Why create a vision board? And what is a vision board? A vision board is a visual representation of goals that you are working to achieve. Your goals can be long-term, short-term or a combination.
The reason for creating a vision board is to remind yourself, daily, of what you want to achieve. The more that you focus on your dreams and goals, the quicker you can attain them.
How? Read on to find out how you can use my vision board tips to create your own vision board for success!
Hello and welcome to Fearlessly Holistic
My name is Irma and I want to share my journey to improved health by eating whole foods, moving my body and eliminating stress as much as possible.
It is my hope to inspire you to make daily changes.
Why? Because eating fresh, seasonal food and getting some sunshine is the best way to increase longevity. But you do not want just a long life.
You want a quality long life.
My blog posts are my opinion and the results of things that I have tried that either worked for me or didn’t. My opinions are for informational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. Medical advice should always be obtained from a qualified medical professional for any health conditions or symptoms associated with them. As well, there may be affiliate links in this post. Read more here.
Why Create A Vision Board?
Are you looking to make big changes in your life? If so, vision boards could be just the tool you need.
Anyone who needs help and motivation while changing their life can benefit from visualizing their goals.
Transforming any area of your life isn’t always easy. Although you may start out with high levels of motivation, it’s easy to lose it along the way. Vision boards help you to keep sight of your goals, increasing your chances of achieving them.
I knew what a vision board was before I watched the movie The Secret.
But it was not until I saw John Assaraf’s part in that movie that I started to “get” how vision boards work.
John tells how he bought his home without realizing that it was the exact same house that was on his vision board. Is that not amazing?
I really jumped on board the law of attraction train after that. That is the power of your brain when you give it a task to achieve.
But it doesn’t work for “ideas” or “wishes” or “dreams”. You must have some solid ideas for what you want to achieve.
I’ve had to watch The Secret many times as I work to grasp and apply the concepts of positive thinking and manifesting. But it works.
You just have to know what you really want, in order to make it work. Let’s investigate…
5 Ways Vision Boards Can Help You Transform Your Life
1. Helping you to stay focused
In order to achieve any goal in your life, you need to be able to stay focused. The more focused you are on achieving something, the more likely it is you’ll reach it.
Vision boards can really help you to stay focused on the goals you’ve set.
So many people don’t realize the true potential they have inside themselves. When you start to adjust your focus onto achieving a personal goal, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can achieve it.
Absolutely nothing will stop you if you stay focused.
A useful tip here is to focus on just one goal at a time.
This will allow you to use up all of your focus on achieving that one thing. This is so much more beneficial and effective than focusing on several things at the same time.
Note that you do not have to maintain focus on only one goal…forever. You merely need to focus on it until you have a clear concept of that goal.
2. Keeping you motivated
Another important element for transforming your life is motivation. Without it, you’re more likely to fail than you are to succeed.
Vision boards can really help to boost your motivation as well as your focus.
As you look at the board each day, it will remind you why you are making changes. Provided you’ve used the right images and materials, it will inspire you to carry on, even when it’s difficult.
3. Vision boards help you to believe your dreams are possible
Often, one of the main things which holds us back in life is self-doubt.
For example, you may want to lose weight, but you’ve so far been unsuccessful. So, you start to believe subconsciously that it’s an unachievable goal.
When you create a vision board, it helps you to develop an emotional connection to your dreams.
You’ll start to believe the changes you want to make are possible. This makes a huge difference to the likelihood of success.
4. Use a vision board to transform all areas of your life
The most common vision boards are those which focus on major life goals. However, did you know you can use them to transform all areas of your life?
Perhaps you’re looking to quit smoking, or you simply want to get healthier.
Whatever personal transformation goals you have, a vision board can help you to achieve them.
The goals don’t have to be huge. Whatever you need help to change, a vision board will give you the focus, motivation and commitment to succeed.
5. Easily monitor your progress
It’s impossible to make changes without monitoring your progress.
In order to stay focused and motivated, you’re going to need to see continuous progress. If you don’t, it’s going to demotivate you and potentially cause you to give up on your goals.
As well as looking at the vision board every day, you can keep a journal to keep track of your progress.
