Want to make a successful vision board for your goals? How do you set vision board goals that work?
I remember the first time I made a vision board as a high schooler, far before the days of Pinterest. I gathered up all of my old magazines and grabbed a pair of scissors, glue, and the poster board I had just purchased.
At that time, I don’t think I was aware of the word “vision board” but had seen the star character in a new movie make what I saw as a collage-of-sorts with things she loved and things she dreamt of and so, I decided to make my own.
Did I accomplish anything from that long-ago vision board? Probably not. Did I have a lot of fun making it and looking at it each night before bed? Absolutely.
Now that I’m older and have made far more vision boards, I know why those dreamy pictures I cut and pasted all those years ago aren’t my reality. That first vision board can be best described as random, whereas now my boards are anything but.
In this ultimate guide, I’ll share how you can use a vision board to actually achieve your goals, with some helpful goal ideas, but still, keep it as fun as if you were a teenager again.
You’ll learn why making a vision board works and how you can make your own to craft your way to success.
What is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a physical representation of your goals. They take the things you want to accomplish from stiff sentences and turn them into something that’s usually bold, colorful, and visual.
Vision boards are also commonly referred to as goal boards or dream boards. They are all the visual representation of my goals and dreams, in a visually appealing way!
What I like so much about vision boards compared to simply writing my S.M.A.R.T. goals down on a list and calling it a day is that they make my goals tangible. Also, they not only show the end goal but they should show the process it’ll take to get there.
A simple example is that if your new year goal is to get in shape, you won’t just cut out a picture of your end goal but you’ll also include pictures of healthy food and your exercise of choice.
Vision boards focus you, your mind, and your actions as you work towards achieving your goals.
5 Ways a Vision Board Will Help You Achieve Your Goals
To make a vision board work for you, you first need to understand the importance behind it and how to fully unlock the power of vision boards. Understanding why making vision boards is such a powerful step to achieving your goals will ensure you create yours consciously.
These are the top 5 ways vision boards work as a powerful way to set and achieve goals.
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#1. The Power of Visualization
Vision boards work for a number of reasons but one of the most important reasons is thanks to the power of visualization. Visualization is the act of making mental pictures of the things you want to accomplish. Vision boards take visualization one step further by turning your mental pictures into physical ones.
When you can see, feel, and even hear what success is like, it’ll rewire your brain to look for those clues and go after them.
On a scientific level, visualization engages the reticular activating system, which is a process in your brain that helps you determine what’s important to you and what isn’t. By consciously telling yourself that these are your goals, your brain will follow suit and keep them front and center.
#2. It’s a Constant Reminder
A key difference between regular goal setting and creating a vision board is that it serves as a constant reminder. Well, if you hang it somewhere you can’t miss it.
I know you could write down your goals on a note and stick it somewhere you’ll see them daily but since vision boards are usually bigger and bolder, they command your attention, even at the periphery, far more than a simple note could.
Be sure to put it somewhere you always can see it so that even if you’re not actively focused on it, it’s still there in the background. This will act as a subconscious reminder as to what your priorities are.
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#3. Uses Manifestation at Its Core
Manifestation is the idea that if we think about what we want to achieve enough, we’ll achieve it. At its core, your belief in something gives it its power. Vision boards use manifestation by forcing you to be hyper-focused on what you want, putting it into words and physical images, and seeing it all as your future.
Your vision board allows you to manifest your dream life simply by existing and putting extra emphasis on your positive thoughts. To take it a step further, each day, take a moment to look at your vision boards and concentrate on your dreams.
You can say these dreams in the present tense, like affirmations. Turning your goals into daily affirmations is one of the best ways to manifest your future.
#4. Hones You in on Your Top Priorities
Vision boards force you to hone in on your top priorities but only if you make your own board correctly. If you’re like me circa 2006 cutting and pasting pictures you like without much thought behind them, your vision board won’t work. Instead, it’ll be a cute collage but little else.
The key to success with your own vision board is to not overstuff it with a wide variety of goals and dreamy pictures but instead to narrow down what you put on your board to a few well-defined goals. Browsing Pinterest for a handful of vision board examples will give you a good idea as to how to do this.
