This entry is prompt #23 of The Book of Me, Written by You project

This week’s prompt is – Memory Board

– How do you see the point of a memory board

– Why keep one?

– Do you keep one? Or will you?

This could be a cork board in your office, kitchen or regular space? If you do what do you keep on it? and why?

I’ve always kept bits and pieces from days out but never really knew what to do with them … until I read “How To Do Everything and Be Happy” by Peter Jones, in which he talks about having a “trophy board”. A trophy board is basically a notice board where you put all those bits and pieces you collect, to remind you just how much you’ve done. The idea is you start your board in January and add things throughout the year. If your having a bad day or feeling you’re not doing much with your life, you simply glance at the board and all the tickets and postcards and leaflets remind you of all the great things you’ve done and places you’ve been. At the end of the year you pack everything away in an envelope, write the year on it and then start afresh on the board. So for me that’s my interpretation of a memory board – and it’s something I have fun putting together and even more fun taking apart at the end of the year, when everything on it brings back memories. My board sits in my office, just above my desk, so I can see it every day.

I didn’t take a photo of last year’s trophy board, but here is my board from 2012.

In among that lot are reminders of holidays in Egypt and Wales; tickets for the London 2012 Paralympics; a leaflet from a local radio station I was interviewed for; a certificate for doing a firewalk; name label from a workshop; wristband from a music festival; restaurant receipts, museum leaflets and football tickets. I always love looking back at the board because my memory is hopeless and I forget half the things we do!

A slightly different take on this is a vision board. I wanted to make one of these for ages and finally got round to it late last year. Rather than holding memories of the things I’ve done, it has images representing the things I’d like tone, have and do … Here’s my vision board: