Every New Year for almost the past 20 years, I set aside time for my mega fun “Treasure Map” ritual. Some of you will know it as creating a vision board however I love to go on adventures and discover treasure, hence the name.
Making a treasure map enhances your ability to really vision your future and help you engage all of your senses to connect with your goals. I still have treasure maps from 10 years ago and it is so exciting to look back and see all the goals that I achieved.
Check out one of my finished treasure maps from 2012 below. And yes, I took my partner Silver Back Gorilla Trekking for his birthday in 2012 and the rest followed.
Goals Achieved
Treasure found
Have fun!
Let’s face it the world can seem like a very serious place at times. Lighten up and factor in fun while you work and play towards achieving your goals.
The fun factor can be a great motivator to fast track you on the path to goal achievement and creating your treasure maps is a great way to enhance fun with goal getting. And a bonus is that you can get children started on a fun way of goal getting. Kids love it and so do big kids like me.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Examples of treasure map materials
- A recent photograph of yourself and anyone else you want with you when you achieve your goals. As you can see in my previous treasure map for Africa, I have a picture of my partner and I as both of us were involved in the goal.
- Magazines (not shown) You can see a few cut outs from magazines in the above examples of materials
- Newspapers (not shown)
- Travel brochures to places you want to visit (not shown)
- Coloured pens and highlighters
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Stickers or glitter (optional)
- An art sketch book with plain paper (recycled please). I like a size that is About 30 – 40 cm x 28-30cm or 12” x 16” or several pieces of similar size white cardboard paper
- A good supply of green tea or coffee and chocolate. All organic and fair trade of course. (not shown)
Here’s how to play
- You can go solo or invite your friends or family to join in. I do some of my personal treasure maps solo and my partner and I do some together.
- Set aside at least a few hours if not a whole day. Have your treats handy.
- You can make one big treasure map or do what I do have an individual page for each area of life: Health, travel, spirituality, business, personal growth, social; friends, family or loved ones, financial abundance, learning; courses, seminars etc and activities to name a few.
- Spread out all your treasure map materials on the floor and then let your mind, inspiration and intuition go wild to choose the images and words that jump out at you.
- Make sure you place a photograph of yourself and any other significant people that you want with you when you achieve your goal on the treasure map. I often place it right in the middle however do what comes naturally for you.
- Cut and then glue words and pictures onto your specific treasure map. Use colored pens and highlighters to emphasize concepts, feelings, people, places or symbols. Throw some glitter on or add some stickers; let go and make a mess.
When you have finished, showcase your treasure map where you can easily see it.
I have a big cork board in my office with a photo of me in the middle surrounded by words and pictures that makes a giant size treasure map. I see it throughout the day and it keeps me connected with my goals not to mention brings a big smile to my face.
With the multiple treasure maps in my art book, I open a different page, a different treasure map every few weeks and have it in view where my partner and I can see it in our home. Usually it takes pride of place in the living room.
Isn’t it time for you to get all that treasure that awaits you?
I’d love to hear your comments and follow your treasure map journey.
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