In my first and second articles about vision boards, I provided guidance on how to make a vision board to identify your goals in the coming months as well as how to use your vision board to become the future self that you desire.

In the second article, I encouraged you to identify obstacles that might arise on the way to your future self and how to actively plan how to deal with those obstacles. This article provides guidance on how to explore your inner strength to further help you face those obstacles and keep you motivated.

Getting in touch with your inner strength

Because my lens as a drama therapist is holistic and incorporates both the mind and body in wellness, I believe that it is helpful to involve both in healing activities. I encourage you to try one of the two following options for using your body to get in touch with your inner strength.

For whichever option you choose, make sure to set aside at least 15 minutes of time to devote to the activity. Also, read through this article fully before doing the activities so that you can choose the best option thoughtfully and can know how to take yourself through the process.

The first option is good if you have physical limitations, lack of space, or lack of privacy. For this option, I encourage you to sit quietly and focus on your body. Take a few deep breaths, and focus on being in the present moment. Let yourself feel fully present in your body. Think about your inner strength, in other words the part of you that feels strength (which can be physical or mental), courage, and the ability to overcome adversity. Notice where in your body you feel that inner strength. Let yourself feel the positive emotions and sensations that come with focusing on it arising in your body. Secondly, continue the activity by reading the section below on developing a character for your inner strength.

As weird or uncomfortable as the second option sounds, I encourage you to give it a try to have an experience that might actually feel very pleasant and might help you get some perspective in a unique way. First, find a space that is private and has enough room for you to walk around a bit. A few square feet of space can suffice. Begin to walk around the space, walking in whichever directions you wish to walk in and at whatever pace feels comfortable. Let yourself become very present in your body. As you walk around, notice where in your body your inner strength resides. As mentioned above, let yourself savor the positive emotions and sensations that arise when you think of this part of you. Let the part of your body where the inner strength resides lead your body as you walk around the space. For example, if your strength resides in your heart, you may find yourself walking in a way where your chest leads your movement. As you walk in this manner, really exaggerate the movement that occurs naturally from leading with that body part. Then develop a character from your inner strength.

Developing a character for your inner strength

Once you identify what part of your body your inner strength resides in and how it feels to lead with that part of you, create a character. Give this character a name and some personality traits.

To give you an example, one person who did this activity in one of my workshops found that their inner strength resides in their hips, and the movement they found themselves doing while walking around the room took on the swagger of a confident cowboy. Thus, they created a cowboy character to represent their inner strength.

Once you feel you have identified the character, strike a pose that the character would take that embodies strength and courage. Then sit down for the remainder of the activity.

Role playing as your inner strength

Now that you developed a character for your inner strength, take the role of this character and write down the responses to the following questions from the point of view of that character:

•   What is your name?

•   Where in your owner’s body do you reside?

•   When did your owner first realize that you were a part of their life? Was there something in particular that happened at that time that caused you to appear? If so, what was it?

•   What are some ways that you have helped your owner? It may help to think of the ways that you have helped your owner physically, emotionally, socially, professionally, through transitions, etc.

•   How can your owner nurture you?

•   How can your owner conjure you when they are struggling to find strength and courage?

•   What advice do you have for your owner to keep in mind when they are struggling to find strength and courage?

After responding to the questions, allow yourself to let go of the role of your inner strength character and to come back to being yourself.

Remind yourself that you can conjure up this part of you when you need it. You can even take on the pose that your character struck when you need to physically feel your strength. Feel free to keep what you wrote down somewhere easily accessible for moments you might need a boost of self-esteem or courage.

Other actions you can take

Feel free to share below if you tried the activities mentioned in this article. How did it go? Did you have any insights? Do you feel closer to achieving your goals?

If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, you can attend one of my vision board workshops if you’d like to try these activities in a supportive group setting.

* This article originally appeared on the Psychology Arts website, which is no longer active.