What is a vision board?
Vision boards, or dream boards, include many different shaped and colored cutouts that set goals, establish intentions, and serve as a source of positivity and motivation. They are easiest to make with a poster board, glue, scissors, and magazines. As you flip through any magazines you have, cut out all of the pictures or words that capture your attention. It is best to collect positive, empowering phrases that help you set a goal or intention for the future and remind you of the badass woman you are! Then, you put these clippings onto your board in a creative, eye-catching way. Once you finish making a vision board, it is important to place it somewhere that you will see it often. It keeps the set intentions, goals, and reminders in your mind to always be looking out for them and moving forward toward them.
Why you should make one while in quarantine, especially if you never have before.
Vision boards are so much fun to make. They can take up to three hours to create, if you let them, so they are a positive way to consume some of your time spent stuck in the house. You can turn on some of your favorite music and get creative to make something that you will be very proud of. In the state of life right now, it is a powerful thing to make in order to set goals and intentions for yourself when this is all over. I know for a lot of people, quarantine is stumping their motivation and productivity. So, as soon as this is over, you’ll regain that ambition to go out there and work towards all the things you have missed out on over the past couple of months. This mini-project will help you stay focused once that time comes. It takes up a decent amount of time, it is a fun self-loving project, and it can only make you more productive in the future. Why wouldn’t you make one?!
What you should include on your vision board.
Since it is your vision board, I can’t give many specifics on what to include. Overall, it should have a very positive vibe with colorful words and picture clippings. Some specific things to look out for and cut out are meaningful images of things that you enjoy, powerful phrases that make you smile, and anything that you wish to come to you. Things that you wish for can be materialistic, like a car, or intangible, like success or balance. When these intentions and wishes are put on your board, you tend to keep your eye out for them more and do things that will bring you closer to getting them.
Why making a vision board is so healthy.
Vision boards serve as a positive and easy way to set goals for yourself. I personally think it is the best way to set them because these goals are broad ones. You include a simple word or picture that you interpret in your own way. This creates a goal tailored to you making it realistic to achieve. We all know situations and circumstances can change in the blink of an eye, much like they did because of this pandemic, so it is good to have broader goals. These can be accomplished no matter what else is happening in our lives. Along with goals, your board can set you up to have a brighter outlook on life and yourself. Strictly positive words and phrases included should be ways in which you want to think of yourself or that you already use to describe yourself. This is super important for us to focus on because we are growing, young women. At this time in our life, it is essential for us to be confident and always strive to better ourselves. So, putting these things on your board reminds you to have that mindset of your growing self. The intentions you additionally include will show you how the universe has its way of bringing things to you that you need. When you realize this, you will be more grateful for the things that just happen to come into your life. The placement of your vision board can also help it to be more effective. You should place it somewhere that you will see it often, preferably in the morning. This sets you off on the right foot every day and keeps your set goals and intentions always in your head.
Why it is such a good habit to continue.
My mom introduced me to vision boards when I was only ten years old. I didn’t take them as seriously then, but now they have become a really positive thing in my life. My mom and I make one every New Year’s Day to set our intentions for that starting year. In my opinion, it is a healthier way to set new year’s resolutions. Normal resolutions can be difficult to achieve and we end up being hard on ourselves for not reaching them. Instead, like I said earlier, the goals set by your vision board are broader and more realistic so you can actually achieve them in multiple ways. When you reach these goals and receive your intentions, you grow as a person. This growth is something you should strive to continue with your next board, in the next year. Each new vision board you make should build off of the previous one so that you can continue to better yourself with every board, every year.
Explanation of my vision board.
My vision board started with a string art kit that I got for Christmas. I loved the look of it, and when my mom mentioned making our boards, I decided to use this as my base. I included some goals in the cut-outs, “Let’s Go Places,” “It’s more than OK for me to love myself,” “Appreciate the little stuff,” and “learning and growing.” These set goals for me to travel more, love myself more, be grateful for the little things, and obviously to learn and grow with every passing year. Then, I included some of my intentions and wishes with the words “leader,” “connections,” “balance,” “confidence,” and “success.” These all mean exactly what they say as I strive to be a leader amongst the new connections I make in college. Also, the balance, confidence, and success I hope to gain and constantly work on throughout the year. I included little things that I love too like music, sunsets, and health. My reminders that I added are to “watch a sunset” and “breathe in. breathe out.” I made it have a positive, strong vibe, like it should, with the words that make me feel like a healthy, beautiful, “pioneer woman.” I have it sitting on my bedside table so that I see it every morning and I am constantly reminded of its meaning to me. I am obviously very proud of this board, to be sharing it with all of you, and I also felt as if it is a good example to follow. Every time I look at my board, I smile. I think of the power I have inside me and the goals I have set for myself in 2020 through simple magazine clippings.
I encourage all of you to take advantage of this opportunity and time to make a vision board for yourself. It will improve your life, keep you smiling during this pandemic, and help you stay focused as we all move into a new life coming soon after quarantine.