So is January 1 the best time to make your goals? Yes and no. If you’re confused, we’ll explain further in this article.
Kevin Ngo, a writer and performer based in Sydney, famously said:
“If you don’t make the time to work on creating the life that you want, you’re going to spend a lot of time dealing with a life you don’t want.”
Setting goals and taking action to achieve them is essential if you want a life with purpose and fulfillment. One of the ways you can set your goals is by making a dream board with a free vision board template.
In this article, we’ll explain why the start of the year is a great time to make goals, how you can make a dream board with a free vision board template, and why creating your destiny with the Law of Attraction works to make your dream life come to fruition.
WHY THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IS A GREAT TIME TO SET YOUR GOALS
It’s almost common knowledge that as New Year’s Day comes, it’s time to make resolutions. Bidding goodbye to your past and saying hello to your future is usually ceremonially done on January 1st. Why is that? And is it the only time of the year to make new goals for yourself?
Well, as we stated earlier, the answers are yes and no. First, yes, January 1 is a great time to set goals but it isn’t the only great time throughout the year to set intentions. In fact, there are many times in a year that are perfect to make new goals.
THE FRESH START EFFECT
Allow us to introduce “The Fresh Start Effect.” This concept describes the event that helps us disassociate from our past selves and gets us excited about our future success.
It takes advantage of the perception of the passage of time to leave behind old habits and make way for new goals and changes to occur.
This concept was introduced by a group of researchers from Washington University and the University of Pennsylvania. They conducted a set of 5 experiments and their paper was published in “Psychological Science.”
The group discovered that any “temporal landmark” in a calendar led to more people following through on their goals. These “temporal landmarks” in a calendar are defined as the “beginning” of something.
Examples are January 1st, Mondays, the start of the month, the start of a quarter, or the day after a national holiday. The day after your birthday can also be a “temporal landmark.”
Any date that bids farewell to a specific passage of time, and begins a new start can be considered a “temporal landmark.” It can even include the day after a breakup, the day after quitting your job, or the day after your child is born.
According to the study, these specific dates are more likely to encourage you to set goals and take action because you perceive the date as a new beginning.
The objective of the study was to learn about the different ways our perception of time contributed to our ability to set and keep goals. Data from the study showed that 62.9% of people are more likely to stay on track compared to people who started their goals on a random date, such as a Wednesday in May.
Using this concept and data, we can say that January 1st can be a great time to set and make goals, but it isn’t the only best time to do so. Take advantage of this information the next time you make goals, as it plays on your perception to welcome a “new beginning.”
USE A FREE VISION BOARD TEMPLATE FOR YOUR FIRST VISION BOARD
Whether you choose to set your goals at the start of the year, or the day after your birthday, one of the simplest manifestation techniques is making a vision board. But if you don’t have the time to collect supplies or learn new vision board software, a free vision board template is the next best thing.
These templates are free to download and are pre-designed to meet specific dream board needs. One of the sources of free vision board templates is The Vision Cloud, a company dedicated to helping create positive change through the Law of Attraction.
Vision board products are perfect for getting started on manifesting goals, but true change comes from incorporating this movement into your daily life. The Vision Cloud aims to make vision board-making and manifestation techniques a regular part of your life, because making your dreams come true can happen every day.
Click here to get your free vision board templates from The Vision Cloud.
Manifesting your goals isn’t just a one-time thing, but it’s a lifestyle you learn to manifest the things you want, achieve your goals, and create the life you wish to live.
UNDERSTANDING THE POWERS AT PLAY DURING YOUR VISION BOARD CREATION PROCESS
We believe that vision boards are effective in helping you achieve your goals but we also wanted to help you understand why it does.
Here are 3 powers at play that will help you discover the magic of making dream boards:
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THE POWER OF CHOICE
When people understand that they have the power to choose, they become empowered. In a study that was conducted at the London Business School, researchers revealed the link between empowerment and choice.
The study revealed that when people are left with more choices, they often have a great sense of control over their lives, which contributes to their well-being.
When you know you have the power to control your destiny, you will feel empowered to actually make positive choices in your life.
2 . THE POWER OF VISUALIZATION
A vision board is a visual representation of your dreams and goals. It supports visualization, which is believed to be just as powerful as taking action.
In a study that was conducted by Vinoth K. Rangarathan, et al, they revealed that mental training of physical exercise is just as effective as the actual physical practice.
Their study was entitled, “From mental power to muscle power – gaining strength by using the mind,” and it explored the possibilities of gaining muscle simply by visualizing doing the exercises.
Just like the study, visualizing yourself living the life of your dreams is similar to actually living it because the mind doesn’t distinguish between mental and physical exercise.
This helps to bring you into the vibrational frequency of having achieved your dreams, which is believed to help you attain your goals and dreams effortlessly.
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THE POWER OF CONSISTENCY
The Power of Consistency can be explained by Hebb’s Law of Neuroplasticity. A 2020 study showed the link between consistency and productivity. The study involved employees who were given a consistent level of challenging tasks. Another group of employees was the control group, which means they weren’t given these tasks.
At the end of the study, the researchers discovered the employees who were consistently given challenging tasks performed better and had greater well-being compared to the control group.
The researchers concluded that repeated and consistent actions create a habit. When you are doing an action that’s done consistently over time, new neurons in your brain are activated, and they connect to other neurons and form a strong neural network, which leads them to create a new habit.
Therefore, when you constantly look at your vision board and practice visualization, you are activating Hebb’s Law.
TIPS FOR CREATING NEW GOALS AND USING THE THREE POWERS AT PLAY
Using the information given, here are some tips on how you can take advantage of the data to make your vision boards come to life:
- Create your goals and vision boards at the start of a “temporal landmark.”
- Use free vision board templates for fast and easy dream boards.
- Empower yourself with the power of choice.
- Practice mental imagery with visualization.
- Be consistent and repeat your manifestation techniques to activate Hebb’s Law.
The start of the year is a great time to make your goals. If you want to make a dream board instantly, then take advantage of free vision board templates such as the ones being offered by The Vision Cloud.
Use scientific knowledge of the Law of Attraction to make your dreams come true. A vision board may be a great manifestation tool but equipping yourself with scientific data will give you an edge in turning your dreams into reality with ease.
