It\u2019s a noisy world out there. Distractions abound. Then there\u2019s Resistance tempting us to neglect our most valuable dreams.<\/p>\n
While visualization and affirmations are popular manifesting tools, adding visual reminders can keep you from forgetting your focus. Happily, there are many ways to add visuals to your journey.<\/p>\n
I was reminded of this the other day when I was searching for the perfect wall calendar for 2012. At this time last year, I was settling into my new home with its treetop views and added to the pleasure with a calendar of treehouses from around the world.<\/p>\n
Since 2011 was about putting down roots, the new year is going to be focused on growing wings. My new calendar of gorgeous scenes from Tuscany will be a constant reminder of the big wide world I want to explore.<\/p>\n
Here are some other tried and true favorites for adding positive energy to our goals and dreams.<\/p>\n
\u00b0 Write it down.<\/strong> I don\u2019t know a single goal-setting system that doesn\u2019t begin by urging us to pick up a pen. As Patricia T. O\u2019Conner points out, \u201cAn idea in your head is merely an idle notion. But an idea written down, that\u2019s the beginning of something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00b0 Put yourself in the picture.<\/strong> Several years ago, my daughter asked me to visualize her driving a red Honda CRV. When we happened to pass that very car parked at the Pasadena Flea Market, I asked her to stand beside it so I could take a picture.<\/p>\n She and I both posted that picture where we could see it frequently. Within a few months, Jennie was standing beside her very own red Honda.<\/p>\n Whether you want to see yourself speaking to enthusiastic audiences or trekking through Nepal, find a picture of your ideal situation and paste yourself in it. Or, if you\u2019re handy, photoshop yourself in.<\/p>\n \u00b0 Carry a talisman<\/strong>.When I was visiting my sister in Athens, Greece, she took me to a shop which sold small metal plates embossed with a variety of pictures. Nancy told me that people used these to enhance their prayers.<\/p>\n If they were praying for a healing, for instance, they\u2019d buy one of these plates with a picture of the body part that needed aid.<\/p>\n Ralph Charell is an enthusiastic advocate. He wrote, \u201cPutting aside any consideration of the supernatural attributes or powers of talismans, they provide a convenient, portable, three-dimensional, concrete focus for galvanizing goal-directed thought into productive action.\u201d<\/p>\n I once met a young man who was wearing a stunning crystal necklace. He told me about an exciting opportunity that had come to him.<\/p>\n \u201dDo you think your necklace is responsible?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d he smiled. \u201cI think it\u2019s my talent. The crystal helps me remember to use it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00b0 Join the vision board fan club.<\/strong> As your vision grows and changes, create a poster to reflect those new directions. (If you need help getting started there are several good books including Joyce Schwarz\u2019s The Vision Board<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.)<\/p>\n Almost everyone I know who regularly creates a vision board reports coming across one from the past that they\u2019ve tucked away and discovering how many things they\u2019d posted that are now a regular part of their lives.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a fun exercise that has the built-in bonus of helping you edit out things that you\u2019re less than passionate about in order to make room for what matters most.<\/p>\n