Have you heard of a vision board, but have no idea what it is or how to make a vision board?
Other names for a vision board might be “dream board” or “inspiration board”.
How does it work? The idea of a vision board is to keep your goals and dreams uppermost in your mind by seeing them every day. By keeping your goals and dreams uppermost in your mind by “visualizing” them every day, your brain will begin to notice available resources for making those goals and dreams come true. You will also find your motivation to achieve the goals increases!
Here are 3 simple steps to get you started!
1 – set some goals for yourself. These could be short-term (to be reached within three months) or long-term (to be reached within five or ten years). See my post about setting goals HERE If you’re having trouble narrowing down goals, ask yourself: what do I want? What do I need? What would add value and meaning to my life?
2 – when you have at least five goals set for yourself, find some inspirational pictures that match your goals or remind you of your goals. You can do this in several ways. Some people like to take pictures (of homes they love, of the beach if they want to live there, of a stack of books if they want to be a writer). Some people like to cut out pictures from magazines. Others like to find images online that match the mental images of their goals. As you look for images, choose anything that inspires and motivates you. Even if it wasn’t necessarily on your “goals” list. If the image appeals to you in some way, include it!
3 – now put the pictures together in a collage style format. If you are using actual pictures, magazine pictures or if you printed online images, arrange them in whatever way you choose on cardstock, cardboard, or in a blank art book. Glue or tape them to the background and display! If you prefer digital format, you might insert your images into a Google document or Google slides. As you create your collage, you might also want to add words that come to mind, especially if you chose some images that appeal to you but were not on your goals list. What word comes to mind when you see that image? Write it down!
As you are creating your vision board, do some things to ensure that you actually enjoy this process. Play music, light a candle, do whatever makes this time seem special or different somehow.
Remember that the point of a vision board is to view your images daily! This helps set a visual cue in your mind about your goals and about what will make your life better in some way. If you don’t want others to see your vision board, that is fine. It doesn’t have to be hung on the wall! But do make sure that you put it someplace where you can see it daily. Schedule a time on your calendar when you will actually look at your vision board.
As you look at your vision board, think of what you might do to make each of these images real. Keep in mind that your list should only include tasks that YOU can control. Eliminate any tasks that are under someone else’s control.
I would love to hear about your experiences with a vision board!