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Are you looking for ways to increase your motivation and productivity? Do you struggle with goal setting and goal achievement?
There is a simple tool you can use to help you build the life you want.
A Vision Board.
Now before you roll your eyes and call BS, know that visualization techniques (including the use of a vision board) have been well studied and proven to increase performance and success. (If you feel like nerding out, just check out this study and this one.)
What is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a visualization tool that can help manifest your dreams into reality.
Essentially, you find images or phrases that represent your ideal life. These images and phrases can represent everything from your smallest goals to your biggest and boldest dreams.
All these images and words/phrases are put into one place, either on a paper or cork board or in electronic file. Your vision board will include images and words that make you motivated and excite you to reach your goals.
You can have a vision board for your life as a whole or just one area of your life.
For example, you could have a vision board for your health and fitness goals. Or it could be a complete life vision board that includes images of your dream house, dream job, or a feeling you want in your life.
The basic premise is that when you see the pictures on the vision board they elicit a certain (positive) feeling. And when you are tuned into that feeling or the achievement of that goal, you are more likely to draw more of that feeling into your life and move towards the goal.
The Power of A Vision Board
Visualization is a well studied and well founded technique that has helped many successful people reach their fullest potential. In addition to being used by celebrities and CEO’s, this technique is often used with high performing athletes to help with performance anxiety.
But how does simply imagining something make it happen?
Studies show the brain cannot tell the difference between imagination and reality.
In a visualization, you draw your focus towards those goals and dreams you want more of in your life, thus creating new neural pathways in your brain. The more you practice visualization, the stronger these pathways become and you begin to form new habits or see the world differently.
Have you read The Secret? This idea is central to the law of attraction. The law of attraction is based on the premise that wherever your thoughts lie that’s what you attract into your life.
A vision board is a tool to help with visualization. Using the visual cues in a vision board in conjunction with your thoughts helps to strengthen those neural pathways and aid in your success.
If you are interested in reading up on visualization and visualization techniques, here a few books to help you get started!
Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life
The Creative Visualization Workbook: Second Edition (Gawain, Shakti)
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind: Unlock the Secrets Within
How to Create a Vision Board
The great thing about a vision board is you don’t need much to get started! Use these simple steps to help you create a vision board that will allow you to strengthen your visualizations and achieve more.
Decide What Goals You Want Represented On Your Vision Board
Will this vision board be for one specific goal? Or will it be for your overall life?
Try to make a list of ten things, either feelings or goals, that you would like on the vision board. I recommend using the 5 minute rule and jotting down everything you can think of in 5 minutes. Don’t over think this list!
The goal here is to put down what you really and truly want, no matter how big and scary it is. Don’t worry about how you are going to achieve these goals. You are not trying to come up with a plan right now. All you want to do is be clear in what you want to achieve.
Decide Your Medium
Will this be a digital file? Or something physical? How big do you want the vision board to be? Will it be on paper or on some kind of board (like a cork board or poster board)?
I like to use Google slides. I find digital images and copy them into the file. I can play with fonts and layouts really easily and I can update it as necessary.
I also like to use Google slides because I have a digital copy and a physical copy. I have the digital copy as the background on my computer and a copy I printed out hanging in my closet.
Find Pictures and Phrases
Find pictures that represent the things you want in your life. Be thoughtful in the pictures you choose.
Because a lot of the visualization and the law of attraction is based on provoking the subconscious mind, you want to make sure the pictures fully represent what you want.
Also, be sure NOT to include pictures that show what you don’t want.
For example, if you want to eat healthier your vision board may include pictures of healthy meals. What you do not want to include on your vision board are pictures of unhealthy foods with a big X.
Why? Because by having pictures of unhealthy food you are focusing your attention on the unhealthy foods which will attract more unhealthy foods. Instead, if you have pictures of the foods you want to eat more of (fruits and vegetables etc) you will attract more of that into your life.
You can do a simple image search in Google to look for images for your vision board. I like to use these sites to find beautiful free pictures online:
You can also pick up a few magazines and cut out pictures from those magazines. Or use a combination of online photos and magazine photos.
