Embedded in the culture of this season lies the ghosts of New Year’s resolutions past. Dozens of vague, unrealistic goals are left buried in the snow come the early weeks of February. Sound familiar?
Creating a vision board provides you with the opportunity to materialize your goals for the long-term. Like a dream board, it is a collage of motivational images, positive affirmations, and quotes that represent the life you desire. Its purpose is to establish direction by inspiring self-awareness.
In the process of identifying and setting goals, the use of visual imagery is key in achieving success. In an experimental study conducted by Knudrup, Segrest, and Hurley (2003), mental imagery was employed to help participants prepare for a job interview. Training group interviewees were instructed to vividly imagine feeling calm and confident as the interview progressed successfully. Compared to 21 percent of individuals in the control group, 66 percent of individuals in the experimental group who used this technique were employed within two months.
It appears that actively envisioning yourself achieving your goals may inspire tangible success. Posting your completed vision board in a frequently visited space may help prompt goal visualization by bringing your aspirations to your attention.
Below are six steps to creating your own vision board:
- Take a Moment to Reflect
-
The preparation involved in creating your vision board is, perhaps, the most important part! Whether it be meditating in solitude or journaling-it-out, you need to take a step back to analyze your current year. What are the largest lessons you have learned? What new patterns have you discovered about yourself? What challenges have you overcome? Critically examining the past will help you identify your wants and needs for the future.
- Acknowledging Your Achievements
-
Achievements are personally defined. It is so easy to fall into the trap of comparing our wonderfully unique selves to the people around us. Take a moment to answer this question: what are three things that you have done this year that has made you proud? Once you are finished, wrap your arms around your body, give yourself a tight squeeze, and repeat after me: I am enough. I am worthy. I am beautiful.
Remember that your value is not contingent on reaching any external goals. Your greatest achievement is simply being authentically you. How magnificent!
- S.M.A.R.T Goals You Hope to Accomplish This Year
-
Goal setting involves a heartfelt acceptance of our current selves and a mindful appreciation for healthy challenges. What do you want for yourself this upcoming year? It might help you to break it down into several categories including health, finance, academics and career. S.M.A.R.T means specific (clearly defined), measurable (able to track your progress), achievable (realistic), relevant (of meaning to you), and time-bound (having a target date for accomplishment) goals. By incorporating all of these criteria into defining your target goal, you are more likely to achieve it.
- Gather Your Materials
-
Only you have the ability to define what works for you. However, as a general guideline, most vision boards require some sort of base (a Bristol board or a corkboard), images to paste (from a collection of magazines or Internet print-outs), glue, tacks, scissors and paints. You can also create a Vision Board electronically and save the collage as your cellphone’s lock-screen!
- Creating a Clear Space
-
As the old phrase goes, “Clear Your Space…Clear Your Mind”. Take the time to construct your optimal working environment. Now is your opportunity to light those vanilla scented candles you bought over the holidays and play that motivational music you have downloaded on your Spotify Playlist!
-
Allowing Your Creativity to Flow
-
Last but not least is to embrace your inner artist. Remain attuned to the images and words that inspire you. When embarking on a creative project, it is easy to become absorbed in the need for a perfect outcome. As difficult as it may be, try to let go of the result and completely engage in the process. There is so much to be learned within the act of “doing.” The only rule in self-expression is that no rules exist.
Creating a vision board is an opportunity to heighten your self-awareness through self-reflection. Your only duty from here on out is to frequently update your board every six to twelve months or so in order to keep up with changing priorities. If you want to make a positive difference in your life, you must be willing to dedicate yourself to the process of personal growth. Your vision board is a tool to help you creatively explore your desires. This does not just mean fantasizing about your dream world, but instead, involves envisioning and engaging within each step along the way.
Like an updated pair of prescription glasses, once your vision becomes clear, so does your focus! What’s your 20/20 vision for 2020?