When you go somewhere you’ve never been before, I’ll bet you use a map or your GPS to find your way. You at least have an idea of where you’re going, right?
Why not apply that same thinking to your life? When you want to do something you’ve never done before or achieve something you’ve never had before, doesn’t it just make sense that you’ll have an easier time of it if you know exactly what that is?
You’ve heard about the power of visualization. Athletes are notorious for using this technique. It’s also been used by Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres and Jim Carrey. All of whom were once just normal people with big dreams who used the power of visualization to create the success they enjoy today.
And you can use the power of visualization, too. When you can visualize your success, you’re already on your way to getting there.
A simple, yet powerful tool, for creating a crystal clear picture of what success looks like for you? A vision board.
A vision board is a collage you create using images and words that represent your vision of what you want in life, whether those are physical items, the way you wan to feel or some other visual representation of your personal success.
The power of vision boards
Vision boards work, thanks to a couple pretty simple concepts. The first is the law of attraction. Essentially, the law of attraction is the ability to attract into our lives whatever we are focusing on. Using the power of your mind, you can translate whatever is in your thoughts into reality. When you surround yourself with images, statements and ideas of who you want to become, you actually attract those things into your life.
Visualization is a similar concept that involves using your imagination and subconscious to create the results you want. Your subconscious doesn’t know the difference between what’s real and imagined. So you can literally program it to look for and guide you toward whatever you tell it is real. You can use its power to overcome any conscious limitations you may have.
When you combine the law of attraction with the power of visualization, the results can be life changing. And a vision board magnifies the effects.
If you’re already actively visualizing your success, the addition of a vision board will provide the visual cues to reinforce your vision in your brain. Your subconscious is processing your vision, even when you’re consciously working on other tasks, or when you’re asleep.
You’ll often notice that you feel more creative. Your mind will more easily come up with ideas to get you closer to your goals. You’ll feel more ease and flow as you bring your vision to life.
That’s the vision board at work. Using a seemingly simple craft project, you’re actually reprogramming your thinking for success.
Evidence of success
Vision boards are so effective, celebrities swear by them, too. Check out how they’ve helped some of the world’s most successful women achieve their dreams.
In 2008, Michelle Obama asked people at a rally to envision husband Barack taking an oath of office. Oprah took it to heart. She created a board and put the future president’s photo on it, along with a picture of the dress she wanted to wear to the inauguration. Needless to say, it worked!
Join my FREE 5-day Vision Board Challenge! We start Monday, October 9th! JOIN NOW!
When Katy Perry was 9 years old, her teacher gave the class vision boards as an assignment (wish I’d gone to that school). Young Katy dreamed of being recognized with a Grammy award one day. She clipped a photo of Selena winning her award and made it front and center on her vision board. To date, Katy has been nominated for a Grammy award 13 times.
Sometimes a vision board helps you create something you never envisioned was possible. Sonia Satra’s experience is a great example. One of her vision boards included a section dedicated to health and wellness at the bottom. Years later, the colors and shape of that section ended up being the inspiration for the logo for her own personal fitness brand!
Vision boards work for the guys, too. John Assaraf, who was featured in the movie The Secret, talks openly about how he’s used vision boards for years. In fact, he created one vision board that included a picture of his dream home and five years later, he moved into that exact home.
My first vision board yielded a similar result. I created it about four years ago when I was still working my corporate marketing job. I dreamed of moving out of my small condo and working from my new contemporary home with a sleek modern kitchen and a white home office filled with natural light. (I also envisioned my scale reading 129.9 pounds. Let’s just say, I’m still materializing that vision.)
But as for the rest, they’re all a part of my reality today. Contemporary home? Check. Modern kitchen? Check. Light and bright home office? Check. And if you’d seen my compact condo in comparison, you’d have an even greater appreciation for the transformation.
But enough about me. Ready to bring your own vision to life? Here’s how you can.
Join my FREE 5-day Vision Board Challenge! We start Monday, October 9th! JOIN NOW!
Creating your vision board
Whether you fancy yourself creative or not, making a vision board is fun and easy. Just follow this five-step process.
