Acquire Your Desires & Stay Inspired :)

          It is mid-January…mid-January!! We are already half-way through the first month of the New Year. If you have made any resolutions for 2014, this is when you may start wavering on sticking with them or falling into old habits. Here at Dona Jo, we want to make sure you accomplish everything you set out to achieve! We promote a healthy lifestyle in all aspects and desire to help you to recognize all of your goals. This week, I am going to present to you a fun activity that will undeniably encourage you—whether you need some extra motivation, or you’ve remained right on track.

          Last week, Ashley shared with me a film that she watched and described as “life-changing.” It is called “The Secret,” and it details the idea behind the law of attraction. She mentioned that they discuss the creation and use of a “vision board” that will assist you in the first and second steps of the “creative process.” They go into further detail in the film, but essentially the way the law of attraction works is that you receive what you emit. So if you ask for what you really want and believe that it is yours, there is no doubt that you will obtain it. I don’t want to give too much of the film away, but I definitely recommend watching it. I paused it frequently to take notes and write down tidbits that I wanted to remember and apply.

           Even if you don’t watch the movie or read the book, creating a vision board is well worth your time. What is a vision board? It is a compilation of images that symbolize a desire of yours. It can be pictures that represent goals. Let’s say you want to eat healthier—clip out colorful and delicious-looking foods that you want to make. Maybe you are trying to reach a target weight—include an image of a scale with that number on it. The clearer it is, the easier it will be to visualize your goals. Your vision board can also include specific items that you want. Maybe you went shopping recently and saw a purse that you really want (but couldn’t afford at the time) and can’t stop thinking about—find it online and print out the image to add to your vision board. Perhaps you saw some adorably fun printed workout leggings that you absolutely neeeed! Print them out and put those next to your fitness goal images. (We just got new prints in this week!! Feel free to add this pretty collage to your vision board:)

            Of course, I had to make a vision board this week (pictured above) because I can’t blog about it if I’m not doing it too! (This kind of thing is right up my alley though, so this was incredibly fun for me!) The way I constructed mine was to first write down things that I want to achieve and acquire. Most of them are current goals, but some of them are things I want to do within the next few years. After I had my list, I gathered the images. This can be done in the reverse order though. If you have magazines lying around, those are perfect to flip through and find pictures that inspire you. Turn it into a fun event and have your friends bring over some magazines and just flip through and clip images that you are attracted to and images that are in line with your goals.

           Most of the images I used were found on Pinterest. If you are not familiar with Pinterest, it is a website where you can “pin” images (from the web, or your phone/computer/tablet) to various “boards” that you create. You can have as many pins and as many boards as your heart desires! It is essentially a group of virtual bulletin boards. If used often, Pinterest can act as a virtual vision board. But, I don’t think anything compares to actually seeing and putting together a physical collection of inspiring images. I would absolutely advise joining Pinterest though if you haven’t already. It’s a great social media tool for all ages to find a range of inspiration for gift ideas, DIY crafts, food, fitness, quotes, fashion, travel, and more! If you do join, or are already part of the Pinterest community, make sure you follow Dona Jo Active Wear for the latest product images, clothing collages of our pieces paired with others, inspiring quotes, healthy food recipes, exercise ideas, and of course some Brazilian images so you can pretend you are there (as I do almost every day.)

           My vision board includes images of places I want to travel (Australia), activities I want to do (camping, volunteering with kids, organizing my finances, writing more snail mail letters, taking up yoga, moving into a new apartment, etc), and actual items I want (a watch, a jumpsuit, a see-through clutch, etc.). Now that it is created, I am going to put it up on my wall and spend time each day mentally focusing on these goals. Once you start to see results, it fuels you to keep going. So I encourage you all to make a vision board, it doesn’t have to be big or as robust as mine, it can just be on a standard sheet of computer paper. After you make it, we would love to see them!! Take a picture and upload it onto facebook, instagram, twitter or pinterest with the hashtag #JOJOVISION & be sure to tag us @donajofitwear!