If you’re reading this post shortly after it has been published, we are just one step into a new year. And if you are reading this later, do you remember, when you were there, 1st of January just after midnight, just after toasting in the new year and while you were sipping your Champagne? I bet you were telling your friends or your family about your New Year’s resolutions and all your new interests, passions and projects you want to pursue and explore this year.
And like every year, after a few weeks, or a month or so, the daily routine has settled in again and all those resolutions… yeah, where have they gone?
Why not do something different this year? Something that will keep the momentum going and your motivation high?
The power of creating a vision board
A picture is worth a 1000 words. It’s a cliché but oh so true. So why wouldn’t you use images and pictures and create a vision board about everything that you want? A vision board? Yes, that’s what it’s called.
Literally, a vision board is any kind of wooden, carton or digital board, on which you display images that represent your personal vision. On your vision board you put images of whatever you want to be, do or have in your life and how you want to feel about it.
And what’s the purpose of it? The human mind is very powerful. What you focus on, in your thoughts and your actions, expands. That’s the power of visualisations. So if you put your vision board in a place where you see it frequently, you get reminded of what you want in your life every time you see it.
These short visualisations keep you reminding of WHY you are doing what you’re doing. It’s your secret source of inspiration and motivation. Or they show you when your actions aren’t aligned anymore with what you want. Then you know it’s time to redirect…
Now before starting to create your personal vision board, maybe you will want to read “How to create an inspiring personal vision statement”. It’s always easier if you already have a basis to start with.
A picture is worth a 1000 words
Now that you know your vision, you can start creating your vision board. The first thing to do is to decide whether you like it to be a real tangible carton board with paper images or a digital one. Both have their pros and cons and it’s up to you to choose what you like best. There are no rules here. You alone decide how you want your vision board to be.
A tangible vision board is easy and can be lots of fun to create. You start with a pile of glossy magazines and cut all the pictures that you want in your vision board.
Think of what all your life goals are. What are the pictures that represent your health, your relationships, your career, your home, your finances, where you want to travel etc. If you want you can add images of personal growth, any spiritual things you believe in and education.
You can add cards of friends, handwritten notes, your kid’s drawings, things that made you feel good and that you want to continue to have in your life. You can let your imagination flow. There are no limits to creativity.
Then, once you have collected all these pictures and other artifacts, you start laying them out and sticking them on your board. The last thing, but very important, is to find a nice place for your vision board, somewhere where you can often see it. Then, sit back and let the magic work for you.
Vision board questions
What if I do it wrong? Are there any rules to follow?
Guess what? It’s impossible to do it wrong. You can put any image you want on your vision board. The only rule to follow is that it must be meaningful to you and that it gives you a good feeling.
I have too many things to put it all on one board; Can I have several boards per topic?
Of course, it’s up to you. You can create one big board with different zones per topic in your life. In that case you choose the pictures that give you the strongest positive feelings.
Or you create one main board and several boards per topic, as you like. With several boards per topic, you can go a bit more in detail, but the main objective is the same: It must give you a good vibe and motivate you to take action towards your goals.
How often should I look at my vision board(s)?
Very often. It’s important to put them in a place where you can see them daily. On the other hand, it shouldn’t meld with other decorations on your wall. When you look at your vision board, do it consciously. For instance, during your morning routine or when you feel blocked on a certain task and need energy to continue.
How often should I update my vision board?
In general, your long term goals don’t change so often. But you can change your vision board yearly, or quarterly. Anyway it’s time to change when you feel that the images don’t represent your vision anymore.
It’s also a good idea to leave some white space on your vision board, so there is space for new things in your life. And we, multi-potentialites, know that this white space will be filled very quickly.
Or, maybe you reached your goal. Kudos to you and time to update your vision board with new goals and objectives. Anyway, a new year is always a good moment to reflect on what you want to be, do and have.
This is the first day of the rest of your life!
Your view?
