Although not a new methodology, vision boards are becoming more and more popular these days as tools for manifesting what you want in life, career, romance, and business. And with good reason. In this post, I’ll give you a big-picture overview of what vision boards are all about.
What is a vision board?
Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life. It is a simple and yet truly powerful tool used in the process of visualization, a methodology used to help you be clear on and magnetize to you what you really want in life.
Used for generations, and also known as goal maps, goal boards, and treasure maps, vision boards help you clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific goal you wish to achieve.
How does a vision board work?
There are several ways in which a vision board works its psychological “magic.”
- The process of creating a vision board helps you get very clear on what your goal is and what you think it might look like.
- Your vision board can act as a focal point for your goal visualization practice.
- When displayed somewhere that you can see it daily, it helps you maintain focus on your goal.
- By reminding you of the positive benefits of achieving your goal, a vision board can help you stay motivated to work toward it, even when setbacks happen.
There are just two things you need to start a vision board:
- An idea of what goal you want the vision board to help you achieve. This is the intention of the board.
- Basic supplies, some sort of foundational surface on which to create, images and phrases that represent your goals taken from magazines, catalogs, etc.; and something to affix those images to the board (glue, tape, etc.).
Once you have these two things in place, you can create a vision board that is custom-tailored to your goals and personality.
Basic Vision Board Creation Guidelines
- Start with a foundation. As mentioned above, you need to have a surface on which to create your board. This can be posterboard, foam board, tri-fold board, corkboard, a canvas, or a piece of cardboard cut from the side of a box. Use what works best for you. Choose a foundation that speaks to you, one that you feel you can easily and effectively build upon, as well as display someplace where you can see it every day.
- Gather imagery that represents your goal. You can clip pictures out of books, magazines, the newspaper, catalogs, or junk mail. If you prefer, you can draw the images yourself or print them off of the Internet. What matters here is that images are present, because your vision board needs to be visual in nature. Seeing pictures of your priorities, dreams, and goals will help you focus on them.
Allow yourself to experiment with different mediums while creating the images for your vision board. Find photographs, sketches, clip art, and other images; then draw any subjects for which you couldn’t find an appropriate piece of art. I’ve even used 3D objects such as pieces of old jewelry.
- Gather words and phrases that represent your goal. Writing isn’t mandatory, but it can play a role in identifying the key pieces of information. You want to make sure that you can look at your vision board at any point in the future and know exactly what you intended by each picture, word or thought included on it. These words and phrases can be taken from the same sources you used to find your images.
Your goal map is limited only by the extent of your personal creativity. It may be simple and strategic, or it may be a highly detailed work of art. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what best suits your needs.
The 4 key qualities of effective vision boards
If you want your vision board to be truly effective, it needs to have these four key qualities:
- Visual.
Your subconscious tends to work in terms of images and pictures, and so your vision board should be as visual as you can possibly make it. Supplement the images with phrases and words as needed. - Emotional.
Every image on your goal map should evoke some type of positive emotional response from you. Seeing it should fuel your motivation to achieve your dreams. - Strategic.
This tool should be placed strategically in a location where you receive maximum exposure to it. Seeing your vision board as often as possible will help you stay focused on your goals and dreams. - Personal.
Your vision board needs to emit positive energy. If you think that you’ll be criticized or forced to justify yourself for your vision board, then keep it in a private location so nobody else can bother it or you. What you put on your vision board needs only to be meaningful for you – it matters not what others think.
Beyond these basic guidelines, let this tool be whatever you want to make of it. Ultimately, it’s yours to design, develop and use as you see fit. You can add to it and change it over time as your goals and focuses change.
What do you need for a vision board?
Are you intrigued and want to give vision boarding a try? Here is a basic vision board checklist:
[list_font icon=”check-square-o” list_item_1=”Poster board (or alternative surface mentioned above)” list_item_2=”Stack of old magazines and catalogs” list_item_3=”Scissors” list_item_4=”Colored markers and/or paint” list_item_5=”Glue, tape, thumbtacks or pins” list_item_6=”A photo of yourself (optional)”]
You can create your vision board on your own, which is how I created most of my vision boards, or with others. You can host a vision boarding party with a group of friends or take a vision boarding workshop. The choice is yours.
Additional Resources About Vision Boards
Previous Posts on Vision Boards
- 7 Ways to Use a Vision Board
- Five Reasons Everyone Should Make a Vision Board | Video
- Can Your Vision Board Motivate You To Make a Positive Change?
- Seven Successful People Who Use Vision Boards
- Your Vision Board Plan: How To Avoid a Common Trap
- Why Vision Boards Fail and How to Fix That | Video
- Vision Boards and the Power of Visualization
Other Articles on the Web
- Vision Board 101: How to use this manifestation tool by By Karson McGinley
- How to Make a Vision Board by Christine Kane
- The Reason Vision Boards Work and How to Make One
Books about Vision Boarding
- Create Your Vision Board: The 2-Hour Guide to Attracting the Life You Want by Marcia Layton Turner
- Dream It. Pin It. Live It.: Make Vision Boards Work for You by Terri Savelle Foy
- Vision Board & Planner: See it. Plan it. Do it. by Mending Roots Coping Guides
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