Feeling adrift my friend and I planned a girl’s night…to build vision boards. After a stop at Target for supplies, we ordered Postmates and got to work cutting, pasting and dying laughing; but as the evening progressed I began to lean into the exquisite cheesiness of combing magazines for pictures and words that reflect my aspirations. You know I LOVE a mood board so it was delicious to focus on a positive future, limitless goals, and setting my intentions, so why did stating (or in this case pinning) my desires feel greedy and uncomfortable? It was an impulse I had to push against, again and again- has my real life trained me to aim a little lower and want a little less? As young people, when we dreamt about adulting we didn’t let our aspirations get tangled up in the realities of mortgages and commitments, yet here I was tamping down each desire before I even cut it out. I began to realize that creating a vision board is an exercise in nurturing your ambitions, revisiting why you are on the path you’re on, and where you’re going. Can it also help manifest your desired destination? I’m going with yes (because my positivity has been revitalized, ideally for more than a week).
Read on for my modern vision board guide, to help you embrace your huge, unspoken, audacious vision for what your life could be.
A lot of us think of vision boards and imagine a high school girl’s collage featuring her ideal future husband, wedding dress and, to pave the way for her career in Fashion editorial, a photo of Anna. Before you roll your eyes, her board sounds pretty right on, an effective vision board should capture your big, embarrassingly reaching, seemingly unattainable dreams; A more modern take could feature career aspirations, skills you’d like to master, values you wish to strengthen. Declaring your worth by identifying your goals is the objective, think of the vision board as just the tool.
To create an honest and truly aspirational vision board you need to be in a safe space, this isn’t the time to invite a friend of a friend who will be looking over your shoulder or making “helpful” comments about the contents of your board. Some people recommend using a blank notebook, but I prefer a cork or magnet board (even spare corner of a wall) where you can marinate in your “vision” every day. Supplies needed (wine optional):
– Cork or Magnet Board
– Pins, magnets, etc
– Scissors
– Magazines or online print-outs (Pinterest is full of affirmations)
The practice of sitting down and opening your mind and scissors and examining your goals is an essential part of the process, and it is important to dream BIG and to be specific with positive affirmations. Leave the clipping of “Lose Weight Now!” in favor of “My Best Body,” and replace “travel more” with images of places you’d LOVE to go. Select only words and pictures that truly inspire you and speak to your specific goals, you don’t want anything lukewarm polluting the auspicious vibes. How you arrange your board’s content is up to you, some guides recommend grouping by type, but I like for my eye to travel between elements, so I arranged with visual balance in mind. Don’t forget, your vision board should be a living thing, so feel free to edit, add, and rearrange as your goals are accomplished or evolve (Harry is married now after all).
Need another nudge? Check out this goal-searching worksheet I created to help get you started:
vision_board_worksheet_trialbyinspiration
Photos by Berry Thomas
Clippings from Vanity Fair, “I am a Joyful Breeze” Affirmation found here.
Yes!!!! 😘
Nice Article! Creating a Vision Board will help you conceptualize your goals and serves as a source of motivation as you work towards achieving your dreams. You can use a vision board to stay focused on your dreams and put efforts to achieve them.
My mom and I were inspired by your post and just spent the afternoon making our cork board vision boards! We had so much fun!! Thank you so much for the stellar tips!