by Carolyn | Mindset
Getting Started with Vision Boards
Setting Intentions, Daily Visualization, and Daydreaming are part of most success strategies, and Vision Boards/Dream Boards/Intention Boards are the visual tools that will help to ensure you get to your Life Goal Destinations.
For some reason, I cannot even fathom why now, my existing Vision Boards did not make it to my present life and destination. Therefore, I am in the process of putting together a new Vision Board and thought it a good time to share the Who, What, Why, When, and How of making a Vision Board.
Vision Boards Are What You Make It
I have taught Vision Boards for over 20 years and before I left my last known place of corporate employment I gave a class to my co-workers on how to do Vision Boards.
Everyone used a different backdrop for their board. Some used the 3-panel presentation boards, one used a poster that had a beautiful photo and saying already on it, one used a notebook with dividers for every aspect of her life she had goals for. (She was the Queen of organization!)
One gentleman used a pocket folder. He opened the folder and laid it out flat and used the colorful side for his visual guides, by gluing and taping photos and sticky notes on it. Then for the inside, he used the pockets for articles that supported his goals, travel schedules, and advertised events that also supported his visions and dreams that he had pasted on the front. Everyone got really clever with the backdrops they used for putting their Dreams, Life Intentions, Wants, and Needs into the Universe.
It is best to put your Vision Board where you can see it every day but it still works if packed away and not looked at for a while.
In fact, I had a recent conversation with a former co-worker who just found her Vision board while clearing out her existing office. Looking it over, she realized she had accomplished everything she had put on it…. Big Win for what she hoped to have, to do, to be.
The Who …
Everyone!!!…. Literally Everyone!!!…. can benefit from putting together a Vision Board. From the time a child understands they want things, they can begin to have a Vision Board/Dream Board.
Those who have retired and think a Vision Board no longer is viable, especially if they are on a fixed income, Think again…. We should never stop having Dreams and Visions of how we would like our life to be and it is important to keep striving for the things we want to do, there should there never be an age limit on having Dreams, Visions, and Intentions. Think of it as a visual “Bucket List” if you will.
The What….
• Tri-fold presentation boards…… these come in 3 or more sizes. I am putting together a small one and a large one to support the direction I want to go towards.
• Pocket Folders
• Notebooks
• Posters…with or without sayings on them
• Photo Albums
• Picture Frames
• Photo display boxes
• Cork Boards
• Mural paper strung across a wall, Kids really like this one. If you have a Family Vision Board this is easy to give each family member their own section to work on and keep the collective vision in its own section for everyone to work on and add to; such as a Trip to Disney, Disney World, Harry Potter, Universal Studios, the Grand Canyon, Redwood Forest and so on.
• Doors
• Mirrors
• Refrigerators
• Hang up a colorful piece of fabric and staple and pin your pictures, sticky notes, and sayings to it.
• All of these boxes we are receiving from Amazon, cut the sides off, and use them.
More Supplies…..
• Magic markers, color markers, colored high-liters
• Tape, double sided tape, decorative tape, scrapbooking tape
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Push pins
• Sticky notes
• Pens
• Pencils
• Magazines
• Glue, glue stick
• Any Scrapbooking supplies are fun to add in as well…(for example, I went to one of the craft stores and purchased an embellishment that looked like a real Diploma and wrote in the degree I wanted of which I have obtained)
Be Creative… Make it fun….. Have a Vision Board Party …
Yes, it is a “Thing” LOL If we are still social distancing do a Vision Board party online and invite all your family and friends from everywhere.
The Why…
We all have Visions/Dreams/Intentions/Perceptions of how we would like our life to be, what direction we want to go, and how we want to get there. The more of our “5 senses” we get involved the more successful we are. Vision/Dream and Intention Boards keep us on a positive path for moving forward and not waking up one day saying I wish I would have, I should have and wish I could have.
Kids do well with a Vision Board of goals …. for example, …. School… put each subject down and put an A+ next to them. Have fun writing some of their hardest math formulas down and put an A+ over them. List all of their subjects and put an A+ over them…. Just seeing these will give them the encouragement of striving for their best work in school.
One of the most fun things for kids is to do is cut out and paste pictures of things they want for Birthdays, Christmas, and Vacations. This also works well for parents to know what to buy their children for those gift-giving occasions.
The When…
Anytime!!!!….. Right Now!!!!…. No better time than right now while we have more time at home than ever before. Our Life has been somewhat simplified for us so take advantage of it while you can. Learn to really Play and Plan.
The How….