Whichever image source you use, make sure the images provoke a good feeling in you. You don’t want images that make you feel bad or jealous or anything like that.
Pick A Place For Your Vision Board
Where will you see your vision board regularly and where can you spend a minute or 2 focusing on it?
As I mentioned above, my vision board is the background on my computer (I’m on my computer A LOT). I also have it hanging in my closet.
You want to choose a place where you will see it multiple times a day and a place where you will be able to focus and practice your visualizations.
How to Use a Vision Board
Sit down when you know you will have a few uninterrupted minutes. Look at your vision board. For each image you put on the vision board close your eyes and take a moment to imagine what it would feel like for that to be your life.
Using the healthy eating example, you might imagine cooking a healthy meal or walking through the grocery store and choosing only healthy foods to put in your cart. Again, it’s important to stress you should not focus on the things you don’t want. Don’t imagine saying no to junk food! Your mind only focuses on the junk food not the “no” that surrounds it.
Once you’ve imagined the experience focus on the feeling of eating healthy. Maybe this feels like having more energy, or better sleep.
It’s also important not to worry about the specifics. Don’t focus on the steps you need to get done to reach that goal. Just experience the feeling of having achieved it.
Once you’ve experienced it, say thank you! At the end of my visualizations I will say something like “I am so grateful I have achieved XYZ in my life”. Read More About the Power of Gratitude.
Final Thoughts…
A vision board is a great tool to help you develop and strengthen a visualization practice.
By creating your vision board you can take the first steps towards creating the life you want!
If you’re looking for more ways to get motivated and stay motivated, check out “How to Stay Motivated to Achieve Your Goals”
20 thoughts on “How to Make a Vision Board and Use it To Reach Your Goals”
I used to use Pinterest secret boards as my personal vision boards and I looked at them every night before bed. It was definitely a positive way to end my evening. I do believe that if you visualize a certain outcome it can really help. I need to start doing this again as it’s also a great motivator. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love the idea of using a Pinterest secret board as a vision board, especially since I loooove Pinterest so much. I like your idea of doing the visualization at night. I’ve always done it at the start of the day but I might just try and switch it up!
I need to create one for sure. I haven’t created on in years, it is always nice to get back in touch with your goals.
Yes! It’s really a simple way to get in touch with your goals.
I have had a vision board, consistently, for about 2.5 years. Every 6 months I update it! My latest “win” and biggest so far is I was able to remove the picture of my Cadillac from the board! I got it on Friday!! Woohoo!
Yes!!! I love to hear when those dreams come true. Thanks for sharing your success with a vision board and keep rocking those dreams!
I’ve never done a vision board before. I may need to try this.
Oh, I love these ideas! I’ve been thinking about creating a vision board for a few days now — I already do visualization during my Miracle Morning, but using a list of typed-out things. I especially like your tips for using Google Slides and making your desktop background the image of your vision board!
Also — if you’re not intending to publish your vision board for others to see, you don’t need to stick to open-source images. You don’t have to restrict yourself from using pictures all over the internet.
Thanks Colleen! I’d love to learn more about your Miracle Morning routine, that sounds intriguing. You’re right that you can use any image on the web for your vision board…I just happen to love those sites because the images are of a really high quality and they are really beautiful! But any image on the web will do for sure!
I like using Pinterest board because its so easy, BUT I need to make a paper board soon.
Pinterest is a great idea for making a vision board!
Creating a vision board is on my to-do list…and has been for quite some time! I have read so many positive testimonials about them!
Don’t hesitate! It’s much easier to create a vision board than most people think!
This is so timely for me! I am saving it!!!
Thanks Trish!
Vision boards make so much sense to me. Keeping things visual is a way for me to stay focused on long term goals and keeping them real. Love these ideas
Yes! They are a really simple and easy tool to help with visualization and goal setting.
I’ve been wanting to create a vision board for a while and haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’m all about creating motivational boards and lists for myself – it really does help! This is a great step by step guide to help get me started!
Thanks Laura!
I love this idea! I have never made a vision board, but believe I’d be more likely to achieve my goals if I had something to look at each day!