I find the time between Christmas and New Years magical. It’s my favourite time to slow down and connect with myself, to tuck in with my journal and my imagination and envision the year to come. One of my very favourite ways to do this is to create Vision Cards. I start with identifying areas of my life that I want to focus on (e.g. Home, Love, Creativity) and perhaps a couple of big projects I want to take on and then I make a card for each one, a touchstone to keep me connected to the heart of my desires for the year. I love to turn them into a video so that I can revisit them easily whenever I need a little inspiration infusion.

May 2012 be all that you dream of and more.

For a full guided adventure to making your own Vision Cards, check out my e-workshop at Wish Studio.

Big dreams mean big plans and that’s what I got up to last week! Armed with ideas and inspirations plus loads of stationary supplies, my sister Shannon and I booked a planning day together. Though I adore lists and calendars and making things happen, I can also crack under the pressure of over-planning. But this year, it seems we found a way that felt just right. I’m excited to share it with you and hope that our experience can be helpful as you plan the next year of your creative life!

What We Brought

• Markers
• Pens
• Index cards
• Sticky notes
• Big newsprint pad
• Big calendar
• Journal
• Journal questions
• Coffee
• Water
• Snacks
• A good friend with a keen eye

Our Schedule

• 9:00 – 9:30 Journaling
• 9:30-12:00 Jamie
• 12:00-1:00 lunch
• 1:00-4:00 Shannon
• 4:00-4:30 Revisit journaling

What I already knew:

• My focus. For this planning session, I was looking specifically at Jamie Ridler Studios in 2012
• My grand vision. This session was about bringing that vision to life by creating a plan and choosing actions that would move Jamie Ridler Studios in the right direction.
• My weekly schedule. I have an ideal schedule for my week. I revisit it regularly and have been refining it for the past couple of years. I’m excited about the current version because it includes more writing and project time and daily dedicated pockets of time for communications, including email and social media.
• What’s on my plate. This schedule includes all of my regular commitments from coaching to preparing Wishcasting to recording the podcast and interviews, what I affectionately refer to as “the regs.”
• My rhythm. I’ve designed my week to take advantage of my natural rhythms. My schedule is front-loaded with client work because that’s when I’m best able to be present and support clients with ongoing coaching. At the end of the week, I dedicate some half-days to projects and writing. This gives me a good block of time to create something like Soul Reflections or Sparkles.
• My commitments. I had all the dates and details for things I have already committed to for next year.
  

What I was looking for:

• To set my priorities for next year.
• To be sure the activities I choose for next year reflect those priorities.
• To plot out a schedule that supports my productivity and progress while enhancing my joy and ease.

How We Planned The Year Ahead

Shannon and I set aside the entire day and booked an awesome little room that’s a part of a local Starbucks. It was free, relatively private and gave us lots of space to spread out. We arrived with our supplies, set up our table and, with coffee in hand, dug in.

Journaling

The first thing we did was some journaling, to connect us to what was truly important to us. This is such an important step, otherwise you can end up designing an entire year filled with things that just don’t mean that much to you! Shannon and I had compiled a series of questions that included: “What am I currently loving?” “What do I want to let go of?” “Where do I want to upgrade?” “What are my financial goals?” “What’s one big wild ass dream I’d love to come true?” “Where do I need to grow?” “What do I want to spend my time on? “What do I spend my time on?” We gave ourselves one minute per question and actually used a timer.

The Current Picture

Next we pulled out the big newsprint pad. You can get these at art supply stores as well as stationary stores. For around $2.00, this is an invaluable tool. With markers and newsprint, I poured out onto the page and to Shannon what my business looked like right now and also where I saw it headed. I had made three index cards to represent three major over-arching goals for the business. I had also made index cards for each current aspect of the business, from products to podcast, colour-coded by subject area (e.g. blue: client work, green: workshops, yellow: communications, red: content creation).

What’s Next?

Then I started to talk about the things I was hoping to do, the ideas I had for what’s next. If this was something brand new, I created a new index card for it. If it was an improvement or development of something I was currently doing, I added a post-it note to its index card. I didn’t edit here. I just let ideas and possibilities flow out of me, some that I’ve known about for a long time and some came up in the moment.

How Much?