Commit to writing down the steps you’ve taken to achieve your goal and the progress you’ve made so far.
These are just some of the ways vision boards can help you to transform your life. Whether you’re looking to quit smoking, lose weight, gain more financial freedom or simply get healthier, a vision board can increase your chances of success.
Creating Your Vision – The Power of Focus
Vision boards are a great way to transform all aspects of your life. However, it’s important to focus on one goal at a time.
Consider creating goals for each of these 5 areas: health, finances, personal relationships, business, and fun & personal growth.
Then pick one goal for each area.
It may seem like a good idea to start all of your new goals on the 1st of the month, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Try to stagger start-and-stop days if you get overwhelmed.
5 Reasons for focusing on one goal
Even if there’s quite a few goals you need to work on to transform yourself, focusing on just one is going to be most effective. It’s easy to underestimate just how difficult it is to change a habit.
1. Focus is one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal.
When used solely on one thing at a time, you can create long-lasting changes in a much faster time frame than if you were to focus on several things at once.
2. You can have multiple goals at one time, but you should only focus on one step of a particular journey.
An example is health goals.
You may have a list of things to accomplish, like changing diet, starting a fitness plan, and getting more sunshine.
Pick one target to aim for, like changing your diet. Focus on that goal and put the others to side until you have established good habits with your food choices. Then move on to fitness goals etc.
Stick to just one thing at a time and you’ll see much faster, more effective results.
3. It’s less stressful
Initially, setting yourself a lot of goals can be exciting and motivating. However, it won’t take long for you to realize that it can actually be pretty stressful.
When you’re working on more than one goal at a time, it can become overwhelming. You can forget where you’ve got to with each goal, plus it’s so much more difficult to focus on changes if they’re too diverse.
You may start to feel out of control of your goals when you have too many to work on. Here is a free Habit Tracker for you to use for checking off goal progression.
4. You’ll gain motivation and confidence
In order to achieve any personal development goal, you need to have motivation. This is something you can gradually build up through using vision boards.
When you work on just one goal at a time, you’ll find it much easier to stay motivated. All of your focus will be on that one goal, reducing the likelihood you’ll veer off-course.
Similarly, it will also boost your confidence.
As you start to see results on that one goal you’ve set yourself, you’ll feel a sense of pride. You’ll realize you can achieve your goals and transform yourself. As you start to become the person you want to be, your confidence will keep on growing.
5. You build consistency
Finally, focusing on just one goal at a time works because it builds up consistency. Just like motivation and focus, consistency is key to achieving any goal you set yourself. It’s also one of the biggest challenges in life.
In order to make changes, you need to be consistent.
As you focus each vision board on one particular goal, it teaches you consistency. You’ll be following that goal every single day, taking steps to achieve it.
Once you’ve mastered one goal, you’ll know exactly how to achieve the next.
6 Newbie Mistakes When Creating Your Vision Board
If you want to boost your chances of success, below you’ll discover some of the most common new you vision board mistakes to avoid.
1. Falling for advertisements
A large part of designing vision boards no matter what the goal, is finding images you can include onto it. These are typically found in magazines.
The trouble is, when you’re trying to change yourself, the magazines you’ll be using for inspiration could actually sway you to focus on goals that aren’t really yours.
This is because magazines tend to contain a lot of advertisements telling you what you need in life. It could be anti-aging products, or specific locations you should travel to.
Ensure you aren’t swayed by advertisements when finding the right images for your board. It should only contain things which inspire you and fit the goals you want to make for yourself.
2. Using too many pictures
While the right images can make a huge difference to your vision board’s success, it’s important not to use too many. If you include too many pictures, it can be overwhelming for your mind.
Just like when the home is cluttered, a vision board with too much going on is going to leave the mind feeling cluttered too.
In order to work, they need to provide focused attention. So, the fewer pictures you include, the easier it will be to focus on your goals.
3. Not being fully clear on what you want
A vision board is only going to work if you know what it is you want. So, when setting your first new you goal, ensure you make it as clear and concise as possible.
If you are looking to lose weight, be sure to set a specific goal, rather than a vague one.
For example, setting a goal to lose two pounds each week is a realistic goal. Setting a goal to be “slim” is not, because it is a vague term.