Ideally, your vision board should only represent 2-3 S.M.A.R.T. goals and the steps it’ll take to achieve them.
#5. It’s a Really Fun Way to Goal Set
Sometimes setting goals can feel mundane, boring, and draining. It can be hard to get the motivation to sit down and take them seriously. Goal setting can quickly turn into something that you continuously push to the bottom of your list.
If you feel this way, vision boards are the perfect alternative for you to get you unstuck and excited to set your goals. You’re making your vision board for yourself and no one else. That means you can really let loose and enjoy the process.
Trust me, this crafty idea is a lot more fun than traditional goal setting!
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3 Vision Board Goals to Chase
You’re now excited about the reasons why vision boards are a great tool for achieving your goals but now for the nitty-gritty: what are some examples of vision board goals?
If you see why you should make a vision board but can’t quite see how it’ll fit into your dreams, these goal examples are for you.
Let’s first break it down into vision board goal categories.
#1. Travel Goals
Traveling is a great goal category to incorporate into your vision board because travel is very visual. If you know you’d like to travel more, the best way to incorporate this goal example is to ask yourself the following questions:
- Who do you want to travel with?
- What type of vacation do you want?
- Where do you want to go?
- When do you want to go?
- How long is your trip?
- What can you do to make this goal happen?
If you can answer these questions, you’ll be left with a very specific goal to target in your vision board. Will you travel solo? Or join a program like Remote Year?
For example, if I answered all of these questions, my goal could be, “I will travel to Morocco in fall 2023 with my husband. We will spend a week in the country. So, w will have an adventurous vacation in the Sahara Desert combined with a few days relaxing in Marrakech. We will stop getting a Starbucks drink on the way to work each morning and will add that money into our travel fund instead.”
Now I have a very clear goal, what I’ll do to achieve the goal, and the visuals to incorporate it into my vision board. Along with pictures, you could add in souvenirs from previous trips you loved to spark the emotions you felt when last traveling.
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#2. Healthy Lifestyle Goals
This goal category can encompass a lot so the specific goal will vary greatly from person to person. Healthy lifestyle goals can include things like:
- Eating a balanced diet
- Getting in shape
- Practicing self-care
- Meditating
- Prioritizing your mental health
- Get more sleep each night
- Quit or reduce unhealthy vices like smoking or drinking
Just like any S.M.A.R.T. health goal, it’s important you focus on the specific result and the process you’ll take to get there.
In this vision board goal example, I recommend incorporating images of the food, sport, or practices you’ll adopt. Quotes and words of affirmation are also great additions when you’re creating your vision board.
#3. Career Goals
So many of us adults are chasing career goals – whether we’re employees looking for a promotion or raise, entrepreneurs kickstarting our companies, or lost in limbo trying to find our path. You can use your vision board to set professional goals for work.
While there are a lot of S.M.A.R.T. career goals examples to get you thinking about what you’d like to achieve, much of the process can be boiled down to asking yourself these questions:
- Are you satisfied with your current job?
- How about with your salary?
- Do you feel personal or professional growth at your job?
- Are you in a position or career that fits?
- Do you dream of starting your own business?
- What would your ideal career look like if you removed all perceived hurdles?
If you know you’d like to add a career goal to your vision board, keep these questions in mind when you jump to the next section on making your own vision board. These questions are great ones to ask yourself in step 1 and should help you hone in on just what you’re looking for in a career and what you can do to make it happen.
To showcase your career goal on your vision board, you can incorporate pictures of your dream job, words of affirmation, quotes, and words that invoke emotions to keep you on track and motivated.
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How to Make Your Own Vision Board
Now that you understand the why behind vision boards and have an idea of the goals you’ll focus on for your board, it’s time for the fun part: creating your own vision board!
Before I dive into how I make my vision boards, I want you to keep in mind something super important: your vision board is for you. Your board doesn’t need to look like mine or others you might look towards for inspiration.
Sure, looking up vision board ideas for adults might get your own creative juices flowing but don’t feel like you need to recreate one you’ve seen online – this is for you so it should represent you, too.
#1. Clear Your Mind and Focus on Your Goals
This first step is the most important one. Skipping over this step will end up in an unfocused dream board that won’t represent your true intentions. With that in mind, this step could take you 5 minutes or it could take you a few days. Be patient with yourself and don’t rush the process.
