Setting goals is an important step in making them happen. While some people prefer to keep their aspirations in their minds, others find it helpful to create a visual representation. That’s where a vision board comes in.
A vision board helps outline your goals—whether that’s travelling more, landing your dream job, building strength or making time for relaxation. It’s a highly personal tool, and many people swear by its effectiveness.
So, how does it work? Here’s how to create a vision board and, more importantly, how to use it once it’s done.
What is a vision board?
A vision board is exactly what it sounds like—a visual representation of what you want to achieve in life, says Chronicon CEO Nitika Chopra. It allows you to map out your aspirations and bring them to life.
It’s not the same as a mood board, which is typically used for design and décor inspiration. Instead, a vision board focuses on your personal and professional goals.
“You can create a vision board for a variety of reasons—improving mental health, setting fitness goals, exploring a new career path, or building a life that reflects your values,” says clinical psychologist Dr Hillary Ammon.
Beyond goal-setting, vision boards can also boost mental wellbeing, says life coach and motivational speaker Sarah Centrella. “It shifts your focus from your current circumstances to what is possible for your future. This naturally creates hope, anticipation, and excitement for what’s ahead.”
How to make a vision board
There is a lot of flexibility with making a vision board, given that this is a tool that is designed just for you, Chopra says. However, she generally recommends taking the following steps:
- Determine your goal. Again, this goal can be anything, but having a solid idea of what you want your vision board to be centred around is an important first step.
- Figure out where you’ll put it. That includes whether you prefer to put this in a prominent place in your home where anyone can see it, in your workspace, or in a private area of your home.
- Decide if you prefer a digital or print board. Digital vision boards—which you create and can be viewed on your phone or computer—are “really popular,” Chopra says. However, some people prefer to have something you can touch and feel.
- Gather your materials. If you want a traditional vision board, this means grabbing things like cardboard, poster board, magazines and photos.
- Make your board. This is a simple cut and paste job for more traditional vision boards, putting in photos and sayings that support your overall goal. If you want to create a digital vision board, a website like Canva makes it easy to layer photos and create a JPEG or PDF that you can save.
Not really sure what you want your board to look like? Don’t stress it. “For some, it may be helpful to pull inspiration from others,” Ammon says. “The internet can provide inspiration and ideas for various themes.”
How to use a vision board
Once you’ve created your vision board, you want to put it to good use. “I suggest displaying it near your desk if you have a home office or wherever you’ll be around it most throughout the day,” Centrella says. “Mine covers my office wall and is my backdrop for all my virtual meetings, so it’s important to have it in the space where you need motivation and a reminder of why you’re working and what you are working towards.”
Centrella says she rarely meditates or stares at her vision board. “Just having it in my space is enough,” she says. That said, Centrella says she’ll take a few minutes to look at every picture in her vision board on days that feel tough to help her get re-inspired.
If you prefer to have your vision board be more private, Chopra suggests having it as your computer desktop image.
Finally, you’ll want to use your vision board to help you consider next steps in achieving your goals, Ammon says.
How often to update your vision board
Like your vision board, how often to update this tool is up to you. Chopra suggests doing it annually or once a quarter, while Centrella recommends doing it each year. “I update mine the first few days of every year,” Centrella says.
Chopra suggests leaving some white space on your initial board to fill in as you go. “Put as many things on there that feel definite and very clear for you, but allow yourself to have white space so you can add new ideas as you go along,” she says.
Centrella stresses the importance of updating your board as you go. “People begin manifesting and then forget to continue to re-do this process and they hit plateaus,” she says. “I want to always be growing and levelling up to keep the momentum going.”
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