Strategic Planning for Entrepreneurs Part 4: How to Create a Quarterly Vision Board to Help You Achieve Your Goals
When I was little I had a small room that my mom called my craft room. (Who knew that those crafts would contribute to my strategic planning process later in life?) In that room, I collected all kinds of markers and paints — as well as empty toilet paper rolls, empty milk boxes and anything that could be transformed into a piece of art. I absolutely loved doing crafts. Everything from sketching flowers to turning milk cartons into animals! I still love doing crafts today — though I don’t get to them as often as I would like.
But when I do get to create art, it is one of the most relaxing activities I enjoy. It’s the perfect remedy to entrepreneurial stress.
Many of my clients love arts and crafts for the same reason.
In the spirit of the last week of the first month of the new year — I thought I’d share a way to get our creative on while we put the finishing touches on our plans for this year.
I call this the quarterly vision board. Before I get into the details of the board — I want to make sure you know that this is the 4th part in my Strategic Planning for Entrepreneurs Series. Just in case you missed it — don’t forget to check out the first 3 parts of this strategic planning series:
Strategic Planning for Entrepreneurs Part 2: Five Amazing Questions that Will Make This Year Better
Strategic Planning for Entrepreneurs Part 3: 7 Dates You Should Be Putting In Your Calendar
Start by looking at your goals for each of the quarters this year. If you haven’t created quarterly goals yet, take a few minutes to write down what you want for each quarter in your business.
Then take a few minutes and decide what you would like for each quarter in your personal life, your health, and relationships.
Next, find a piece of cardboard and draw a line down the middle vertically and then horizontally. Now you have spaces for all 4 quarters on your quarterly vision board.
Now find pictures that symbolize, represent or show you hitting your goals for each quarter. These images can be realistic or they can be visual metaphors. If you feel called to it, you can write your goals for each quarter on the board — or just use the images as reminders.
Once you complete your board, you will have a visual representation of what you want to create this year. This will help keep you focused and clear about what you are moving towards for every single 90-day period.
Images bypass the frontal cortex of the brain. This is the managerial part of the brain that tends to say things like, “You can’t do that.” Having a visual representation of your year will help you move past doubts, fears, and worries.
Enjoy creating your quarterly vision board. Creativity is such a huge piece of the strategic planning process for entrepreneurs. Please join us in the RB Facebook group and show us a photo of what you created! There’s so many beautiful people in there just waiting to cheer you on.
