See Your Vision?
“The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals. The tragedy lies in not having any goals to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled. But it is a calamity not to dream.”
“You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.”
Do these quotes resonate? If so, take a few hours to focus on your dreams for your life and create a powerful tool to drive you toward them. How? By making yourself a vision board, which is simply a physical or digital collage of pictures/images/quotes/words to depict your dreams. A vision board attracts your eyes to “pay attention” and it helps your mind focus on your specific goals and desires.
When I first heard about vision boards, I did an eye-roll and thought, “that’s so woobie woobie.” Fast forward five years, and here I am telling you to make one. Now you can eye roll. Truth is, I’ve seen the science supporting their effectiveness, and I’ve experienced their power personally. As I’ve transformed my thoughts about my goals and dreams into something tangible that inspires me (and scares me a little, too!) my subconscious brain actually moves me toward achieving what I’ve depicted. My husband and I have created a joint vision board for three years now. We update it at the start of each year, removing/covering images of things we’ve achieved (or decided “nah, we’ve changed our minds”) and replacing them with new quotes or images.
This post will give you some basics to get you off and running to make your own vision board.
Step 1: Reflect and write. Writing clarifies thought, and handwriting helps you connect to your subconscious brain as you consider and feel what you desire. Grab a pen, and use these prompts to identify and express your vision for the various areas of your life (get specific, and yes, get emotional!):
• Who do you want to be?
• What do you want to do or achieve?
• What are your core values?
• What do you want to have?
• Who do you want to help?
• Where do you want to go?
• What impact do you desire to have?
Consider how the questions apply to the different areas of your life, as they often intersect, blend, or overlap: health (physical / mental / spiritual), relationships (family, friends, colleagues, community); work (paid or unpaid); finances (your relationship to and desire for money); passions/activities (e.g., travel, running, volunteering, reading, tennis, hiking, cooking, art, theater).
Step 2: Search. Find words and images that depict what you’ve written. Use magazines, Pinterest, or Google. Save digital images or quotes to a desktop folder for easy access. If you’re more inspired by words (like Amanda Gorman!), then find and use powerful words or quotes. You can print them, or use a colored marker to write them on your board. If you’re more visual, find images or photos that express your dreams/goals and evoke the emotions behind them.
Step 3: Make it! If you want a physical board, I’d suggest a 16x20 cardboard art board, which you can find for around $5 at Michaels or other craft stores. You’ll also want to have magazines, scissors, glue stick, and markers. Use your home printer or have Staples or FedEx print for you via email or a thumb drive. If you want a digital board, Canva’s a great option. If you prefer outsourcing, try Persnickety Prints: you upload photos, images, quotes to their template, and they print and ship it to you. Free photo site Unsplash has pre-loaded vision board images. Check out the buton links below for info and inspiration:
The most important thing is to get started and remember that it’s your gift to yourself. Here’s to seeing your vision!