This stage is the first opportunity to start the editing process. Having all of the possibilities in front of you, each taking up its own space, it’s easier to get a sense of “whoa, that’s probably too much for this year.” Shannon asked me how I think of my year and I said in seasons (i.e. fall, winter, spring, summer). I decided to limit myself to one or two priorities or projects each season, especially because these are on top of my “regs,” which are extensive. I also know that if I got them done earlier than expected, I can always add in more! One or two projects per season is enough to make me feel like I’m accomplishing something without pushing me to overwhelm or keeping me so busy I can’t say yes to opportunities and ideas that come along.

Choosing

Looking at the index cards, I started pulling out those which were probably going to wait. I made two piles for those things: “maybe next year” and “later.” I also pulled together the ones I wanted to complete this year. Then I started to play around with the remaining ones, shuffling them into varying combinations of spring/summer/winter/fall. I asked myself, “Would this combination move me powerfully towards my big vision for Jamie Ridler Studios?” “Does this combination motivate and excite me?” I finally narrowed it down to between 8 and 12 things I wanted to put on the list for 2012. Yes, already exceeding the limit I’d given myself but with one more sifting process to go through: scheduling.

Scheduling

Then we pulled out the big calendar. This is often where I get totally tripped up. I start to get all squirrelly and uncomfortable when life gets scheduled in too much detail. Who knew that for me the answer would be: sticky notes! Being able to explore possibilities and get a picture of things without committing to them was instrumental in feeling out my year.

First we put in notes for all my travel dates. We didn’t plot in all my regs but had a good sense of my schedule in mind. We did put in regular commitments that had an irregular schedule. Then we worked with the projects I’d chosen for each season, looking at where they might fit in. Doing this with the tangible, physical object (the sticky note) once again made it clear when things were getting too full. When that happened, I made a choice and I moved a project or priority to a “if I have time” category.

Before I knew it, my year was planned and instead of feeling cramped or tight or rigid, I felt grounded, confident and excited about what was to come.

Some Things I’ve Learned About Planning

• “Say no more frequently so you can say yes more fully.” Laura West
• When you schedule in a commitment, also schedule in the time it is going to take you to prepare for that commitment.
• In order to feel excited, I always need something new and wonderful scheduled for the upcoming year.
• It is possible (and a really good idea) to take some time off to replenish and fill your well.
• Don’t fill the schedule too much or be too rigid. Leave space for wonder and magic. Leave yourself room to be able to say yes to unexpected and wonderful opportunities, not to mention time to breathe!
• When this is your life’s work, you don’t have to get it all done by Friday.

Happy New Year! I hope you had a glorious celebration of all the gifts of 2009 and that 2010 is already showing great promise!

For a couple of years now, I end the year with my Project 365 and begin the next with Vision Cards. These cards highlight my goals, hopes and dreams for the year to come. Each day they inspire me and keep me powerfully connected to myself and my aspirations.

The first thing I do is brainstorm which areas of my life I would like to focus on this year. For 2010, some of my focus areas are: time for me, savouring life experiences, confident travel and developing my support squad. I strive to find a balance between being clear with my intentions and yet spacious enough for the Universe to work her magic. So, for example, on the travel card, Paris is specifically there and also the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. But on the back is also a picture of a woman in a city with the words “surefooted in any territory” which reflects more generally who I want to be as a traveller. This year, I even have a card for “joyful surprises” because I know my life has been richest when I loosen the reigns and am open to possibilities.

Once I’ve decided on my focus areas, I collect images, much like I do for dreamboards, letting my intuition guide me and pulling out what touches my heart or catches my eye. I gently hold the areas I’m looking for in my mind as I search but I am open to discovering new possibilities. This year one vision card came up which I was not intending at all (in fact, I’m rather resistant too), but somehow, it just wanted to be on the list and so I put it there.

Next, I put those together on large index cards that will sit on my desk for the next 365 days. I also like to turn them into a little slide show like the one I’m sharing with you today so that I can watch it regularly for inspiration.

With all that we’ve been through in December, the holidays, the passing of my mother-in-law and Justin taking so ill we spent a night in Emergency (he’s absolutely fine now – thank you all for your thoughts and well wishes), I really thought I might give this exercise a pass this year and let my Full Blue Moon Dreamboard be my inspiration at the dawn of 2010. But I found myself drawn back to the process, knowing how deeply it helps me find clarity and then keeps me on track and empowered. It’s how I begin the process of creating my year.

