Using a digital vision board as a new mum

Today I’d like to introduce Kristyn from A Human In Training. She is sharing advice on how to use a digital vision board as a new mum. Enjoy!

As you enter motherhood, there is so much that you are involved in. So many things are a part of your new everyday routine that weren’t before. These new items quickly take your attention away from what you deemed important pre-baby. Suddenly spending 20 minutes a day on your hair doesn’t seem as much of a priority as it once did, does it? Outside of the normal daily tasks that you have to do to keep yourself and another (much tinier) human alive, there are also the plans you have for your own personal future and that of your growing family’s. Even though you are in mummy bliss with your little love, you want to take the time to organise your goals for the future.

Yeah, How Do I Do That?

A great way to keep everything straight and motivate yourself on the days that you feel anything but, is through a digital vision board. The concept of vision boards started after the publication of “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne in 2006. Due to the hype of the book, many celebrities hopped aboard the vision board train and began endorsing the new concept.

Vision boards are intended to help individuals stay motivated throughout the journey of accomplishing their hopes and dreams. The simple act of having consistent reminders via stimulating visual imagery triggers the brain to keep your goals and aspirations forefront in your mind. Having those items there helps to keep the thought process flowing and allows an individual to more frequently take steps to complete the necessary items in achieving what they set out to.

Examples of Imagery: babies, weight loss depictions, your dream house, a new pet, vacation spot that you want to visit, career goals/titles, images of house renovations, birthday parties, classes to take, books you want to read, wedding planning.

That First Year

But let’s be realistic about the process as a new parent. We all know parenting in general can be a hot mess. But parenting during that first year of a child’s life? Extra messy. Between the lack of sleep, the adjusting to a new routine and schedule, growth spurts and teething – some days it’s a huge accomplishment that everyone is alive and fed.

That’s why you want to keep the bar lower during those times. There is nothing worse than setting high expectations and having absolutely no realistic way of accomplishing them. And the last thing you want to do is jeopardise a prime memory making time. Your baby is only little for such a small period, you want to soak it all in. You don’t want to severely limit your time with your new addition to focus on accomplishing your end goals.

This isn’t to say that you can’t start planning for the future, only that you need to be lenient with yourself and the goals you envision. Don’t set super high expectations of coming in first place at a bodybuilding competition or anything like that. Create goals that incorporate your newly extended family and revolve around adjusting to a different lifestyle. Think memories and fun.

Examples: Maybe make it a goal to explore a new place outdoors once a month. Or to read a children’s book as a family five nights a week. Perhaps you could plan your first vacation as a new family and place it on your vision board.

Best Practices

Vision boards are very flexible in that you can create a paper version that you can hang in your home, or you can go the electronic route and place it in several different spots, including your office. You can go bold with big colours and many images, or you can take the minimalist approach with subtle, muted hues and just a few select pictures. There are options to use real photos, magazines or clip art. Or you could even hand draw the different things you place on your board. It is completely up to you, and the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating your personal motivation piece.

The key to successfully creating and utilising a vision board is to do what works for you. If seeing bright colours gets your energy flowing, then by all means use bright colours! If you want to have a copy of your board in every room of your house, do that too! In the end, you want to take the path that is going to have the most impact on you. For me personally, I want it to be in front of me during the times that I am often doing nothing of importance. Case in point – my phone. How often am I on my phone for productive reasons? Not often. When I see my digital vision board on the home screen I’m reminded that although scrolling through Facebook for the 800th time that day sounds fun, achieving my goals will be even greater in the long run. Same with my computer. I can be a big procrastinator, and when I see my digital vision board as my desktop background, it makes me refocus and keep my eye on the prize.

Want to go the paperless, electronic route for your vision board? Get a personalisable template here, compliments of A Human In Training!

Placement Examples: As your phone screen, computer background, on your refrigerator, on your bathroom mirror, on your bedroom dresser, next to your computer monitor, by your phone charger, in the mud room of your house where you store your shoes and coats, inside the coffee cup cupboard, framed near the television, inside your work locker, inside your purse or wallet.

Don’t feel like all hope is lost as you make your way through the new world of motherhood. Your life is still very much your own, just at a slower pace. Make time for the memories, and place them as a priority in your life. The time you carve out now for your children will have long lasting effects for them and for you. Not only are you making your future brighter, but theirs as well!

Kristyn Meyer is the human behind the blog A Human In Training. She resides in the mitten state of Michigan with her husband, children and dog. She enjoys eating cookies, reading suspenseful mysteries, making lists and is fluent in sarcasm.