Vision Boards and How to Make One That Works
We all daydream.
Frequently about situations that haven’t happened to us. Things we see as possibilities for our future or replays of how events from the past could have gone differently. Our imagination creates a little theater in our minds for us to get lost in.
We zone out on these thoughts for many minutes (or hours!) a day. But is daydreaming such a bad thing?
*SPOILER ALERT*
NOPE.
Visualizing our desires is one of the fastest ways to manifesting them.
Quantum physics suggests that our reality is created through our thoughts. So, it seems reasonable to start with the mind when building the life of our dreams.
And creating a vision board is a great way to start flexing those visualization muscles!
We’ll even show you how to create a vision board that WORKS.
Most of us have an idea of what we want our life to look like: challenges we’d rather live without, material items we long to own, traveling to faraway countries (and I don’t mean a quick thousand-mile swipe through your Instagram feed) – our “dream life.”
Some of us are already living it. Some are working towards it. And some feel the farthest away from it they’ve ever been.
(Chances are, if you’re here, you’re closer to one of the latter. And that’s okay! This one’s for you.)
No matter where you are on this path to your dream life, it is very possible and very real to achieve your desired reality.
It simply takes one small step, and then another, and another, until soon all the steps accumulate and you find yourself smack-dab in the middle of your favorite city, in the house you always dreamed of, in a relationship that’s better than the movies.
But how do you do it? Where do you start?
The same way you start anything, with your imagination.
What is a vision board?
Many are familiar with the concept of vision boards.
They are a collage of words and images representing a person’s dreams, goals, and desires. They symbolize what a person is hoping to manifest in their life. Vision boards can either be digital (a phone or computer background) or physical (an actual board with images attached).
The overall goal of a vision board is to turn the images a person chooses into very real experiences.
Vision boards seem to carry this sense of mysticism around them. How can a collection of images and words possibly create a person’s reality? Well, as with most things, there’s a science behind it.
How does a vision board work?
Like we mentioned, vision boards are used to bring what we are manifesting into our reality. But how do they do this?
When a person creates their vision board, they start with visualizing their ideal life. They tap into their biggest and wildest dreams and then find pictures or words to represent them. Ideally, the individual keeps their vision board in a place where they can often see it, like hanging on their bedroom wall or phone background.
The images one chooses evokes certain emotions – joy, excitement, love, desire, etc. When these emotions are triggered, one feels as if they already have the things they want. For example, let’s say you have a goal to go on a cruise to Alaska. You see a picture of someone standing at the head of a cruise ship moving through Alaskan mountains, icebergs all around, breathtaking views, and crystal-clear blue water – you FEEL the expansion and excitement in your body as if you were already there, especially if you see it as something that you will actually be experiencing.
The mind doesn’t know the difference between an imagined experience and real life. Studies show that similar brain areas are triggered both while experiencing a situation and then imagining that same situation later.
To the mind, an imagined reality is a lot like the real thing.
Looking at your vision board regularly and activating these very real sensations in your body suggests to your mind that what is on the vision board is important. Your mind begins paying more attention to opportunities related to your desires, information that your mind would have filtered out as unimportant or unnecessary before.
By noticing more of these opportunities, you’re more likely to take the necessary actions to achieve your goals!
Vision boards rewire the brain to look for opportunities associated with our desires. From there, we can take the necessary steps to achieve those desires.
Why is a vision board important?
Not convinced yet?
The Law of Attraction says that whatever energy we put out, we get back. That can be positive or negative. With all the positive energy put into making and focusing on your vision board, that energy is BOUND to make its way back to you. And because where your focus goes, energy flows, that positive energy is likely fueling the fruition of the desires you included on your vision board.
Many successful business owners use vision boards. A TD Bank Survey published in 2016 showed that one in five small business owners used vision boards when starting their businesses.
*It’s important to point out that your vision board doesn’t need to be strictly business-related. Most of us dream of having a successful business to obtain other desires, like freedom or money. These deeper desires are what drive and motivate our business, our WHY. Bringing focus to these will amplify your chances of starting the business in order to get closer to these desires.*
Vision boards help you get clarity on your goals and aspirations, so you can begin creating your life with intention, rather than letting your thoughts run willy-nilly.
Focus on your vision board daily, and you’re equipped with a practical and straightforward visualization practice you can do anytime, anywhere.
How to create a vision board that works
The jury is still out on whether vision boards can guarantee you all your dreams or not. However, there are simple things you can do to ensure your vision board works in your favor.
Start by asking yourself questions that guide you in the direction of what you want and how you want to feel.
When are you happiest?
What things/people/places bring you joy?
What does a day in your dream job look like?
Get clear on your answers and allow yourself to go in-depth with them.
Then, you’ll want to find pictures, words, or quotes that trigger all of your feel-good emotions. The whole point of the vision board is for you to feel excited and happy when you look at it.
The vision board can be made physically or digitally. You could even print out copies to keep around the house. The options are endless. The more you see it, the more beneficial it will be to you.
Here are some items that can help create the perfect vision board if you opt to go the physical route:
A vision board kit that provides you with the tools needed to create a vision board that excites the heck out of you every time you see it.
A cork bulletin board perfect for hanging on the wall and pinning your dreams to.
A vision board clip art book for those who want to skip the hassle of searching through 100 magazines for the perfect images.
Remember, taking action is still an essential step in creating your dream life. You can’t paste some pictures on a board, forget about it, and expect things to magically appear. Vision boards are meant to inspire you to take positive and beneficial action toward your goals. Seeing your dreams on the board repeatedly makes them feel not so “new” to your mind and therefore makes acting on them easier and less scary.
There’s no right or wrong way to do this as long as creating and looking at your vision board brings you all the warmth and fuzzies.
Even if you aren’t “actively” looking at your vision board and tuning in to your emotions, the repetitive action of your mind seeing these images every time you pass by will still signal to your brain that they are important and will focus your attention on opportunities of which you were previously unaware.
Finally, and arguably one of the most important steps — you must trust that it’s all working! You must BELIEVE that the process of having a vision board brings your desires into your reality. If you don’t believe this is true, then your mind will only fight the process.
Now you know the energetics behind vision boards and how to make your own. Have fun with it! All that you desire is right around the corner – just a handful of opportunities and steps away.
Written by Lara Carney