One of the assignments during my Yoga Apprenticeship was to put together a vision board. I’ll be the first to admit, when I found out we had to do this, I thought it seemed silly. But I showed up, and I’m glad I did.
I purchased a bunch of magazines and crafty things like markers and pastels. I had no idea what I was going to create, but I arrived at the Shala with an open mind and blank canvas.
I flipped through magazines and made a jumbled college of craziness. I realize now I should have had a game plan.
I would look at it everyday like I was told, but it just felt overwhelming.
I decided I needed a do over, so this time I focused on simplicity and realistic goals. It’s keeping me motivated and finally working nicely.
Here’s my step by step method:
How to make a vision board that works:
1. Brainstorm:
This is the most important step because you get to clear your mind.
Write down all of your goals and dreams no matter how big or unrealistic. Carry a journal around with you, and every time you have a new thought, jot it down. Do this for at least a week.
You’ll notice that just getting this down on paper, and out of your mind will make an immense difference in your clarity and well being.
2. Narrow It Down:
At the end of your brainstorming pick 6-8 main categories and find a home for all of the goals and dreams you’ve been tracking under those categories. There is nothing wrong with an endless amount goals and dreams, but you want to be able to streamline them as much as possible so you can focus on your top priorities. Anything else is too overwhelming.
Here’s an example:
a. Career: Pictures describing where you want to work, or the type of career you want.
b. Travel: India, Paris, New Mexico, Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon, etc
c. Relationships: marriage, long lasting friendships, moving in with your partner, kids
d. Big Purchases: New Car, House, Canoe
e. Money: Get out of debt, increase income by a certain amount a year, or a goal of saving an amount by a certain date. You can even write a check to yourself
f. Lifestyle Changes/Goals: Knitting, Gardening, Yoga, Meditation, go skydiving, eat more greens, ride an elephant, quit smoking
3. Keep it realistic and goals within the next year:
You’re going to want some quick wins, so keeping your vision board focused on one-year goals is key. My first vision board had a lot of unrealistic goals and superficial possessions.
- I wrote myself a huge (like crazy big) check and dated it a year later.
- I had some travel goals that were unrealistic because of where my money was at the time.
- I had a picture of a house out of a realistic price range
I look back now and see that I had a misunderstanding about vision boards. I thought that you could just put anything on there, and things were supposed to start manifesting.
It really only works if it’s something you can actually measure or envision as truth.
Example 1: if you are interested in manifesting a huge increase in pay at your job, what goals can get you to that place? Do you need to increase your skill set, search for a new job?
In this case, you might add pictures of people in interview, a picture of someone being hired for a new job, some completed certification courses in design or accounting, or some inspirational words about a career.
Example 2: We live in a world where we need basic things to survive. Perhaps your car is on its last leg and you need a new one soon. It’s okay to put a picture of a new car, but again, keep it realistic. Do you want to own a home in the next year?
Once I changed my vision board to things I actually believed in, I was able to work towards them.
Something that seems so far away to attain might be more discouraging than motivating. You have to BELIEVE and WORK WITH the vision board. The whole, “if you build it, they will come” concept only works in baseball movies.
4. Right Click, Save & Print
This is pretty self explanatory. Magazines are cool, but once you have your goals laid out, I suggest grabbing it off the internet. Google has everything you need. Just search Google Images.
- Find a few you like off of your list
- Right click
- Save it to a folder
- Done!
5. Putting it all together / What You’ll Need
- Foam or poster board
- Scissors
- Glue
The first thing you want to do is cut all of your pictures out with a scissors.
Then, I find it best to separate my board in sections. The top right corner is career, the bottom right is relationships, etc.
Place everything on the board where you want it go, and then once you have it in place and everything fits, Glue it down!
6. Put your board in a place that you will see it several times a day.
Watch how your goals manifest in the most unbelievable and unexpected ways!
Enjoy & Namaste!
Have you ever made a vision board? What works best for you when creating it?
Beth Rubenstein Stone says
Monica, you never fail to amaze me. What a brilliant and well written post!!
Monica Stone says
Thank you so much! Glad you liked it!
Christina Prieto says
I’m a huge believer!!!! The above is a magazine cut out of a beautiful monastery (not sure where) and below is where I spend 6 days on retreat in Pharping, Nepal….!
Christina Prieto says
The left side pics are from my vision board, the ones on the right were taken on my latest trip to Peru. (A trip I didn’t even plan!!!)
Monica Stone says
Thank you so much for sharing this! This is so amazing and inspirational!
Christina Prieto says
π
Christina Prieto says
01/2012 vision board on left
05/2012 real life manifestation on right
Nuff said!
Monica Stone says
This is awesome! I have an elephant on my vision board at home. π
Jeannine says
Great post! I actually used a hidden Pinterest Board to create mine. Anytime I feel down or “off” I visit my board for a readjustment. It isn’t in my face everyday like you suggest but it is there when I need it. Happy SITS day to you!
Jeannine
Monica Stone says
I actually think that’s a brilliant idea! I didn’t think of a hidden Pinterest board, but I’m going to try that. Thanks for the inspiration!
Nikki says
What a cool idea! And it sounds fun to make, too! I’d like to have a vision board for myself, and help my 11-year-old make one to start setting goals for HIS future. Thanks for sharing!
Monica Stone says
Thanks for reading. I think that would be such a fun activity to do with kids! What a way to spark creativity!
ANa Lynn says
I love your tips about being realistic. I think majority of people underestimates vision boards because they set unrealistic goals for themselves!
Monica Stone says
Thank you and I totally agree. I am guilty of it, but once I set realistic goals things started to become attainable. Have a great day & thanks for reading!
Tammi says
I love this post. I’ve been thinking about making a board similar to yours. I think your board is a visual affirmations and goals board — I love that. I also agree making the goals realistic is so important. Don’t make them too crazy our the purpose is defeated. Thanks for a great post and happy SITS Day!
Monica Stone says
Thank you so much for reading! I agree – if you make them too lofty, it can be overwhelming. Have a great day!
Brittany says
I’ve always heard of people making vision boards and have liked the idea, but it seemed vague to me. This step-by-step process made it more realistic and possible to me. Thanks for the tips!
Monica Stone says
I’m so glad it helped! I had to make a few mistakes before I realized what process worked for me, so I wanted to share! Have a great day π
Heather says
I’ve always made vision boards on pinterest but I think making an actual one, maybe smaller scale would be more beneficial. I could place it somewhere I could see it a lot. Great tips…I’m motivated to start collecting things to add to my board!