A vision board is useful for keeping your goals at the forefront of your mind so it’s easier to stay the course. Because we all know how easy it is to get sidetracked by the needs of our families, work, and other outside noise. We need something to remind us that our goals deserve to be worked on, not set on the back burner until later. Because later sometimes becomes never. 

“Make your vision so clear that your fears become irrelevant.” –Anonymous

Getting started

Like many projects, the getting started piece can be the most difficult. Since you need a plan before you start randomly sticking pictures all over your board. Here are some things to brainstorm before you start the actual vision board:

• Family goals―do you hope to buy a lakeside cabin someday, travel the world as a family? Where do you see your family in the next year, two years, five years? 
• Career goals―do you want to move up in the company you work for? Do you want to change fields completely or go back to school? 
• Health goals―have you been putting your exercise goals to the wayside? Are you wanting to lose baby weight or just start eating healthier? What do you want to do to feel your best? 
• Travel goals―are there places you desperately want to visit? Near, far, touristy places, the hidden gems of the world–put them on there! 
• Personal growth and development―are there habits you want to quit or start doing? 
• Hobbies―have you always dreamed of learning photography? Are you an amateur gardener who wants to learn more about the topic?
• Relationships―have you been wanting to go on a couples retreat with your spouse? Are you single and thinking about dating? Do you want to spend more quality time with your children? 
• Big purchases―are you saving for a downpayment on a home? Do you want a new car? A new laptop?

There are NO limits to what you can put on your vision board. No two people have the same visions for their lives, so no two vision boards will be the same. Don’t hold yourself back! 

Find images and words that inspire you

The next step is finding images, words, or phrases that emulate your vision. 

There’s really no right or wrong way to illustrate your visions―it’s all up to your own creative devices. Use pictures cut out of magazines or catalogs, photographs you’ve taken, or your own drawings that motivate you to continue working towards the vision you have of your future self. 

Don’t be overwhelmed if you end up with more images than you’ll probably end up putting on your board. Because it’s all needed for getting those creative juices flowing! You want to make sure that you end up with the best, most encouraging vision board when it’s done. 

Image organization tip for future vision boards: 

As you take pictures with your phone or your camera, or see images that inspire you online, save them to a separate folder. It’s easier to reconnect with feelings of fulfillment if you can actually find the photos later! If you feel such an intense happiness walking behind your daughter riding her bike, take a picture to capture the moment. That photo might be one you want to put on your vision board. 

Google Drive or even Google Photos works great for keeping all of your vision board stuff in one place for when you’re ready to make the next board! 

Plan the layout

Before you commit with glue or tape, map out your vision board. Try several arrangements to see which you like best. I recommend taking photos with your phone so you can easily compare and remember how to rearrange it. (This has happened to me on several occasions and it’s hard to get it right again straight from memory!)

If you’re like me, you’ll look at Pinterest for ideas on vision board layouts. There’s some great ones out there! If you like the messier-looking vision boards with big splashes of color, go that route! ISo, if you’re more into clean lines and white space, do it up! The layout should be easy for you to look at and re-align with your goals. 

Make it official

Once you’re confident that you have the layout you want, get to glue-ing! 

Because your vision board should really embody who you are, who you want to be, and your goals, so don’t limit yourself to just the images and words. Embellish with glitter, ribbons, or stickers…anything that adds more YOU to the board. 

Display it

Put your completed vision board in a place where you will see it on a daily basis. You didn’t work hard on defining your vision to hide your board in the back of a closet! 

Make a copy of your full vision board to keep at work, in your car, in another space of your home. I also recommend taking a picture of it and using it as your phone’s wallpaper for extra motivation. 

Too many goals for one board? No problem!

Consider making separate vision boards for different areas of your life (family, work, hobbies, etc.) If it overwhelms you to put everything on one or you don’t want things to get lost in the mix, there’s no reason why you can’t have two or more vision boards. 

It may also be fun to create a vision board as a family that you can display in your kitchen or family room―wherever your family spends a lot of time together! 

Remind yourself there are NO LIMITS!

I’ve said it a few times and I’ll say it again: there are NO limits to what you can do with a vision board. 

Your vision board should mirror your deepest aspirations, values, and personality. 

So there you have it! I hope this helps you get started on creating your perfect vision board. This is an activity you can do year after year as you achieve goals, change, and grow as an individual, and your priorities change. 

If you need some help getting back to living a healthier lifestyle that will stick as part of your goals, shoot me a message, and let’s work through it together! I offer free 30-minute discovery calls for my one-on-one personal coaching. Sometimes you just need to talk it out! Getting the noise out of your head and on to a sounding board is sometimes the best way to make sense of it all. And an outsider’s perspective can be key in helping you see through all the haze.

I’d love to reserve a spot for you.

Happy vision board creating! 

“A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.” Rosabeth Moss Kanter