How A Vision Board Can Help You Crush Your Goals

There's actually something to those magazine collages you made in summer camp as a kid.

Are you a Goal Getter? If you're anything like me, you love setting and achieving goals.

I'm super competitive with myself, so I'm always thinking about what I can do next; how can I improve? How can I reach even further?

But for some of us, goal-setting doesn't come as naturally.

Luckily, there's a simple tool you can use to set and achieve goal with ease. And I bet you already have all the supplies around your house.

Read on to learn how a vision board can help you crush your goals:

Vision boards are the secret to success for many experts, including Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield:

"Your brain will work tirelessly to achieve the statements you give your subconscious mind. And when those statements are the affirmations and images of your goals, you are destined to achieve them!" – Jack Canfield

So, what is a vision board, exactly?

A vision board is a visualization tool that refers to a board of any sort used to build a collage of words and pictures that represent your goals and dreams. These simple boards are one of the most valuable visualization tools available to us. The inspirational collages serve as our image of the future; a tangible example, idea or representation of where we want to go.

Vision boards represent our dreams, goals, and our vision for an ideal life. By representing our goals with pictures and images, we can actually strengthen and stimulate our emotions because our minds respond strongly to visual stimulation.

Our brains are very powerful creators. When we give our brains a problem, they will work tirelessly to solve it, especially if there's an emotional component. When we look at our vision board and imagine our life in the future, we'll likely feel those warm, fuzzy emotions like hope, happiness, contentment, gratitude, love. Our brain wants us to feel that way! It will continually find ways to get back to those feelings. A vision board provides the map our brain needs to figure out this problem.

And because our brains are so powerful, it creates a mental image of the photos and words on our vision board. This mental image creates a memory in our minds and reminds our brain that this is our goal. This is where we need to be. All you have to do is create that picture. Your brain will do the rest!

Setting SMART Goals

Before we can decide what to place on our vision boards, we need to set goals. More specifically, we need to set SMART Goals.

We all know that setting goals is the secret to success. And success will be ignited sooner if we follow these SMART principles:

Specific

The more detailed, the better! Make sure goals are clear and well-defined. Saying, "I want to lose weight," is not enough. "I want to lose 25 pounds," is better, and "I want to lose 25 pounds so I can get back into my pre-baby jeans," is powerful.

Measurable

Be sure to include precise amounts and avoid vague words like "better," "more," etc. For example, "being a better businesswoman," is unclear. What does "better" mean? Instead, think about what that means for you and your future. Is it to increase sales by 25%? Increase revenue by 50%? Attract 5 new clients? Whatever it means to you, be specific and quantify it.

Attainable

Setting a pie-in-the-sky goal will only serve to frustrate and disappoint you. Think about how realistic your goal is in the time frame you have available. It's also important to consider the resources available to you. Think about the time you have each day to dedicate to your goals. Having one hour per day might be great for an exercise goal, but not if you want to be an elite athlete.

Relevant

Make sure your goals are relevant to your business, life, career, and the direction you want to go. Is this goal worthwhile? Does it align with your strengths, values, talents and experience? Will this goal move you forward? Consider all of these questions when determining your goal.

Time-Bound

Every goal needs a deadline. If you don't give yourself a deadline, you might fall into the trap of ignoring your goals or procrastinating or falling victim to "shiny object syndrome" (guilty!). Without a deadline, you're more likely to start working on other tasks that aren't as important as your goal or replacing your goal with something that's not as relevant to your future. Try setting goals for 1 month, 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years.

Using this format for setting goals will help us grow and expand, pushing ourselves to transform in ways that we never imagined. It helps us to solidify what we want and be bold about it.

How to create a vision board to crush your goals

Now that you have your goals in mind, it's time to create your vision board!

Follow the instructions below to create a vision board to support your SMART Goals. You'll also need: a sheet of card stock, magazines, scissors, glue sticks, and any other photos or stickers you'd like to add to your vision board. You can also download this free Vision Board Workbook to help you!

Start with an intention

Start with a brief meditation or visualization exercise. Close your eyes. Imagine your life 1 year from now. Where are you? Who are you with? What feelings are you experiencing? What goals have you achieved? What are you celebrating? Now, set an intention for your vision board.

Look for visuals

Once you have that picture in your mind, flip through magazines, look through photos of yourself, or search online for images that represent your future. Cut them out and start arranging them on your vision board. Secure with glue when you've placed the photos where you want them.

Choose your words

Next, look for words or phrases that represent your future. They can be positive affirmations, power statements, inspirational quotes, or other words that help you feel the way you want to feel in your future. Cut these out and add them to your vision board. Secure with glue when you've placed the words. (Psst - check out these free printable affirmation cards you can add to your vision board!)

Activate your vision board

To make your vision a reality, first, place your vision board in a prominent place; somewhere you'll see it every day, such as on your desk or next to your bed. Each day, look at your vision board and read the words out loud. Keep your list of goals with your vision board so you can review them daily. Practice visualization with your vision board: close your eyes and picture yourself living that future. Imagine what it will feel like to accomplish your goals. As you start to notice changes in your life, acknowledge them. Continue to show gratitude for what you already have and for any small wins along the way.

The Takeaway

Vision boards are powerful tools to help you crush your goals. They work to keep your goals at the top of mind and assist in visualization to help you imagine your future. When you have a clear picture of where you want to go and what you want to achieve, your brain can't help but get you there! 

Download the FREE Vision Board Workbook for Powerful Goal-Setting to jump start your next goal!

Ready to create your vision board? Why not grab a few friends and host a Vision Board Party! Whether virtual or in-person, a Vision Board Party is a great way for groups of women to support one another in our goals. Remember: we rise by lifting others!