1. Gather your materials.
You don’t need fancy art supplies to make a vision board. And perfect is definitely not the objective here. Look around your house and use what you already have.
Here are some ideas:
- For the base: A dry-erase board, poster board, art canvas, corkboard or white board
- For attachments: Modge Podge, glue stick, tape, magnets
- For inspiration: A big pile of magazines (a popular choice for both images and words), printer for anything you find online (Pinterest is PERFECT for this), craft paints, markers, colored pencils
2. Get clear on what you want.
Now that you have your materials, what can you include on your vision board? The first rule of SMART goal-setting applies to vision boards: You want to be specific.
Which gets you more excited? “I want my life to be better.” or “I want to live in _____ place doing ______ every day and knowing that I’ve reached ______.”
Play around with different vision statements until you get to one that really resonates for you. Consider what you want your life to look like. Do you want to own a big house on the beach? What do you want to feel like everyday? Do you want to make a massive impact? Or make millions?
Once you get the momentum going, it’s tempting to keep piling on. But don’t do that. You’ll end up with a crazy board of chaos. Not only will it be more difficult for your subconscious brain to focus, but you might even end up inviting that kind of clutter and chaos into your life. No bueno.
To help you get specific, focus on one singular specific vision for your first board. You can always make different vision boards for each of your other major goals (or your business vs. personal life).
3. Select your art.
As you flip through magazines and browse Pinterest, let your emotions guide you. Include anything that speaks to the vision you’ve crystallized. It could be a feeling (satisfaction), a tangible object (a new car) or experience (speaking on stage).
Don’t limit yourself to images, either. Add inspiring words, quotes or affirmations to your board. Using the present tense, add statements of you already achieving your goal, like “I have 5 clients!” or “I’m driving my dream car!”
You can also focus on statements that reinforce your state of mind, like “I’m enjoying new possibilities!” or “I’m so thankful to be making $100,000 each year.” Or find words that express your desired feelings, like freedom, love, success, fulfilled and creative.
It’s easy to overthink this part. But don’t. If something speaks to you, go with it. It doesn’t have to be perfect or exact. It’s okay if you can’t find a specific image of your dream business or your dream home. Pay more attention to the general concept and tap into your feelings. If something you see simply makes you smile, clip it! You want a big pile of inspiration to choose from for the next step.
4. Put it together.
Go through the images, words and other inspiration pieces you’ve gathered. Edit out any that don’t seem quite right or supportive of your vision. Again, tap into your emotions for this. Pick it up in your hand (Marie Kondo style), and if it feels great, keep it. If it doesn’t, omit it.
Now, it’s time to lay out your images. Start to arrange them on your base, but don’t attach them yet. There is no right or wrong way to do this. In fact, you may find that they start to come together naturally, like a puzzle, if you simply trust your intuition.
Once you have everything arranged in a way that you like, it’s time to attach it. Grab your glue (or magnets or push pins or whatever you’ve chosen to work with) and make it permanent. You may find that you want to add a few more things. Do so if you desire, but be sure to finish it. You don’t want it to be a half-done – and therefore half-clear – vision board.
5. Display in a prominent place.
Hang or place your finished board somewhere where you’ll see it on a daily basis, and ideally for an amount of time where you can really let your brain soak it all in.
If your board is business-related, hang it by your desk or workspace to inspire you as you power through tasks. You might keep your personal vision board by your bed or in your bathroom. If you have a fitness-focused vision board, you might display it where you work out or next to your mirror.
Now, let go
It may seem counterintuitive, but once your vision board is done, let it go. Display it in a spot where you’ll see it all the time, but don’t obsess about it. Keep working toward your goals as you would normally.
While a vision board alone won’t bring you success, you’ve taken an important step in claiming what you want. You’ve crafted your vision, and you’ve given your mind a clear goal to achieve.
Now, you can let go and let your subconscious mind go to work on making it real.
Ready to create your own vision board?
Join my FREE 5-day Vision Board Challenge! We start Monday, October 9th! JOIN NOW!
Originally published at www.juliewithrow.com