There are few things more fun and encouraging than creating a vision board.

You gather some magazines, a pair of scissors, a poster board, and some tape or glue. Flipping through each periodical, you then cut out images of what you would like to manifest in your future—a promotion, car, dream house, ideal spouse, the foreign country you’ve always wanted to visit, a family of your own, a stack of money—whatever it is that speaks to you when you look at it. You also cut out words and quotes that are encouraging you to achieve the goals of obtaining such wishes.

After pasting your cutout collection on a poster board, you’d then hang it somewhere in your house that will be visible to you everyday, such as next to the mirror you use to get ready every morning or the back of your bedroom door so that it’s the first thing you see when exiting “your own little world” and entering the big world.

The theory is that with the constant exposure of these images and words, preparing the mind for success as the person begins to feel a surge of motivation to incorporate the steps needed to reach these goals.

But many people lose their streak of ambitious courage shortly after, soon returning to their former selves.

So why doesn’t it work?

This approach skips a very important step. People are still living in a toxic-congested environment within their daily lives. As a result, there is little if no “room” left for your calling.

How can you find that “ideal relationship” if you’re still hung up on your ex?

How can reach your life-time goal of starting your own business with a paralyzing fear of failure?

In the Creative Insight Journey, we take a different—and frankly, at times uncomfortably necessary—approach to the vision board. Instead of the traditional method of using your entire poster board to represent what it is you want to achieve and gain, you only designate one side of the poster board to this. The other side is used to represent what it is you need to release from your life and mindset. Awareness of both is key to creating change.

If an unsatisfying, dead-end job has you racing rats instead of the destiny stirring within you, you can print this current employer’s logo. Maybe it’s the past you are holding onto. If you’re still struggling to get past the pain of a divorce, therefore blocking the chances of meeting your ideal partner, print out your wedding portrait.

Bringing these obstacles into foresight connects the mind and the heart, fueling an empowered mindset to no longer allowing yourself to run away. We must give ourselves permission to release anything and anyone holding us back from reaching our fullest potential. We can then direct the subconscious with clear, heartfelt desires.

Challenge yourself to try this new method and do it with self-love in mind. Use Google Images or Pinterest to get the exact images and quotes you are looking for rather than just settling for magazines alone.

Be brave enough to be transparent with yourself, be honest about you barriers, don’t sell yourself short, think big with your goals, and trust your instincts when honing in your calling. And most importantly, make room for a better you in 2016.

Creative Insight Journey begins tonight. If you’re ready for change, join us here.