What better time to think about goals for yourself and your future than the start of the new year? For so long, I have been helping clients create vision boards as a therapeutic tool but always put off creating my own. Finally, I decided to make the time and practice what I preach. Since then, I have been getting so many questions about my own DIY vision board so I decided to make this post and hopefully inspire others to make their own! Read on to see how I created my killer vision board and how you can too.
Why Vision Boards Work
There are numerous reasons why vision boards can be an effective and motivational tool to help you achieve your goals. For one, it is a visual reminder of what you are working towards. My vision board hangs in my bedroom where I can easily see it every day. When I do, I ask myself a very powerful question: “What am I doing today that will help me reach my goals?”
Additionally, setting and achieving goals is a self-esteem building skill. When our confidence is higher, we are more likely to take bigger risks, and therefore reap bigger rewards in life.
Vision boards are also motivation to keep moving forward when times are hard. Life is full of ups and downs and we may not always achieve everything we set out to, and that’s okay. We learn from our mistakes, pull ourselves back up, and keep moving forward. Reach for the moon; even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.
Identifying Your Goals
The first and maybe most obvious step to creating your DIY vision board is identifying the goals you want to achieve.
When choosing your goals, I recommend thinking about different aspects of your life and goals or even sub-goals you have for each. It would not be wise just to focus on one area when life itself is so complex.
Some ideas to help you narrow your focus include:
- Finance
- Health
- Travel
- Fitness
- Family
- Relationships
- Education
- Professional
- Personal Development
- Spiritual
- Miscellaneous
If you look at my vision board, you can see that I have finance, professional, family, personal development, and travel included.
Turn Goals into Reality
Once you’ve decided on the goals for your vision board, the fun begins. The best thing about your vision board is that it can be whatever you want it to be. Whether that’s digital or on an actual board is completely up to you. Make it your own! Make it inspiring, and most of all, make sure it’s visible.
Pinterest is full of beautiful and inspiring photographs. This is where I found my pictures and quotes, minus one of my children that I took myself. Then I simply printed out the ones I loved, taped them to construction paper, and aligned them the way I wanted onto a bigger collage.
If you choose to create yours the same way, you can always laminate it. However, I chose not to so that I may have the option of adding new goals on later.
Related:
Each picture or word represents a goal that I created for myself to achieve in 2018. For instance, my travel goals include going to Paris and Scotland. Each of these is represented by it’s own photograph.
A personal goal includes spending more time with my children. I chose to represent this with a picture of them and a quote.
The Verdict
I’ll have to wait to post a full update at the end of the year. However, I can say that since I created this DIY vision board, I have been more motivated than ever. Furthermore, I realized that previously, not identifying my goals led to getting sidetracked often. Since I now have them narrowed down and literally staring me in the face every day, I am more intentional on what I’m setting out to do.
Overall, this simple project took me a few minutes to make and is doing wonders for me so far. I’m excited to see what the rest of 2018 will bring. Who knows, maybe I will have to add more goals later on as I start knocking these out!
Have you created your own vision board or been inspired to? Leave a comment below!
bebe0916 says
I love love love vision boards! I inspired my mom to make one and she loves it too! Great post!
Christina says
That is awesome, I never thought of getting my mom to join in, I might have to try that too!
Alea says
Ooh…I need this in my life right now!! <3
Christina says
I would love to see yours if you end up making one!
Cynthia Duarte says
Ah, good tips! I had wanted to make a vision board for a few years and I finally made my own this year. It’s sitting in front of me right now and it really does help me feel motivated. It’s a great reminder of what I would like to accomplish.
Christina says
That’s so great, I love hearing how just focusing on those goals and creating a vision board has been motivating for others as well!
Nancy says
What a beautiful vision board and suggestions for keeping on task throughout the year! I have never made one before but I can see how this would be good inspiration!
Christina says
Thank you so much! I hope it inspires you to make one, it can be as simple or intricate as you want it to be!
Kate (@thegoldsister) says
I love this! I’ve been really working on trying to manifest my future this year, and I’ve got a vision board I’m putting together on Pinterest. Thanks for all the suggestions!!
Kate
http://www.thegoldsister.com
Christina says
I love that idea of putting it on Pinterest. Thanks so much for sharing!
Cait says
This is so fun!! I love this idea, i cant wait to make my own
Christina says
Thank you, Cait! I would love to see how yours turns out when it’s finished!
Nita says
Oh I definitely need to do this! Organising my life is top priority this year! Thanks for sharing!
Christina says
I love that! And the beginning of the year is such a great time to organize and start new!