People are constantly searching for ways to turn their dreams into reality, which is why vision boards are popular tools in the manifestation toolbox. These collages of images and pictures serve as inspiration and motivation for what you want in life.
But do vision boards actually work? While they may be inspirational, oftentimes when people create vision boards, they just wait for their visions to come true instead of actively working on achieving their goals. In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, fantasizing about an idealized future decreases the likelihood that someone will expend energy trying to turn their fantasy into reality.
Don’t give up on your vision board just yet though. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to make your vision board more effective so that you can reach your dreams.
Here are 4 tips for creating a vision board that actually works.
Focus on how you want to feel not on what you want
Social media is powerful and when you see posts everyday from influencers showing off their beautiful homes, fancy cars, designer clothes, and luxury trips, it can affect you. About 69% of millennials experience FOMO on a daily, if not hourly basis. Because of this, many people fill their vision boards with pictures of expensive items they wish they had.
But, if you want your vision board to be effective, you need to focus on how you want to feel not on what material items you want. While there’s nothing wrong with dreaming about buying a new car, instead of posting an image of a Ferrari on your vision board, post an image of a person driving a car with the wind in their hair. Then, anytime you look at that image, rather than seeing the material item, you can think about how happy and free you’ll feel. Incorporating feeling and emotion to your vision board will make it more meaningful.
Set actionable goals
As previously mentioned, many times when people create a vision board, they’re simply hoping great things will come to them. But, if you want to create a vision board that actually works, you also have to put in some work yourself. For instance, if you want to write a book or start a podcast, your vision board won’t really help you unless you actually begin to take the steps that will help you reach those goals.
So, it’s important that you set actionable goals in relation to your vision board. Using the example of writing a book, your actionable goal could be to write 1000 words per day. Write down your actionable goals and place them on your vision board to make sure you’re doing your part to reach your dreams.
Place it somewhere you’ll see it
Many people create virtual vision boards on platforms like Pinterest or Tumblr. But, the thing is, when your vision board is in an online image gallery like that, you probably won’t look at it everyday. If you want your vision board to work, you need to look at it every single day. Looking at your vision board every day will help you keep your goals at the top of your mind. So, create a physical vision board and hang it somewhere you’ll see it daily.
You can also create different vision boards for different parts of your life. For instance, you can create a career vision board and hang it by your desk at work. Then, make a family-oriented vision board that hangs in a prominent place in your home.
Update your vision board as needed
It’s also important to remember that your goals will change throughout your life, whether it’s because you’ve reached a particular goal and need to focus on a new one, because something new and unexpected has come into your life, or because you’ve simply had a change of heart. So, you need to update your vision board to reflect those new goals.
Consider leaving a blank space on your vision board so that you can easily update it with new goals when they arise. You also may want to re-do your vision board every December to reflect your goals for the new year.
Visualize your dreams coming true
With these tips for creating a vision board that actually works, you can achieve all of your greatest dreams with the power of visualization. So, hit up your local craft or office supplies store and start creating your vision board today.