• You can start with sticky notes
• Bucket lists
• Photos from advertising mailers
• Product books like Costco, Bed Bath and Beyond, Jewelry advertisements
• Travel Advertisements and brochures
• Home building, remodeling and furniture magazines
• Car advertisements and magazines
• Golf Magazines
• No matter where you are you can start.
• Go to the Internet, research and print out what you know you want in your life, and are determined to obtain.
• If losing weight is one goal, then print out a photo of you at the weight you most liked and put it on your board.
• Pinterest has hundreds of examples and prompts to wet your creative appetite.
• If you are not one for cutting out pictures then just write out all of your wants, dreams, goals, and plans.
My Proof it Works……. I did a large 3 panel Vision Board and as I look back, I have accomplished everything I put on my board including writing and publishing a book.
I made copies of pictures of books and made a copy of a Kindle reader. I then pasted my working book titles on the books and pasted an excerpt of one of my proposed books onto the kindle so it looked like it had been downloaded…. I put that I won an award for my published book and I have.
I also added pictures of relationship examples of happy couples doing all sorts of fun activities, such as hiking, traveling, biking, dancing, dinners out, and so on.
I pasted pictures of all kinds of stacks of money and wrote the amount I thought would be wonderful to have in my bank account all over my Vision Board (I can say I should not have put a limit on it as I received the exact amount I wrote down )
I pasted positive sayings, things I was grateful for and mantras to keep me moving forward, and
I put the degree I wanted and the date I wanted it by, as well as my Certifications for Life Coaching and Angel Card Reading.
Before my husband passed away he saw my board…. He was sold on the effects of my board and said he had no doubt my book would be published….. And it has been.
My husband and I started a collective board….. It was divided into thirds… “My” part, “His” part, and “Our” part down the middle. Of course, his part had way more power tools on it than I thought possible to want.. And so much Indoor Golf equipment that we would need a mansion to put it in…LOL Before he passed away he did turn our garage into a small scale indoor golf gaming place and I think he had more power tools than the local hardware store.
The point is that Vision Boards work and this kind of positive project can be part of a Family thing, A Couple thing or Individual.
I have listed below a couple of websites that may help you get started. The 51 Vision Board Ideas are terrific for ideas.
The Reason Visions Work And How To Make One
51 Vision Board Ideas For Your Important Goals
by Carolyn | Ask Carolyn
The Magic of Research… Maybe this “New Math” isn’t so scary after all?
I was watching a televised music concert and in between songs the lead singer was sharing about being home much more and taking on the homeschooling process due to the “virus crisis.” One of the issues he spoke on was about the “New Math.” His comments caught my interest as I have had several clients share their frustrations about trying to help their students with math and I have had my own experience with the “New Math.”
Now, this “New Math” seems to be a consistent source of trepidation for many parents and grandparents. A couple of years ago, I was helping my Grands with their homework and to my dismay, I was unable to help them with their math. Keep in mind, I could solve the math equations, just not the way they were being taught to solve them. I had never been exposed to this “New Math” before, as my Son was out of school and in the military before it hit the schools.
I decided it is time for me to do my own research into the “What, Why, When, Where, How and the Who” of “Common Core Math.” I was already researching for tips on “Notetaking and Effective ways to Study,” for today’s students and how best we, parents and grandparents, can help. Especially when fall classes begin.
Interesting piece I found on this “New Math,” from The Conversation: The Common Core is today’s New Math – which is actually a good thing
And The Understood Team offers 9 “New Math” Problems and Methods
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Tips for Homeschooling or Distance Learning
One important warning about homeschooling I found in my research is, do not go out and buy or order some big homeschool package you may not even need. In the case of studying, the rule of “Too much is too much” does pertain.
With summer break beginning soon, this is a good time to get prepared and find new ways of taking notes, studying and to learn more about this “New Math” to ease possible frustrations with helping our students.
Here are a few suggestions from homeschool sites that may be of interest:
1. The First and most important priority is to know what your child’s learning style is!
Not knowing how your child learns and retains information, especially math,
Does NOT make you a bad parent!!! Please do not allow ego to keep you from
Finding out what style of learning allows your child to excel at his or her studies especially taking tests. I have shared a link below on this subject.
And please do not say to your child….”Why don’t you know this?” “You had this last year!” Or …. “How many times do we have to go over this?”
The answer is: as many times as, it takes for them to “get” it. As many times as needed for the child to connect with the information. We are always looking for the proverbial “Ah-Hah” moments in life and homework for students should be one “Ah-Hah” moment after another.
