You know what a "vision board" is. Why? Because, ever since people saw "The Secret", a whole cottage industry has sprung up around the idea. It seems like everyone's jumping on the VB bandwagon.
For the six people who didn't see the movie, a "vision board" is a collection of pictures that you put together that show images relating to what you want.
For example, if you want to be thin, you put pictures of thin people. If you want a new car, you put a picture of the car you want. If you want a new house, you put a picture of your new house.
Old school vision boards were made from cut-outs from magazines and put on a piece of cardboard. Now there's even vision board software and DVDs to help you visualize what you want.
Why Your Vision Board Is NOT Working
I made my first vision board in 1993, more than a decade before "The Secret". That's because vision boards are really nothing new; the movie just made them Tip in the general population.
On my vision board way back then, I put pictures of cars, money and houses. And you know what I ended up with?
Pictures of cars, money and houses!
Why didn't my vision board work? For the same reason most people's vision boards don't work...
Because there was no SYSTEM, no FORMULA, no STRATEGY behind it.
It was literally just a bunch of pictures that I had cut out from magazines, just like most people's.
Now, the "new age" teachers might say: "Well, you didn't believe in your pictures enough. That's why your desires didn't manifest."
Yes, you're right: I guess I didn't believe I could get the things in those pictures. But guess what? All the belief in the world isn't enough to manifest your desires, either.
Let's say I really believe I can make a million dollars. I sit there and visualize my million dollars, imagine what life will be like when I have my million dollars, picture all the things I can buy with my million dollars.
And then I don't follow a strategy to make that million. Am I going to somehow magically manifest my million bucks?
Of course not.
You and I both know that.
So why don't most people get what they really want?
The plain and simple truth is:
Most of us were not taught the right formula to manifest your desires. In fact, most of what we were taught was dead wrong.
Here are 5 things you can do - starting today - to manifest your desires:
1. Focus on the process, not the prize.
We've been taught to focus on the cars, houses and money. But all of those are RESULTS that are caused by something else.
Concentrate on what will produce results, rather than on the results themselves.
For example, making a lot of money is a result of following the Rules of Commerce. The Rules of Commerce can't be broken. No one person invented them, but if you don't follow them, you won't make a lot of money. It's that simple.
2. Get connected.
The natural tendency when things get rough is to isolate yourself. That's the worst thing you can do.
As troubles mount, your relationships will become even more important. Identify your key strategic partners to help you get where you want to go, and stay connected with them.
3. Do one thing at a time.
"By the inch, it's a cinch. By the yard, it's hard."
4. List your Why-To's and Why-Not-To's.
Take out a piece of paper and label one side "My Why-To's of Success" and the other "My Why-Not-To's of Success".
Under your Why-To's, write WHY you want to succeed. These can be things like spending more time with family, that new car, or your desire to leave a legacy.
Then, write your Why-Not-To's: it'll take too much time, what will people think, what if I lose it all?
After you write your list, share it with your mentor or Accountability Partner. Simply airing out your Why-Not-To's of Success will take away much of their hold on you.
This simple exercise can save you years of grief.
5. Use your AFFORMATIONS.
Afformations are empowering questions that change your subconscious thought patterns from negative to positive.
Here are some powerful Afformations to get you started:
- Why am I enough?
- Why am I so rich?
- Why can I manifest my desires?
- Why can I get what I want?
- Why do I have permission to succeed?
I'm not saying you shouldn't focus on what you want. Naturally, it's important to "begin with the end in mind."
However, most people stay so focused on their "end" that they end up chasing their tail.
Follow these simple rules and soon, you won't just be looking at pictures of success... You'll BE the picture of Success.
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Noah St. John, Ph.D. is the #1 bestselling author of The Secret Code of Success: 7 Hidden Steps to More Wealth and Happiness (HarperCollins).
Harvey Mackay says, "If you want to crack your own secret code of success, crack open Noah's book."
Noah is the world's most-quoted expert on how to get rid of your head trash. Free book excerpt at SecretCodeBook.com