Going after my goals with vision boards...

If you've read this post, you know that I am working my way through Leonie Dawson's 2014 Amazing Business and Life Workbooks. I didn't have printer ink when I initially purchased Leonie's program so I downloaded the workbook to my computer and reference it regularly as a guide while making my own binder-workbook. I made sections to go with each section in Leonie's workbooks, and am working through the various steps Leonie has laid out, and slowly but surely my efforts are paying off.

I've had a small increase in my Etsy sales with very little additional effort. I've landed a job as a freelance writer that is almost enough money to pay my bills each month. I've redirected my life goals to things that are far more personal and fulfilling than ever before.

As I first started working this program, however, I noticed that although I love Leonie's artwork throughout her workbooks, I needed my own artwork and personal touch. I decided to create a vision board for each section. I thought about using one large vision board for the whole thing, but for me that ends up being cluttered and creates more problems than it solves as I work towards my goals. Be separating my goals into individual vision boards, I can remain focused on one goal or task at a time. I am using page protectors, paper, and magazine cutouts to create the vision boards. Each one makes a page/section divider in my workbook as well. I also have been collecting little quotes and phrases and sprinkling them throughout my binder. When I'm feeling down or like I'm not achieving anything, I pull out my binder, look at these pages, and instantly feel my pep coming back.

The vision board page for my "gorgeous body goals" section - the first page that is done! I love how it turned out. It reminds me to eat well, stay fit, and be happy.

From my "100 things to do in 2014" section. Can you tell I want to travel?

From my section on financial goals...

A few additions to the cover of my binder...

I have been carrying around this little quote for YEARS! It now has a home on the cover of my binder.

On the spine of my binder. A good reminder when I am feeling lazy or unmotivated.

What are you working on today, and what motivates you to keep working towards your goals?


***Please note, I do have an affiliate relationship with Leonie Dawson. If you choose to purchase her workbooks or other products through my link, I will receive revenue. I totally believe in this program though, and wouldn't provide the link otherwise.

2014 Amazing Business and Life Workbook

I've mentioned Leonie Dawson a couple of times lately, and I thought I'd share my progress on going through her 2014 Amazing Business and Life Workbooks. Although there are two separate workbooks, I've sort of combined them into one big workbook. I'm out of printer ink, so instead of printing out all the pages, I've used the workbooks as a basis for putting together my own big workbook using a binder, paper, and page protectors.

Here's what it looks like so far:

The cover with my primary goals listed on the front.

Collaging "dream pages" on plain paper inserted into sheet protectors in place of dividers.

My fitness/health/body dream page in progress - get fit, eat well.

These are old financial goals. I've pulled together all the random scraps of goals and ideas I've had around the house from the past couple of years. Slowly, I'm going through and reconfiguring them. Until I've got it all reconfigured and ready to work on, I'm keeping those old pages in the binder.

I've been tracking ALL of my spending. I list my spending and income twice daily, and color code it. I'm extremely visual. The goal is to see more green than pink or yellow. Green is for income and necessary expenses. Yellow is for anything due to poor planning - for example, buying lunch because I didn't plan ahead and make a lunch. Pink is for wasteful spending, and seeing this much pink has been an eye opener!

Week by week savings goals. This is going to be tough, and I've got to find a way to cut back spending while also increasing income if I plan to hit these goals EVERY week!

Budget pages for every  month of 2014. I also did one for the current month.

A sample of my sections, all based on Leonie Dawson's workbooks. Each section also has subsections which are my goals. Under each goal, I am breaking down action steps month by month, week by week, and in some cases day by day.

I've only been using these workbooks and working on my 2014 binder for a few weeks, and I've already seen major changes:

• My spending is more conscientious—I've resisted fast food and Starbucks temptations several times thanks to having the binder with me all the time and knowing I'd be logging those expenses and coloring them pink!
• I've exercised more consistently by using workouts I've printed and put in the binder (see the picture above of my fitness/health/body dream page).
• I've eaten better by planning better, and thus my jeans are fitting better!
• I've made strides on several business goals, and am working on my business stuff daily instead of procrastinating and being too scared to do anything about it!
• I've made more sales on Etsy than usual.

Overall, I'm loving this process, and feel more hopeful than I have in a long time. I feel my goals are more achievable because by writing them down and listing action steps, I've made them REAL.

Check out the workbooks HERE.

**Please note, I do have an affiliate relationship with Leonie Dawson. However, I LOVE LOVE LOVE her workbooks and highly recommend them!