You can also choose an end goal, like a specific weight i.e 150 pounds.
You can also divide your main goal into increments so that you get wins faster.
For example, if you weigh 150 pounds but want to weigh 120 pounds, you can set a goal to lose 10 pounds and then repeat it. Or set a goal to specifically weigh 140 pounds, then 130 pounds, and then the final goal of 120 pounds.
Regardless of how you choose to break your goals down, the goal itself must be specific.
Once you’re clear on exactly what it is you want, that’s when you can really start taking steps to achieve it.
4. Placing the board in an obscure place
Once you’ve created your vision board, you’re going to need to be able to look at it every day.
Placing it in an obscure place is therefore going to be detrimental to your progress.
Ensure you place the vision board somewhere that’s easily in view.
For many people, hanging it on the wall in the bedroom is the best option. However, it could also work sticking it onto the refrigerator or anywhere you use on a daily basis.
5. Not addressing internal issues
It’s all well and good having goals. However, if you don’t address any internal issues you may have, a vision board may not be as effective as it could be.
For example, if part of your new you transformation is changing the way you look, this might not automatically deliver more confidence.
If you have deep rooted self-esteem issues, these will need to be addressed in order to truly gain new improved confidence. Create a vision board for that goal first, to make success with other goals easier.
6. Not committing to taking action
Finally, one of the most common mistakes you can make with a vision board for a new you, is to fail to take any action.
Some people mistakenly believe that creating the board and displaying it somewhere is all they need to make it work.
However, you also need to commit to take action.
Use the vision board to inspire you, but make sure you’re taking steps each day to achieve the goals you’ve set.
5 Ways of Maintaining Motivation on Your New You Journey
Creating a new you vision board isn’t going to automatically make you achieve your dreams. Perhaps the most important thing you’re going to need to manifest your new life, is motivation.
When used correctly, vision boards can boost your motivation to succeed.
However, you’re still going to need to be able to generate your own motivation from time to time.
So, if you want to ensure you succeed on your new transformation journey, here you’ll discover how to maintain motivation when using a vision board.
The tips below will really help you to stay focused on your goals.
1. Ensure you use a range of materials
While pictures can be extremely useful at boosting motivation, they aren’t all you’re going to need. It’s important to use a variety of materials in order to maintain motivation along the way.
Think about adding different textures for example. Think ribbons, paper clips and even scrabble tiles. The different textures help to really unleash your creativity.
As you look at the vision board daily, you’ll be inspired by the different materials which catch your eye.
Using stickers is another great idea as they allow you to add your own personality to the board. The more you resonate with what’s on the board, the more motivated you’re going to be.
2. Make sure you look at it every single day
This tip is extremely important if you want your vision board to be a success. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to create the board and then just leave it.
You’re going to need to look at the board every single day. So, make sure it’s placed somewhere you’ll see it easily. It could be hanging it in the bedroom, so you see it every morning and evening for example.
You’ll struggle to stay motivated if you can’t see your goals you’re working towards.
3. Don’t be afraid to make changes
There’s a high possibility when you create the vision board for a new you, that you’ll need to make changes. This is because when you initially created the board, you might not have been aware of various obstacles.
I put a vacation to Bora Bora on my vision board…until I discovered how expensive vacationing there really is.
Because I immediately felt like that trip was out of reach for my dreams, I realized that I had money blocks to work on.
You may even find that the initial goals you set aren’t motivating enough.
So, if you do notice the vision board isn’t delivering the results you expected, don’t be afraid to make changes.
As you begin to transform your life, you’ll notice your goals can change drastically. Embrace these changes and don’t forget to reflect them and your new goals onto the vision board.
4. Focus only on specific goals
In order to maintain motivation, you need to have specific, clear goals to work towards. If they’re vague, you’re going to struggle to track them and see any real progress.
When setting your goal, make sure it’s as specific as possible.
For example, don’t set vague goals like “I want to lose weight”. Your brain cannot discern what you mean by that. Instead, be specific: print out the number that is your ideal goal weight.
Focus on that number. Say affirmations like “I am so happy to weigh 130 pounds”. Or “I feel so amazing now that I weigh 130 pounds”.
