Vision Boards: You Become What You Believe
I’m not crafty but at the beginning of every year I make a vision board. It’s my one craft project for the year and it’s so much fun. Reading magazines is my guilty little pleasure and it comes in handy for this task. Over the past few weeks I’ve been ripping out pages, pictures and words that speak to me. I spent this evening gluing my favorites on a piece of poster board.
What is a Vision Board?
The idea is to have a place for all the things you’d like to accomplish, places you’d like to go and things you enjoy. Oprah talks about making vision boards because as she says, “you become what you believe.” So if you use this tool as a jumping off point for your goals you are more likely to achieve them. I use it as a reminder of my goals — like having a three bedroom apartment or going to Venice. I also put photos of people I admire, things I enjoy like drinking tea and other ambitions like writing a book.
There are No Rules
Your vision board can include photos, drawings or inspirational words. If you are super crafty you can use fabric or other textures as well. There is no right way to do it. The photos can be places you’ve been, places you want to go, outfits you like, things you’d like to buy, kitchens you want to model yours after or anything that makes you smile. You can make your board by hand like I did or do it digitally on your computer.
You can be literal or creative with your choices. I’ve included photos of champagne because it’s one of my favorite drinks but also it symbolizes celebrations. I’d like to have a lot of things to celebrate this year. There’s a photo of someone filling out thank you cards and it’s not that I particularly like writing out cards — but I’d like to have lots of reasons to say thank you.
I purposely leave some white space on my vision board so it can evolve throughout the year. Whenever I see a photo that catches my eye or I think of something I want to achieve — I add it. I hang my vision board inside my closet door. That way I’m sure to see it every morning when I get dressed. Here are some places you can keep your vision board:
- On your desk in a frame
- Pinned up on a cork board
- As your desktop wallpaper
- In a book that you carry with you
- On your phone in an app like “Vision Board Deluxe” by Happy Tapper
- On Pinterest.com
I think this would be a fun activity to do with friends or even with kids. Kids can make their own vision boards with activities and places they want to go throughout the year. You’ll be surprised how much of an influence it can have on them.
You can even make it a tradition to check out last year’s vision board on New Year’s Eve and evaluate how much they’ve done in the past year. Then make a new board on New Year’s Day. But you don’t have to do this at the beginning of the year — you can make a vision board at any time.
Remember though that just having a vision board isn’t enough. You must actively work towards your goals. If you want to share your vision board with me take a photo and upload it to Pinterest.com and use the hashtag #listproducervision in your description so I can find it. Good luck!
I’ve kept a vision board for the past few years. One side captures what I wish to attract into my personal life … like certain life experiences, a peaceful retreat and a trip to Italy (I received an unexpected and amazing invitation to stay at a villa in Positano last summer and I did!) … and what I wish to attract into my professional life such as writing and speaking, inspiring and achieving. It’s happening for me. I keep the board in my office and I’m looking forward to the possibilities that lie ahead.
Hi Diane —
What a wonderful example of just how powerful Vision Boards can be! Love this! Thanks for sharing and here’s to a wonderful 2014!
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.
Great post!
I need to hone on my vision and get it on the board!
Thanks Angie! Just do a little each day – I go through magazines while I’m watching TV and make a pile of all my “likes”. Then I go through and eliminate and cut them up the next day.
It should be fun – not homework! Good luck!