As a corporate employee for many years, I always dreaded the new year and the inevitable ‘targets’. You can call them goals and objectives if you prefer, but my overwhelming sense was that they weren’t anything to do with me but set purely from a business perspective and I was just there for the ride.  Perhaps a little harsh, especially as I invariably always over-achieved. The great thing about starting your own business is that you can make your own ‘rules’ – I call them guidelines-  and the first thing I did was to change the language and the process to manifest what I wanted to achieve.  We all need something to strive for and to inspire us to grow and to develop as human beings, both personally and professionally, but the words ‘ target’ and ‘objective’ just brought back memories from a different life, one that wasn’t as fulfilling or happy as the one I have now. So what do I do that makes such a difference? I have fun with my future world, that’s the difference. I dream BIG and I visualise my future in words and pictures. It’s a well known fact that 75% of us learn by seeing so it makes sense to create a vision using images rather than figures and letters. So if you want to create a beautiful 2009 for yourself, here’s what you need to do:

1. Get yourself a scrap book, preferably with a beautiful cover, or a large piece of card will do the job well.

2. Go through magazines and newspapers and pull out any pictures or headlines that resonate with you. No need to question why, just do it. This process may takes hours or weeks.

3. Collect and keep them safe and, when you’re ready, choose the ones that really ‘speak’ to you.

4. Take some glue and stick them into your book/collage. If necessary, you can do one for each area of your life. The resulting collage(s) should provide the vision about what you want for yourself, your life, your happiness, your job, your family and so on.

5. Place it somewhere where you can see it every day. It should bring you joy and excitement every time you look at it, so make it prominent. You should be able to feel the buzz you will have once you are living this new and better version of your life. If not, go back and look for more resonating images and do not be afraid to think ‘big’.

If you have lack space or you prefer to write, then do so. No holds barred and no rules except one – it should have the 3 P’s throughout – i.e. it should be written in the Present tense, Personal (about you) and Positive (no should’s, ought to’s or negatives allowed).  So don’t write, ‘I will go on a diet and lose weight’ but ‘I weigh 9 stone 7lbs and feel fit, healthy and full of energy’. See the difference?

Try it and see. It’s fun and it works – trust me. Make sure you capture how much you want to earn, what your future partner will look like, the house or holiday of your dreams and so on. The more details you can capture, the better your brain (and the universe) can cope with manifestating it all to you.

My thanks go to the wonderful coaches who have helped me on my journey and understand how much what I’ve shared with you makes perfect sense: Sue Clarke www.inthehotseat.co.uk, Suzy Greaves www.thebig-leap.com, Karen Knowler www.therawfoodcoach.com, Evana Maggiore www.fashionfengshui.com, Laura West www.joyfulbusiness.com,  Gerina Gaffney www.gerinagaffney.com and Damien Churton, www.yournaturalway.com.

Wishing You a Happy. Healthy, Prosperous and Joyful 2009