What are you envisioning this year? What helps you create and sustain your vision?

By the way, if you’re in Toronto, I offer one-on-one Visioning Sessions to help you gain clarity and inspiration on a particular project or dream. You can read about it here.

Featured Client: Sabine Hikel Ph.D, consultant and blogger

Websites:
www.leavingacademia.com
www.confabulous.ca
www.sabinehikel.com

What are you creating in the world?

I create many different things: I’m a writer, blogger, podcaster, editor and consultant. What I create in the world is ideas and energy for social change. I do this primarily through two streams. One is a website called Confabulous, which is a group blog aimed at smart, sassy women who are interested in both politics and pop culture. The other is a project called Leaving Academia, which is for grad students and faculty who are interested in exploring post-academic careers.

How did a Visioning session with Jamie help?

Working with Jamie was enormously helpful. At the beginning of our visioning session, Jamie laid out to me what exactly her process was, which I really liked. Then she took me through the steps of clarifying what it is that I want to offer the world. It was a great blend of thinking through practical aspects of doing business (money, resources, time) and the crazy, “Wow, what if I did THIS?” kind of stuff. Jamie makes it very safe to look at just how much capability you have within yourself. She makes it safe to answer that call that so many of us feel inside–the longing to be useful, the longing to make a difference. One thing that I got from Jamie that has had one of the longest-term effects was a focus on identifying and knowing who my allies are. That was very revealing!

What did you learn?

I learned that my two websites are far more connected than I originally thought. Jamie helped me to see that the underlying impulse beneath both of them is a desire to create positive social change, though in two completely different realms.

What would you like to celebrate?

I would like to celebrate the human spirit, which seldom knows when to quit.

Featured Client: Romana Mirza, Founder & Principal of Studio Pinpoint TM

Website: studiopinpoint.com
Blog: romanamirza.com
Video: Studio Pinpoint Brand Strategy

What are you creating in the world?

I’m creating a space where two spheres intersect. I have a long, strong and successful background in business. At the same time I am grounded, spiritually and emotionally in the world of holistic healers and tarot card readers.

These two worlds (or spheres), the steely determination of Bay street and Wall street – the left brain hard thinking analytical world moves me and motivates me as does the right brain creative world where you are tuned into the senses and emotions. I work, both personally and professionally in a space where these two spheres influence each other.

I introduce what I know from the business constructive side into the holistic healing world. And I take the grace and beauty that I learn and live by from the holistic healing world into the constructive, determined and laser focused world of business. I have been doing this for over 20 years. It was only earlier this year, on Friday February 13, in 2009 that I came to know this consciously and completely as a result of my visioning session with Jamie – which opened my eyes to what I do and my purpose here.

How has having Jamie as a coach helped?

Because of Jamie I am resolved. I resolve internal conflict, personal conflict, relationship conflict, mental conflict, self conflict. There is always so much working to try and beat us down – people, attitudes, societal expectation, and the worst, our expectations of ourselves. My work with Jamie helps me to be resolved. In a positive way or a neutral way, both are OK. See, that’s the point, no matter where you are, it’s OK to be negative, to be overly optimistic or to be neutral to be hum drum.

Jamie has taught me that life is full of all these wonderful things. My work with Jamie helps me to keep the resolve – or perhaps balance is a better understood word. But I like resolve that feels right to me and that’s the word I’m sticking to – that’s what I get from my work with her.

What have you learned about yourself?

What I’ve learned about myself is that if I’m feeling bad about it, I can change it. That has been the most liberating experience. I grew up being accused of being bossy and insensitive and my work with Jamie showed me where that came from and affirmed that it came from love and not selfishness and is showed me why people were receiving it the way they were. It wasn’t because I intended it that way, it was because of this strange combination of strengths that I have. Now that I know I balance my approach and what was negative is the most beautiful thing about me. Now that’s learning something about yourself.

The other major breakthrough was when we did a visioning session – the result, mentioned above, was so remarkable. I never knew that I could know so clearly so succinctly my purpose here on Earth. Wow, now that’s a result!

What would you like to celebrate?

Life. Life in all its forms. And I like celebrating life because even after this Earth-life there is another life, that’s what I know, and that means you can celebrate life indefinitely. How’s that for a celebration?

Would you like to be coached by Jamie?
Are you in Toronto and interested in Visioning?