Vision Boards: Why They Really Do Work and How to Make One

Vision. In all that has occurred since March 2020 and its fallout came squinting through your peephole, you may have just about forgotten about that. Quite naturally, your true vision of what the next year — or five years — should look like as regards the quality of your professional and personal life was likely rendered peripheral, as you and everyone else on the planet were thrown into dystopian crisis mode. Now that the apocalyptic dust is beginning to settle, it’s time to wipe your eyes and get back to the business of determining what you really desire in your career and private life — and how to get it all. Enter vision boards.

You may have heard of a vision board before, but perhaps aren’t entirely clear on what one is, or what it can concretely do for you. A vision board is a curated goal-setting and reminder tool — consisting of images, affirmations, and quotes — designed to confirm goals and motivate oneself into action. Think of it as Pinterest, but for your entire set of professional and personal aspirations.

Vision Board Benefits

I love a good benefits package, don’t you? Turns out, a vision board literally comes dangling its own, for your current and future achievements’ pleasure. One fantastic benefit is Motivation. A vision board is an easy, fast, and effective way to light and stoke your motivation. Once you’ve designed your vision board, even a quick glance back at it can have the effect of jumpstarting your drive to move forward with your goals.

Another great bene of a vision board is Focus. We often lose track of our goals before any significant progress is made. Vision boards serve as a constant reminder of our most important objectives, and of what the future can look like — if we remain faithful to our dreams, and consistently task them.

Creating an Exciting and Effective Vision Board

You don’t need a degree in art or set design to create a self-enticing and effective vision board. First however, before you get to clipping and pasting with the best of them, set your goals. A vision board requires a specific set of intentions. If you don’t know what your intentions are, it’s really not possible to make an effective vision board. Be clear on all the things you would like to accomplish in your professional and/or personal life, within a specific time frame. This is the first, and most crucial, step.

Second, Google the vision boards of other goal-getters like yourself. There are so many different style designs and ideas out there, you’re certain to be inspired.

Third, decide on a format. You could dedicate an entire wall to your vision board. Or, simply make a traditional poster. Perhaps a bulletin board is more your style. There are even several apps and websites that provide virtual vision board tools, thus enabling you to view your vision board 24/7, no matter where you travel in your day or in this world.

Next, find pictures and words that represent your goals. A vision board is visual, so you’re going to need photos, drawings, and/or paintings that represent your objectives. Again, the internet is the easiest way to go, if you have a printer up to the task, or are using an app. Otherwise, you can go old school and cut up magazines and use photos. Select words, quotes, and/or slogans that define your goals and emotions regarding them. Ultimately, an effective vision board should be visceral in its capacity to elicit strong feelings from you.

Lastly, organize everything. Do you like your words and images cleanly and evenly lined up, like a contemporary living room? Do you prefer the artistic chaos look of a collage, instead? It’s up to you. Try laying out your vision board a few different ways, and then choose the layout style that speaks to you.

Using Your Vision Board Effectively

Make it a habit to look at your vision board, at least twice a day, every day. A good gander at it for just a few minutes will do the trick. Just be sure to take a deep breath, clear your mind, and really focus on the images and words you’ve chosen to represent your objectives. Next, visualize achieving those things. Imagine how great it will feel to finally have those items, experiences, and achievements in your life.

List action steps for each of your vision board objectives. A vision board is extremely motivating, but it will be functionally insufficient at changing your life — unless you task each and every one of the goals depicted on it. The actions you take toward those identified goals are ultimately what matters. So, jot down the actions it will take to make the goals on your vision board an actual reality — and then do those things!

As needed, go ahead and add items to your vision board that appeal to you. Over time, you’ll always likely entertain additional goals, and come across even more inspirational/intriguing pictures and text to diversify your display. So, go for it! Creating a vision board is a process, not a one-time event.

A vision board can be a powerful and effective tool for bringing about positive change in your life. It’s highly motivating, focuses your attention on what you really want, and keeps you accountable in time and task. Anyone can use this tool to experience more success in life — just remember that ultimately, fulfilling the dreams you’ve so creatively mapped out for yourself is still, and always, entirely up to you.