What do you want out of life?
What defines your passion, goals, and sense of purpose and illustrates the life that you hope to live?
One tool that people often use to maintain motivation and inspiration to reach their goals is a vision board.
But why is this tool useful?
Your dreams and goals are essential elements of your success.
Your goals provide a roadmap to make your visions become reality.
They help you plan your actions each day and define your lifestyle.
Creating a visual display of your life dreams is a powerful way to activate your emotions so you take action toward your goals.
What is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a physical representation of what you want to be, do, or have in your life.
It is a board (cork, poster board, or foam board) on which you post pictures or other items that stoke your imagination and help you see yourself reaching your goals.
People often use vision boards to clarify their ideas and maintain focus on a specific life goal.
You can also display motivating quotes or affirmations on the board to inspire you to live a positive life or maintain a positive attitude.
They're fun to make and are an invaluable tool when you want to take concrete daily action in pursuit of your important, long-term life goals.
There are a variety of ways to create a vision board.
It can be simple and minimalist, or you can go all out with the decorations.
You may choose to make a physical hanging board for your house or create an online vision board on your computer or smartphone.
Find what works best for you so your vision board compliments your daily lifestyle.
Here are some things that you will need if you want to make a traditional, hard copy, vision board:
There are a variety of uses for a vision board.
Some use them to help uncover a passion, others want to improve their love life, and some people want to build a dream home.
You can make dozens of visions boards for each theme if you'd like, or you might make one board that reflects many goals or dreams.
Why You Need a Vision Board
The simple answer to this is that vision boards work. When it's displayed where you can see it every day, your vision board helps you make your goals a reality.
Your vision board prompts you to seriously consider what you want in life. It compels you to move beyond daydreaming and hoping as you create something visual that defines your goals.
This visual reminder helps you stay on track with your goals. By using visualization when you look at your vision board, you connect with your dreams on a regular basis and prompt your subconscious mind to take action.
Your vision board is personalized by you, reflecting your dreams.
It is something tangible and unique to you, making it a powerful motivator on a daily basis.
Making A Vision Board
You need to begin in a planning phase. Carefully consider the message or theme you want your board to communicate and how you want the board to look.
Before you start, you want to determine what goals you want to address — such as:
Next, you want to think about the kinds of pictures or other types of media you want to use and where you will get them. You can get images from:
Once you know what you want to put on your vision board, determine the style you want to pursue.
Some people make more abstract vision boards, while others stick to straight lines and color-coded imaging. This is a personal choice, as this project is completely about what you want.
The only thing that matters is that the images on your vision board represent what you want for your future.
Do Vision Boards Work?
Vision boards can be very effective if you put the necessary time and energy into creating one that is inspiring to you.
It builds emotional connection.
By using the power of visualization, vision boards allow you to see images that represent something occurring in the future before it occurs in reality. This exercise build an emotional connection with your goal.
Once you feel emotionally connected to your dream, you are motivated to follow through with the necessary actions to achieve that goal.
It helps goals feel real.
When you have a mental dream that you display tangibly, it begins to feel real and attainable.
Even if you have self-doubt, seeing your dream every day will alter your belief system, making you more confident and motivated.
You clarify your priority goals.
Your vision board also helps you narrow down your dreams so you become laser-focused on exactly what you want out of life.
As you look at your vision board every day, some items will intrigue you more than others. As time goes by and elements of your life change, you will realize that you aren't as passionate about some things as you once were.
Narrowing down your goals and interests helps you have a sense of direction in your life to make progress toward your long-term goals.
It reminds you of your purpose.
If you ever hit a rough spot on your journey and start to question your goals, your vision board will be there to remind you of your ultimate purpose.
It restores that strong sense of motivation that you once had.
Your vision board will work best if you add elements to it beyond pictures.
Some ideas include:
- Adding emotion through the use of strong colors
- Making it appeal to your senses by adding smells, textures, and even noises
- Creating different sections so your board takes you on an emotional journey
Once you know your purpose and you have the necessary tools, it's time to start working on your vision board.
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Are you ready to make your own vision board?
Now that you know what a vision board is, are you ready to make your own?
Once you do, be sure to hang it in an area where you can see it every day. You'll want to sit with it and reflect on what it represents for you.
Your vision board should be a reminder of what you want in life, but also it should serve as a source of motivation to take action every day.
Make full use of your board by feeling the emotions you felt when you created it each time you look at it.
Visualize yourself succeeding in the future and inspired to take at least a little action each day to achieve your dreams.
