Musings - New Year's Vision Board

 A vision board is a collection of images and words that symbolize your goals, dreams and visions of success for what you want to accomplish.

Joyce Marter contributed to HuffPost these thoughts on Vision Boarding:

Think of the idea of "self-fulfilling prophecy. Over and over again, I have seen that if we anticipate an outcome, it is more likely to occur that way because our thoughts precede our behaviors. As author Wayne Dyer said, Our intention creates our reality.”

Determine your vision for the coming year as the first step.

Getting Started – Focus on What YOU Want your life to feel and look like.  Stretch, if there were nothing -- nothing at all -- to hold you back, what would you like your life in the next year to be like?  If there were no limits?  Consider these areas of life for some inspiration:

• Financial – Money, wealth, and budget

• Relationships – Close friends, family, and close colleagues

• Network – Professional connections, greater community

• Physical – Places and things like where you live, travel, artwork, furniture, etc.

• Personal – projects, hobbies, self development,
and fun

• Body – Your energy, health, appearance, and clothing, planned down-time

• Self – Strengths, talents, and character

• Spiritual – Deep connections and sacred spaces

• Nature –  The great outdoors and retreats  

A theme may emerge, and you don't have to include every area listed.  You may decide to do one vision board for personal life and one for career/business life.  Make this fun and play with the opportunity to envision a great year ahead how you really would like to see it with no limits.

Get more specific.  Many people think in big concepts such as I want to travel more, I want love in my life, I want a better job.  But envision what that actually looks like.  Where is the first place you want to travel to? Is it a national park, Paris, or a place of family significance?  What should that love life be like? Respectful, a true partner, romantic or practical?  That job you want, is it an easy commute, better pay, a respectful boss who encourages growth and challenges you or lets you do your job without interference?  Get into what it really means to you and put that on your vision board.

Buy a poster board, cork board, or large paper and gather together pictures and words from magazines, Pinterest, or other print images you find on the internet or maybe draw/paint your own to symbolize and represent your goals.  I have even seen Vision Board Kits available on Etsy and even vision board clipart books on Amazon.  Yes, there are online-digital versions of vision boards, too.  Canva has several vision board templates.

Next, gather scissors, glue, maybe decorative paper and washi tape, and markers.  Set aside a good hour or two with a space where you can spread out images you've gathered and work uninterupted.  Make it relaxing - a mini retreat - with some inspiring music, maybe some candles or essential oils.  

It can be an organized layout with right angles and columns/sections or it can be loose with some overlapping and images at odd angles.  It's completely up to you.

This is also an activity that can be done as a family and teaches children to dream and envision for their future.  Also, check your library and local events for vision board workshops.

It's best if you place your completed vision board somewhere that you can see it regularly to remind you of your vision, soak into your subconscious, and give consideration and attention to it over the next year.  Where is that place for you, an office or personal space? If you opted for an online-digital vision board, find a way to print it out and display.  

So consider the placement and size you'll need.  Also, take a photo of it to keep on your phone, maybe use it as the background for your computer.  I have also seen a vision book similar to a scrapbook, but again it should be someplace accessible often to look at.  

As your dreams are realized, write the date on the image on your board. At the end of the year, review your vision board and circle the images that manifested, so over time you have an on-going record of your fulfilled dreams.

Enjoy the new year, may fantastic books be part of your great year ahead.  Let me know in the comments your vision board tips and tricks and how vision boards have worked for you.