2. It is helpful to have a designated space for your child to do their studies.
3. Set specific goals for them to achieve for each subject.
4. Get a planner and make a home school schedule, one your student can put a checkmark on for the goals they have accomplished..
5. Set a timer for them to work alone, and when the timer goes off, they know they are to check in with you, or you will check in with them to see how they are doing.
6. Make use of a whiteboard for visual help in solving a math problem. Writing out formulas for math will also help your student feel like they are being taught and have your full attention.
7. Make a designated time for this interaction just as you do if you have a meeting at your workplace.
These tips alone will help diminish frustrations on both sides and keep interruptions to a minimum.
It is also important that your student be given breaks that include snacks and a little exercise. Just like school, they get two breaks and recess.
It has also been found that most students work better when there is some form of a schedule to follow and knowing what the expectations are for the tasks at hand. It may be helpful for your student to make use of YouTube tutorials. I know that since I am a visual learner that watching a how-to video is easier for me to “get it” than reading a manual.
One of the most exciting things I have learned, because I love music so much and have seen how it can be used as a successful treatment in areas of mental health, is how music can help some students be more effective in their studying. I find background music is very helpful for my concentration. There are studies done on types of music that help in all forms of studies.
Check out study music on YouTube. Use the terms “Study Music for Kids,” “Study Music for Teens,” and “Study Music for Adults” to find more music.
Below are a couple sites I found useful for notetaking and studying:
Academic Reading and Notetaking. (I certainly did not know this little tidbit about successfully reading an academic chapter)
A few tips I learned from this website:
- Look through the chapter
- Look at the headings and subheadings
- Look at the pictures and captions, charts, or graphs.
- Read any bold or italicized words and look up those you do not understand
- Go to the back of the chapter and read the summary, review questions, and notes. (these are generally the essential facts to learn in the chapter)
- Then read the chapter. You will find you are more aware of what you need to learn from the chapter.
The best notetaking apps of 2020
https://zapier.com/blog/best-note-taking-apps/
How to take notes on a computer like a pro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njstk6xlrh0
The Best Notetaking Methods
For college students & serious note-takers
https://medium.goodnotes.com/the-best-note-taking-methods-for-college-students-451f412e264e
HOW TO TAKE STUDY NOTES: 5 EFFECTIVE NOTE TAKING METHODS
https://www.oxfordlearning.com/5-effective-note-taking-methods/
My research Concerning the Struggles with Today’s “New Math.”
The struggle is real and, not because parents do not have experience with math, but primarily because they do not know “The New Math.”
I do understand that this New Math is much more of an intricate, in-depth, and involved way to solve a math problem, however, I have also learned that other methods are supposed to be available to a child if they are really struggling with this style of math.
Once again, it is all in the approach. If something does not make sense, take the time to research it, and if it still isn’t making sense, find someone who can help explain it in a way it does make sense or take a different direction to come to the right solution. As the new saying goes…. “There is more than one way to grow a garden.”
In my experience: ……. if someone has been provided detailed information on how to perform a task, they can generally accomplish the task with success and less stress.
There are many helpful math notetaking ideas available. I also found the following tidbit for taking math notes concerning formulas:
- Get a notebook designated for Math only.
- Write the name of the book, the chapter, and the page number for each formula.
- Write down the name of the formula and the formula itself.
- Underneath that, write out the example given for that formula.
- Underneath that, write your math problem you now need to solve using the formula.
These steps can become your reference and guide for future math problems and taking your tests.
Here is a link I found that may be of interest to anyone wanting a refresher course, from Mr. Barton Maths.
I encourage everyone who is frustrated with their children’s new math to take the time to research the style of math they are doing. I found more “How To” math videos than I ever expected.
It is essential to fully understand “HOW” your student learns best and make sure they get the detailed help that fits their learning style and will help them be successful.
Find out if they are Analytical thinkers, Creative thinkers, Abstract thinkers, and so on. This article from MindValley describes 7 common types of thinking, and how to identify them in yourself or your child.
This “Stay in Place” scenario gives us plenty of time to ensure we are making educated decisions about what our children are experiencing and how best to help them…… Please… I encourage you to find the answers that work for you and your student. If you need support, come follow me on Facebook.
Hugs to all and happy successful studying! <3 <3 <3
by Carolyn | Mindset
Using “Sheltering in Place” for Making Change
Sometime around March 19, 2020
Most of us have been obeying the “Sheltering in Place” orders of our Government. None of us are too sure that we have obeyed by choice or by fear. However, any of us who have decided that we are to comply to this virus crisis can be assured it is bringing changes to our lives none of us thought of or imagined.
