to start reading more or start a new workout routine then that time is going to have to come out of somewhere else. In this section, I try and identify different things I want to give LESS attention that month.

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Efforts I Made Towards my Goals

Then the last two sections are actually things that I fill in throughout the month. The first is making note of the different efforts I made towards my goals. This one is important for me because there are a lot of goals that are very much long-term goals and I’m not going to actually hit them for awhile. Or things that I need to put in a lot of effort before I’ll see real results. Having this section really helps me acknowledge the efforts I’m making and stay motivated. Another reason I do this is because sometimes life happens and you may be slacking some and realize you’re 3 weeks into the month and you haven’t made any moves that support your goals. Back to that accountability thing!

Wins & Milestones

Last but not least, I keep track of wins or milestones that happen throughout the month. A lot of which I’ll then share on my Instagram check-in updates! These are a step beyond the efforts I’ve made because these are actual results. So for example, if I want to work on my public relations strategy and be featured in the media more, an effort would be pitching x, y, and z publications, whereas a win, would be if I was actually featured in one.

I love this section because it reminds me how much you can really accomplish in one month plus it’s also really a gratitude check-in too. Life can seriously pass us by so fast and this section really allows me to reflect on life in real-time and be thankful for all that I have.

I hope you guys have found this helpful! I think it’s also important to note that my process has evolved a lot over the years and is a combination of a lot of things I’ve tried. So don’t be afraid to adjust it and make it your own!

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Could you use a little support with this process? I created a monthly goal planning worksheet to walk you through it step-by-step!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY

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You all know I’m all about personality tests (and if you didn’t, now you do!) There’s something reassuring learning about why you are the way you are and, more importantly, how you can use it to your advantage. So why do I think personality tests can be helpful when it comes to reaching your goals? It’s all about self-awareness! It’s something that I think is so key when it comes to not just developing but actually making plans that you’ll be able to stick to.

Understanding what your strengths are.. what your weaknesses are and how you work best — these are all key when it comes to mapping out how you’re actually going to accomplish your goals. For example:

• If you’re someone who tends to procrastinate, then you’ll want to make sure you have specific deadlines in your action plan.

• If you’re someone who gets overwhelmed at the bigger picture and tends to give up on things, having an accountability plan or partner may be something you want to consider.

• Or, if you’re more of a trial and error type of person then it may be better for you to set short-term plans for how you’ll accomplish smaller pieces to your goals instead of wasting time planning the big picture.

We all approach life differently, and when you take the time to identify key things about how you live your life, it will only benefit you when it comes to your goals. So today I’m sharing 3 of the tests I recommend you take a look (or second look at) to increase your self-awareness and come up with plans that will set you up for success.

Four Tendencies

When it comes to a deep dive on learning about your personality and how you can improve your own life and relationships, the Four Tendencies should be your go-to! Gretchen Rubin wrote a whole book on the topic, but you can also just take the test on her website. Essentially this framework is based on the question, “How do I respond to expectations?” which then categorizes people into four different categories: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. I am an Obliger, by the way.

Finding out my tendency was a GAME CHANGER (all caps worthy) for me when it came to my goals because I discovered as an Obliger I do better when I have outside accountability sources. For example, I’m really great at meeting deadlines, and other people’s expectations but can struggle when I’m the only one I have to answer to. Learning this was HUGE for me because it was so true. It’s actually one of the biggest reasons I started doing my monthly goal check-ins publicly on Instagram too, which I also talk about in this IGTV. By knowing this, I was able to add an accountability tactic that I may not have done otherwise which has really helped me propel forward on a lot of things.

Enneagram

The enneagram is another really popular test that has gained more notoriety in the last few years — especially on Instagram. There are thousands of accounts dedicated specifically to it, and I for one am here for it! The exact history on its origins are a little debatable but it’s focused on defining 9 different personality types.

Each type is represented by a number and includes: 1 the Reformer (that’s me!), 2 the Helper, 3 the Achiever, 4 the Individualist, 5 the Investigator, 6 the Loyalist, 7 the Enthusiast, 8 the Challenger, and 9 the Peacemaker. For me, the enneagram has provided a lot of insight into realizing I’m a perfectionist and how strong my inner critic can be. Sure, I may have known that before but diving in deeper has helped me give myself more grace when I trip up or things don’t go perfectly. Which has been very helpful when it comes to checking-in on goals and adjusting my plans when needed. There are several different versions of the enneagram test that you can take, but below I have linked one that I’ve used that’s free.

Myers–Briggs Type Indicator

Another very popular personality test especially for the workplace is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Essentially it is a questionnaire that focuses on identifying your psychological preference. The test breaks you into 4 main categories: Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, and Explorers, which are then broken down into 4 options under each. Each type in each category is represented by a letter so your full type has 4 letters, hence there being 16 different personality types. This website does a good job breaking things down.

I fall into the Advocate category and am right on the border of being an ENFJ-T and an INFJ-T — depending on if I’m feeling more extraverted or introverted. Which, on another note, there’s a name for people who have both introverted and extroverted tendencies — ambivert. I thought that was pretty cool when I found that out. Back to the personality test though, since there are 16 types, this test can get really specific on traits specific to you. A few of my takeaways from my type that I found were that sometimes I’m a little too optimistic about situations or what I can accomplish in one day and that I often put others needs before mine. From this, when I make plans, I try to stick to 3 main things each day for my business and 3 on the personal side so that I really have to prioritize things. I also started giving myself a day to myself each month specifically devoted to recharging and setting aside others’ expectations or needs.

I’ve had SO many amazing takeaways from these tests when it comes to my goals and I really hope they help you as well! Even if you’ve taken them before, I highly recommend going back and reading more about your types and really taking the time to do a personal audit. The time you spend learning more about yourself and on self-awareness will only help you build smarter and more effective plans when it comes to your goal action plans.

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Could you use a little support with this process? I created a intentional goal planning worksheet to walk you through it step-by-step!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY

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