This Year I Decided to Forgo Vision Boarding and Focus on 3 Words Instead. Here's Why.

Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Tasha Marie.

Model and Copy by: Tasha Marie
Creative Direction: Catie Menke

I know I’m not the only one who couldn’t wait to get as far away from the dumpster fire that was 2020 and start fresh in a brand new year. Most of us knew that a new year wouldn’t make our problems disappear, but deep down we were secretly hoping that 2021 would sweep in on a Trojan horse sprinkling normalcy, joy, and hope into our lives like candy raining down at a parade (when those were still a thing).

We are almost a month in now and well, not much has changed. COVID-19 is still a thing, along with everything that comes with it; quarantine, masks, lack of a social life (maybe that’s just me). Politics are still cray. No one knows if the vaccine will work or turn us into zombies. As if that wasn’t bad enough, there is no more Schitts Creek to sustain me and I made it through season 1 of Bridgerton in a day. But not everything is bad. 2020 has given us several gifts. It’s forced us to do a full on S.W.O.T. analysis of our lives whether we wanted to or not, and examine what is truly important to us. We’ve asked ourselves questions like:

So much to think about. Add new year new me resolutions on top of that? Whew. No wonder we are overwhelmed. I’ve always been a fan of having goals and they are necessary, especially when everything around us is a shit storm of uncertainty. The best thing, the only thing we can do is focus on what we can control. I love goal setting as much as the next person and I admit, I have a minor obsession with vision boards. I love making them. I love looking at them. I love the way I feel when I see them. All the things.

But, I have to say this year I decided to forgo vision boarding and focus instead on three words. Three words in which I will approach every situation from my work to my relationships to my health and so on. Before I let you in on the deets and divulge the words I chose, I want to share why I went this route, and hopefully you find some inspo or at the very least see it as a pleasant change of pace.

We’ve all heard what we think we attract, and if you haven’t heard that now you have, you’re welcome.

I am a firm believer that our external world (minus a pandemic) is a representation of our internal world. The fastest way to weave your thoughts into your subconscious is to feel them on an energetic level. When you feel high vibe feelings like happiness, gratitude, love, abundance, you will attract more of the same. When you feel stress, anxiety, scarcity, sadness, you will attract more of the same.

By choosing three words to approach everything by, it allows me to focus on the way I feel while I’m doing things, not the final outcome. Now I don’t know about you but I’m trying to be a magnet for positivity, money, success and all the things. But by taking the outcome out of it and simply living the three words I’ve chosen, I show up everyday acting as if the things I want to accomplish are already done. Which they are, it’s just a matter of becoming an energetic match for them and allowing the universe time to deliver.

I have a tendency to put a massive amount of pressure on myself when it comes to feeling successful or accomplished.

Maybe it’s the athlete ingrained in my brain that usually measures success in numbers. Conversations between me to myself sometimes look like this: “Did you hit the numbers or not?” The end. The more I focus on the end result the more stressed I feel and we know that stress is low vibe energy.

I know that if I live by these words in all that I do, I will achieve what I want without the pressure of a timeline. Goal setting and achieving shouldn’t be anxiety inducing. It should be fun, inspiring, and feel more like a puzzle or a game. You just keep playing around until you get it right. If you don’t quit, it will come together.

When I decide on a way of living rather than things I need to accomplish, everyday feels like a fresh start with so much potential.

I don’t think about what I did or didn’t do the day before. I don’t think about how close I am to the next goal. I think about the present moment, what I get to do and how I get to feel.

If I find myself about to spiral, (breakdowns are still a thing no matter how positive you are or what words you choose and that’s ok) I remind myself of my three words and it helps me recognize that it’s all part of the process. None if it is a waste and it’s all necessary to get me to where I want to be.

My three words for this year, or however long I feel like they serve me, are

Catie-Menke-Tasha-Marie-Commitment-dedication-trust.png

Commitment - the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.
Dedication - the quality of being dedicated or committed to a purpose.
Trust - firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.

I know I know, commitment and dedication seem like that same thing. I mean the words are used in the definition of the other. I get it. But they are two words that make all the difference. Purpose and activity. Dedication to myself, my purpose, who I am, who I’m becoming. Commitment to every activity I do, every cause that speaks to me, and follow through in what I choose to take on. Lastly, trust. Because I believe on a soul deep level that if I am dedicated to my purpose, committed to the things I need and want to do, I will achieve everything I’ve ever imagined and more.

I have no idea what 2021 has in store for me, you, or the world, but you get to decide how you approach everything.