Introduction to Vision Boards
Vision boards are a great way to be inspired and continually move towards your goals and dreams. Vision boards and goal planning tend to be the most popular at the beginning of a new year, but they can be done at any time!
A traditional vision board is a large piece of poster board covered in images cut from magazines that represent your goals and desires. They are typically most popular at the beginning of a new year.
In grade school, I recall cutting out grandiose pictures of mansions and fancy cars with high power people standing next to them and gluing the images to poster board. The teacher called it a vision board and directed us to cover our board in whatever we wanted in our future. We excitedly announced to our classmates our dreams and goals for our future and ran home with our prize.
I was born and raised near Salt Lake City, Utah. On that 3rd-grade vision board, I recall clearly placing a map of Minnesota and my teacher asking if I’d ever been there. I told her no so she asked why Minnesota? I didn’t know why I simply knew in my heart that it would be a beautiful place to live and that I wanted to someday.
I’d forgotten all about that simple vision board until I found myself closing on a house in the state of my dreams; Minnesota! I’m writing this from my own little corner right now! I hadn’t made plans to move here, it just happened that way! I believe it transpired due to my heart’s longing which I’d lovingly placed on that vision board all those years ago!
Vision boards are a visual reminder of your goals and dreams!
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. I’ve always wanted to build a house. I thought and daydreamed about it and had a general plan. I wanted a small house with big windows that overlooked a corner lot. When the nudge came to start looking; I did! I was ready because I’d already been enjoying thoughts of owning a home and the joy that would come with it.
The WHY of Vision Boards
BOOM! There it is. That’s the why of a vision board! To keep our focus on what is wanted and in the direction we want to go.
It is not:
- Just an opportunity to cut out pretty pictures
- A game of finding the biggest mansion, yacht or bank account as if in a competition
- Just a fun night of cutting and gluing
Instead, it is:
- A visual road sign that keeps you on the path to where you want to be
- A reminder of what you want in your life and how you want to feel
- A visual representation of your potential and desires
- A creative outlet to express what you want in a fun and visual way.
There are so many ways to create vision boards
- Posterboard (traditional)
- Planner
- Journal / Bullet Journal
- Notebook
- Back of the bedroom door
- A whole wall!
- Bathroom mirror
- Digitally – desktop on computer or phone
- Bulletin board
- Pinterest board – although not as good as vision boards work best when seen frequently
Mistaken Expectations
Based on my experience, a vision board didn’t make sense. I thought of it as putting pretty pictures on a large, ugly poster board and writing fancy dreams all over it and then sticking it in a closet somewhere to stumble across and throw at a later date.
- Mistake 1: I didn’t put it somewhere I would see it at least daily
- Mistake 2: I didn’t understand the power of seeing my desires in color and shape every day
- Mistake 3: I never approached it with real intention
Vision boards are active reminders of your hearts desires!
How Vision Boards Work
A vision board is an active reminder of the desires of our hearts and inspires action and forward momentum because of the consistent reminder of what is wanted.
There are many types of vision boards available now, the most important thing is to have it where you see it at least daily!
The continual reminder of where you want to be keeps you moving in the direction you want to go.
Vision boards keep your plans and goals uncluttered by distracting and or exciting misdirection.
Supplies Needed
This varies by person! There are so many types of vision/dream/goal boards and planners and systems that it’s difficult to list a specific set of items needed. However, if you are making a more traditional vision board you’ll need:
- Posterboard
- Glue
- Magazines – especially ones with content you love like travel, cars, real estate, etc
- Scissors
- Colored pencils, markers, gel pens etc to write with
- Printed quotes, words or inspirational phrases if desired
How To Make One
First, sit and think about what you want to achieve and how you want to feel. Write a list of a few things to include such as
- Read more
- Get up earlier
- Eat healthier
- Learn blogging
- Journal more (have you seen my journal card prompts?)
- Spend more time with the kids/family
- Start a savings account