Break it down too, highlighting the steps you need to take in order to achieve it.
As you progress, you’ll start to develop more motivation. The more specific your goals are, the more motivated you’re going to be.
5. Find a role model, mentor, or goal-buddy
Did you know having a role model can really boost your motivation? Adding a picture of your role model, or one of your favorite quotes from them onto the vision board, can work wonders for motivating you.
Not sure who to choose?
Think about the goal you’re working towards and then find someone who has achieved it.
Then, once you have a role model in mind, spend time reading and listening to their advice.
Watch YouTube videos if they have any, read their books or simply ask them for advice if you know them personally.
Having a role model is sure to significantly boost your motivation.
If you want to lose weight, find someone that also wants to lose weight and buddy up with them. You can motivate each other and share tips for success.
5 Ways to Make Your Vision Board Super Effective
Now that you know the benefits of creating a vision board and the mistakes to avoid, it’s time to look at ways to make it more effective. There are a few tips and tricks you can follow to increase the effectiveness of a vision board.
So, if you’re looking to fast-track your progress and make a vision board work for you, check out the tips below. You’ll discover 5 great ways to make your vision board super effective.
1.Make sure you focus on the most important goal first
Even if there’s a lot of things you want to change about yourself, focus on just one thing at a time. More than that, focus on the most important goal first.
So, think about the goal that will make the biggest difference to your life right now. Do you need more sleep for example? Or maybe you need to quit smoking to improve your health? By focusing on the most important goal first, it’s going to deliver the biggest wellbeing benefits.
2. Be clear and specific about each goal
Each goal that you do decide to address, make sure you make it clear and specific. You should use the vision board to create a very specific goal to follow such as losing at least two pounds each week.
This is going to help to keep you motivated and see the fastest progress.
The less clear you are about the goal, the less effective it’s going to be. So, think of your goal, then break it down as much as you can.
You may find for example, that once you break down your goal, there’s actually a lot of mini goals which first need to be completed.
3. Know that you’ll need to put the work in
Vision boards are an effective tool, but they aren’t going to transform you unless you put the work in. Use the board to motivate you to make the changes necessary.
The key to becoming the best version of yourself is focus. You need to be 100% focused on achieving the goal that you set.
This means, you’re going to really need to want it.
If you don’t want it badly enough, you’re not going to be willing to put the work in that’s required to achieve it.
That is why it helps to break down goals into smaller bite-sized goals for quicker wins. Wins will help you maintain motivation.
4. Consider creating an anti-vision board
Have you ever heard of an anti-vision board? It’s basically a vision board which consists of the things you don’t want. The idea is you’ll look at the board to motivate you to avoid whatever is on it.
An example would be if you’re looking to lose weight. You could place images of yourself at a larger weight, or pictures of organs which have been damaged by obesity, giving you a powerful motivator to get healthier.
If your brain works better this way, try it out.
Anti-vision boards work just the same way as a traditional vision board. You could even create one of each board so you can see what you don’t want, followed by how to achieve what you do want.
5. Focus on your feelings not your thoughts
When putting together a vision board to create a new you, it’s easy to get ruled by your thoughts. The trouble is, your thoughts can often be filled with doubts and limitations. So, it’s best to focus upon how you feel and how the goals you’re setting will make you feel.
By focusing on your feelings rather than your thoughts, you’ll be able to create better, more fulfilling goals.
Think about how you will feel when you achieve your goal, and look for photos that express those feelings for you.
Overall, vision boards can be a fantastic tool for helping you to transform yourself.
Conclusion
Well that was a lot to go through, but now you should be able to confidently put together your vision board. Today we went over:
- Who can benefit from having a vision board
- Ways that vision boards can transform your life
- How to target one goal at a time
- What kind of mistakes you might make when creating a vision board
- Maintaining motivation with your goals
- Making your vision board effective.
If you need help creating a basic vision board, check out another contributor to The Secret movie, Jack Canfield.
If you want ideas for changing your life, gaining success, and motivation to help others, read Jack’s book Success Principles.
https://youtu.be/Q8NPOTFEWGE
Holism targets overall wellness, and when we are well, we only get better with age.
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Until next time, here’s to our health!
-Irma