Welcome, Announcements, and Achievements

My Future

People in crisis or those in a comfort zone find it difficult to plan for the future. It can be hard to dream when tomorrow is uncertain or you have simply gotten stuck. Perhaps you have had several failures set you back. It is normal to want to know all the steps you need to take to get where you want to go. However, you don’t need to know all the steps to simply create a vision for your future. If you feel you have to know all the steps before you begin you are likely to set small goals. These small goals match your current capabilities and you will not experience growth to the level you are truly capable. To create your vision, begin by focusing on the end result. 

Group Discussion: What does your ideal future look like? What do you dream about achieving? 

Personal Reflection: Take a minute to read the questions below and reflect on the way you feel. 

1. Why am I here today? What do I want to achieve with this program? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How has my current opinion of myself held me back?  _____________________________________________________________________________
3. What are my three most important goals at this time? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Small-Group Discussion: Share your answers to the questions above. How do you feel they relate to your future vision?

Dream Big

You need goals and purpose to thrive. Without goals and growth life has no destination. If you don’t have any goals, you continue to live your current life. To start setting goals you have to dream and visualize a new future. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and think ahead about five years from now. You are working the job of your dreams, living in a comfortable house, and you have healthy relationships surrounding you. Answer the following questions to begin clearly visualizing your dreams.

1. Where do you live? Are you in the city, suburbs, or a rural area?
2. What does your house look like on the outside? What does the inside look like? How many rooms are in your warm, welcoming home? 
3. What is your vision for your income level and lifestyle? What is your job? 
4. What do you wear to work? Do you work inside or outside? 
5. Are there other people in your life? What is your relationship to them? How do they treat you and how do you treat them?  
6. How do you feel? Are you happy, safe, and secure?

How to Create a Vision Board

Let’s put those dreams into a vision board that expresses what a thriving life looks like for you. Imagine that tonight when you fall asleep, a miracle happens, and the problems that have been worrying you are solved! 

Use the 16 Assets of your Self-Sufficiency Assessment as inspiration. Are there areas of your assessment that are below a five? What would it be like to reach your goals and move all of your scores to a five?

Do not put limits on your dreams. Think about any goal you may have on any timeline: one year, five years, or even ten years. You can DREAM BIG.

1. Write down your goals. In your own words, choose several areas of the list above and turn them into goals. Be descriptive. For example, instead of “I want a house,” write “I want an affordable, white house with blue shutters, four bedrooms, two baths, and a fenced backyard.” 
2. Once you have described your goals, it is time to turn them into your vision. 
   1. Find pictures: online, in magazines, or personal photos.
   2. Use an online program (Canva, Pics Stitch, etc.) or paste pictures on a poster board. 
   3. Be creative. Remember it is YOUR VISION
3. In week 5 you will expand on your goals by developing steps to reach. This will help you achieve your vision,

Building Your Vision

Be specific about your vision. Being creative and using images to express your vision will help you get a clear idea of your dreams. Select images, words, and phrases that express your vision. Once your vision is clear, you can begin working on the first steps toward achieving it and becoming self-sufficient. 

Weekly Plan

1. Continue to work on your vision and vision board. Return next week with your vision board completed sharing with the group.
2. Continue to work on your budget. You should be aware of your household income and expenses now. Bring copies of your income and expenses next week. We will work on your budget in class. Please be prepared. If you are having difficulty, reach out to the RISE team for additional resources. 

Your weekly action step: _______________________________________________________________

Notes:

___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

Class 3 My Future My Vision PDF

Follow this link to read more about creating your future:  My Future – My Vision reference

Use Canva.com to create your Vision Board