This time of “Sheltering in Place” and not interacting with others is a good time to get to know ourselves and those we live with. It is an opportunity for making change, whatever change that needs to be.
It is a good time to visit anything in our past that seems to be living and taking up space in our present, in our soul and in our hearts and get that which seems to always be hanging over our heads, and in our hearts settled and dissolved once and for all.
This is not to relive the pains and infractions of others or even ourselves and it is definitely not meant for any of us to unpack and stay there.
One of the best ways to do this with a good degree of clarity is to write down every event that still causes hurt and pain and give it a solid detailed “20/20” microscopic hindsight perspective.
To understand, and this is the important part, that what was is done, gone, over and can never be changed, or redone, and the only revisiting is within one’s own mind, heart and soul.
To take each bothersome event and Forgive ourselves for any negative actions or reactions put forth, for taking part in or allowing the event to affect us at all.
Knowing that each of us did our best at the time, for the circumstances we were in and reacted from what we knew at the time.
And that each of us reacted from what we had learned and knew from our collective experiences up to the point of the life or relationship event that took place.
The events of our lives came to teach us, make us wiser, give us a wake-up call, or to move us into a totally different direction.
The only sure thing one truly has is right NOW, and the only direction we can go is forward with the intentions of being the best we can be.
We need to emerge from this time of “Sheltering in Place” Healed, Whole and Renewed as we are all entering a very different time, world, daily life, and a renewed appreciation for everyone and everything around us.
We also need to understand that everyone involved in our hurt and pain had their own lessons, pains, hurts and insecurities they were dealing with that had nothing to do with us.
The reality is that many times we allowed ourselves to be the recipient of others actions and reactions.
We deserve peace, happiness and fulfillment at every stage of life. The one thing that research shows is that the only one who can give that peace, happiness and fulfillment to ourselves is us.
It is my hope that many will do this work for the sake of growth and positive personal change. Our world has changed, we have changed and we must decide how this change looks for us. We must decide what making change looks like for ourselves.
This Life is a Gift to each and every one of us… It is a Choice how we react to it and it is definitely our choice as to what we Allow.
Stay Safe…. Stay Well…. Stay Focused…. Stay in the Know!!!
Please stop by and let me know how you’re doing, or leave a comment below.
Hugs,
Carolyn
PS Looking for more resources? Check out my library!
by Carolyn | Carolyn's Corner
Try This Mindset Shift
Pay attention to the words you use, and notice whether they are affirming or holding you back. Words have power! A mindset shift will help you harness that power to a positive end.
Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
Your words, Your dreams, Your Thoughts, have power to create conditions in your life.
What you speak about, You can bring about.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your job, you might lose your job.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your body, your body can become sick.
If you keep saying you can’t stand your car, your car could be stolen or just stop operating.
If you keep saying you’re always broke, Guess what? You’ll always be broke
If you keep saying you can’t trust a man or trust a woman, you will always find someone in your life to hurt or betray you.
If you keep saying you can’t find a job, you will remain unemployed.
If you keep saying you can’t find someone to love you or believe in you, your very thoughts will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.
Turn your Thoughts and Conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith, hope and action.
Don’t be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.
Watch your “THOUGHTS,” they become words.
Watch your “WORDS,” They become actions.
Watch your “ACTIONS,” they become habits.
Watch your “HABITS,” they become character.
Watch your “CHARACTER,” for it becomes your “DESTINY.”
GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!!!
Lao Tzu
Your turn: Think about a CAN’T phrase that you use often, and turn it into a CAN phrase. Share the power of your words in the comments below or come to my Facebook page.
Looking for more mindset support? Visit the library!
by Carolyn | Carolyn's Corner
The Power of Positive Thinking
Read this affirmation and think about how positive thinking can turn your life around.
Your life at any time can become difficult.
Your life at any time can become easy.
It all depends upon how you adjust yourself to life.
Positive thinking is simply reacting positively to a negative situation.
So try to see the good in every situation.
You cannot always control your circumstances.
But you can control your own thoughts.
Things seem to turn out best for those people who can make the best out of the way things turn out.
It is not the situation, It is your reaction to the situation
The reality of your life may result from many outside factors, none of which you can control.
Your attitude, however, reflects the ways in which you elevate what is happening to you.
What has happened to you, good or bad, only your thinking makes it so!
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Your Turn: Leave a comment below reflecting on how you can use the power of positive thinking to turn a negative situation into a positive one. Better yet, hop on over to Facebook and leave me a note!
Check out my library for more resources on mindset.
