Vision Board 101
September is Self-Improvement Month, although most calendars likely do not note that fact. Self-improvement is such an expansive topic with an abundance of ways that a person might improve—career, relationships, family life– where should a woman begin her self-improvement journey?
If you feel like you’re stuck, what can you do to get unstuck? As with any change a person desires to make, it is essential to create a plan sparked by a simple need or desire, and then allow that plan to take shape.
A vision board trains the subconscious mind to “see” dreams as reality and channels energies toward improving self and life. Vision boards employ the law of attraction to help a person to eliminate the static and tune in to the important areas of life, bringing with it the exact things visualized from the board.
You can use this easy plan to create a vision board to remind you of the ways in which you would like to improve yourself, or you can create a board representing the things that, to you, equal happiness and success. The key is to let your board inspire you. Think of how much fun the collages were that you produced in grade school.
From a vision board with the broad theme “Courageously Seeking Corner Office” to the pointed “How to Redecorate My Bedroom,” vision boards help a person process and arrange the details of a transition from one place to another.
Every vision board begins with a blank canvas, or in many cases, a blank sheet of poster board, a presentation/display board or a cork board.
Choose a theme for your board that reflects the “vision” of which you wish to remind yourself. For a self-improvement board, you might title your board, “30-days to a new you” or the like. Write, stencil or paste the title onto your board.
Gather photos, print images you have gathered online—you can even attach your favorite dried flowers—whatever inspires you is fair game. A vision board is a fantastic place to repurpose old magazines, postcards and catalogues. Be selective of the images you use on your board—use them sparingly—so that you don’t make your board so busy that it becomes challenging to focus your attention. Your board’s purpose is to help you clear the path to visualize success, not clutter it.
Type or write some favorite words or phrases, quotations, scripture verses, or Grandma’s favorite saying and glue or pin them to your board. These phrases become your daily affirmations, so make certain they resonate with you.
Place a photo of yourself at the center of your board to encourage your subconscious mind to see you at the center of the vision, a part of the plan. Use a photo in which you are happy and that you will not mind looking at daily.
Place your vision board(s) in a prominent place that you will see everyday. Your career goals vision board might find a home on the wall in your office. Your personal vision board containing personal goals and reflections will do well near your bedside table so you can reflect upon it each night before you sleep. Look at your vision board daily for several minutes; let it remind you of your intentions. Consider snapping a picture of your board and making the photo your wallpaper on your smartphone or tablet, which you look at 100 times a day.
As your goals change, so should your vision board. Re-evaluate your vision board at least annually and revise or create a new board based on your evolving goals. Then step out of your own way to allow self-improvement and dream fulfillment to take shape.