3 Steps to Making a Vision Board
By Brigitt Earley
A Vision Board: What’s the point?
It turns out putting your goals on paper in a visual format can actually help you achieve them. And there is plenty of research to back it up.
Below are three important steps to know when creating your vision board…
1. First, consider what matters most to you.
When creating a vision board, take a moment of self-reflection and figure out what’s most important to you, says says media and life coach Zakiya Larry. Think about the one or two segments of your life you really want to change and focus on the words those sectors bring to mind. Then, decide if your vision board should represent short-term or long-term change. Larry says using yearly benchmarks is most digestible and easiest to track progress.
It's time to hunt through those old issues of magazines for visual representations of your goal. Or, if you've gone digital, you can always print images you see on Pinterest and Instagram.
If you want to make improvements to your kitchen, for example, you can clip a picture of a home that inspires you. Or, perhaps you'd like to finally take a vacation day. In that case, find yourself a palm tree pic and some glue.
2. To make your vision board work, put it somewhere you can see it.
The trick is to make sure any words you use are short and the images you choose are vivid, attractive, and glossy, so your vision board regularly catches your eye, says Larry.
Once you're done, put your vision board in a place that's within your regular line of sight—your nightstand, your home office, or even by your television—because the key is to look at it as often as possible, says Larry.
If you're not comfortable making such a statement with your vision board, Larry suggests creating a smaller version. You can cut your poster board in half, or use the largest photo frame you have on hand.
Alternatively, you can snap a picture of your vision board and use it as your laptop's backdrop or your phone's home screen. "I highly recommend making that physical collage, because there’s a very clear connection between doing something with your hands, seeing it, and then it eventually (hopefully) becoming real," says Larry.
3. Don't be afraid to make updates...
Though a vision board is a wonderful tool to help you achieve your goals, you can't just sit back and expect it to magically make things a reality.
Think of your vision board as a living thing—rip things off, add things, or start from scratch if you're so inclined, says Larry. And be open to variations of what you want to achieve. For example, if your goal is to go plant-based, don't beat yourself up if you're more of a vegetarian after six months or so.
"Sometimes we miss the fact that we’ve achieved something great, because it doesn’t look exactly like we thought," says Larry.