What’s a vision board? Quite simply it’s a blank poster board you glue images of what you want to bring into your life. Is it magic? Not really, although it may seem miraculous as the images you use start to become reality.
How to Make a Vision Board Clarify Your Goals
How Do Vision Boards Work?
Our subconscious mind is a powerful tool. The information and images you put into your subconscious mind (much like a computer) are what your mind uses to create your reality. You are simply programming your mind to give you specific output. Placing your vision Board in a prominent spot reminds you (and your subconscious) what you are working toward. Much like the (positive or negative) stories we tell our self filter how we see the world. In the words of Oprah, “change your stories and you change your world”!
By creating a visual of your goals you speak to both sides of your brain.
So Where Does the Clarifying Come In?
Collecting images of your goals forces you to actually name, visualize, and list them. How can we bring something into our lives if we don’t know what “it” is or what it looks like to us?
Surprises
Listen to your inner self while you actually sift images to glue to the board. Images you thought you would use often change or seem “wrong” somehow at the last minute. Listen to that inner voice. Creating a vision board is a powerful message that you are willing to bring joy to yourself.
Supplies to Make a Vision Board
- Blank poster board (Staples and Office Depot are good sources)
- Rubber cement is best, glue sticks work but don’t last as long
- Images! Search your favorite magazines. Make it fun. Colored paper sheet books scrapbookers use are good for background
- Markers, colored pens, glitter, paints, etc
- Make your board 3D using objects such as buttons, yarn, etc. Check out a local craft store for ideas.
Let this be fun!
Last weekend I got together with a couple of friends for a Vision Board Party. We brought images from magazines, photos, drawings; anything that spoke to us of what we wanted to have in our lives. Through much laughter we brought the images together on our boards. My finished board is pictured above. To visualize the women I help with my business coaching, I used an image of a ship taking a journey with the words “Dream Big”. The Her Next Step logo is close to the ship. This year I’m selling yarn I’ve bought and will never use through an Etsy shop.
Resources
Christine Kane has written a great blog post about vision boards here. Worth a look. Christine discusses different types of vision boards and goes into detail about their creation.
Know of some other vision board resources? Has a vision board worked for you? Let us know in the comments below!
For years, I have cut images out of magazines and placed them in a box. The intention was to use these different words and images to create a vision board. Until a couple of weekends ago, it never happened. But this year, I finally put images to poster board and glue to the images. I also gave myself permission to take my time and to enjoy the process. I spent 12 hours on the process. Choosing the right images, figuring out the layout, culling those images that were not necessary or didn’t quite fit. Then I went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, I was able to look at it with fresh eyes. What I saw really resonated and confirmed several things about my business that I knew but was a little afraid to say out loud. It confirms my desire to grow from a solopreneur to a micro-business. It reminds me to incorporate my meditation practice into my business on a much more intentional level. It celebrates nature as a source of inspiration and renewal. It clearly shows my desire that my business help other solopreneurs and micro-businesses both through our services and through investments in Kiva and The Calvert Foundation. And it showed me, quite clearly, that my ideal clients are women; that women have the power to change the world.
What a powerful vision board experience. Good idea to “sleep on it” and let your Inner Self process the images.
Thanks for sharing your success story.
Hi Christine,
I agree that we need a vision board as it helps us to define and focus on our hopes, goals and dreams
The Law of Attraction works, but reflects our dominant and most practiced thoughts. We can’t spend 5 minutes on a new thought and 23 hours and 55 minutes thinking the old thoughts and have anything change. A vision board will definitely help to get a positive focus all day long. I know that many people like digital vision boards, but I believe that a physical vision board will do better because it’s easier to keep it in a place where we always see it.
I agree. I’ve seen the digital vision board sites online, and it just isnt’t the same as creating a physical object. Also the digital boards aren’t as visible to us during our day). Thanks for your comment.