Find a quiet place where you can sit or lie down without any outside distractions. Clear your mind and focus on your goals. Think about them in a physical and emotional context. A few prompts to think about are:
- What do your goals look like?
- How would you feel achieving them?
- What would it take to get you from where you are today to where you want to be in the near future?
Be intent on what you actually want and how to put those goals into words or images. Just like setting S.M.A.R.T goals, your vision board will only work if you’re clear on what you want to accomplish.
#2. Decide On the Medium for Your Board
Personally, I love making vision boards I can touch and feel. I like the act of cutting out my images and words and pasting them onto poster board or tacking them to a bulletin board. What works for me though might not work for you- you could prefer a digital vision board.
A Physical Vision Board
If you’re like me and prefer the crafting side the most, you’ll first need to gather your supplies. If you have kids, this is a great chance to raid their art supplies! I like to use a mixture of words, printable quote cards, affirmations, souvenirs, doodles, and pictures.
Vision board checklist of supplies:
- A poster board or bulletin board
- Scissors
- Glue
- Magazines
- A color printer (to print off any images found online)
- Markers
- Paper
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A Digital Vision Board
If you prefer to have a digital copy of your vision board, you won’t need nearly as many supplies. Having complete freedom with your digital vision board will come to a lot easier if you’re proficient in a design tool like Affinity Designer or Photoshop. Other more beginner-friendly (and free) options are Milanote or Canva.
To craft your online vision board, all you really need is the power of Google and Pinterest. Since this is a personal project that you aren’t sharing, you can use what you find without having to worry about copyrights.
#3. Have Some Fun Creating
Now that you’ve narrowed down your goals and have visualized them and the steps it’ll take to achieve them, it’s time to start creating! Whether you’re working with an online tool or have turned your kitchen table into your art studio for the day, the mindset behind the process should be the same.
This is your time to really let loose and be creative. Turn on some good music and crack open a bottle of wine or do whatever it is that makes you feel safe, comfortable, and creative.
Remember, so long as you’re being specific about the goals you aim to achieve, there’s no wrong way to create a vision board. The sole purpose of this project is to inspire you on a daily basis so have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously in the crafting process!
I suggest leaving some blank spaces while creating so you don’t need to throw out your used vision boards and start from scratch whenever you want to add or alter things. Ideally, I suggest creating a new vision board once a year in January.
#4. Hang it Somewhere You’ll See it Daily
Now that you’ve created your vision board, you might think you’re done, but not quite! The last step is still an important one. Be sure to hang it up somewhere that you see it every day, like:
- in your closet when you’re getting ready in the morning,
- on the fridge to see during meal times, or
- in your office so it guides you while you work.
A digital copy can be harder to keep in front of your eyes so the best way to keep these front and center. You can save it as your laptop home screen, that way each time you open your computer, it’s the first thing you see.
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Ace Your Goals With Your Vision Board
Now that you know the what, why, and how of vision boards, there’s nothing holding you back from unleashing their power of them to ace your goals. Setting vision board goals is a fun, alternative way to set S.M.A.R.T goals.
Printable Vision Board Quotes
Ready to achieve your vision board goals? Get your free printable vision board quotes. Each design features brushed ink letter detailing and is the perfect addition to any vision board. These inspiring quotes are just what you need.
This download comes with 10 high-resolution, graphic quotes ready to be printed and displayed. To make them the perfect size for your vision board, print 4 or 6 per page. Add a pop of color by printing them on colored paper.
Sign up below for 10 FREE Printable Vision Board Quotes + get weekly tips to help you slay your goals.
Sign up below for 10 FREE Printable Vision Board Quotes + get weekly tips to help you slay your goals.At their heart, they utilize the same force to take lofty dreams and turn them into your tangible future. The only difference is adding a dash of creativity and a splash more of fun to the process.
What do you say, will you try crafting a vision board this year?
Want to create a goal vision board? Want to successfully manifest your dreams? Click here for how to use a vision board to achieve your goals. #VisionBoard #AchieveYourGoals #LawofAttraction #LOA
What vision board goals will you manifest?
Last Updated on July 21, 2024
