6 Reasons Why Vision Boards Work, With Vision Board Examples
Set your goals and pin them to your wall.
Getty The concept of a vision board — also known as a dream board — has been around for years and there’s no time like the present to get started on creating a future that you can see. The idea behind a vision board is that it's a collage of images and quotes pinned, taped or glued to a posterboard, which you can hang on your wall to inspire you daily and put you in a positive frame of mind.
The typical way to make a vision board includes a poster board and cut-out pictures from magazines and newspapers. But it’s 2020 and there are other (often easier) ways to make a collection of your hopes and dreams for the future, too.
Using an app like Pinterest is a great place to start. On Pinterest you can create a virtual dream board — which you can make secret (for only you to see) or public (to share with your friends and followers) — and add in pins that depict your version of a happy future. You can also make several different boards for various projects you want to work on, books you want to read, quotes that inspire you — the possibilities are endless (and you don't have to spend so much time cutting from magazines and pasting on to paper).
However you decide to create your vision board — whether by hand or using a digital app — have fun with it. Don’t limit yourself, because the future is unknown and anything is possible.
Do you want to have a family? Where do you want to travel? What would your ideal house look like? What do you want to do for a career? What quotes or sayings inspire you to get up in the morning?
These are just some of the things that could make it onto your board(s) that you can look at daily to inspire you to work hard towards your goals and dreams.
Maybe you’ll want to encourage friends to make a vision board of their own so you can share your desires (like if you're planning a party or working together to get in to the same college after graduation). Or better yet, a partner’s vision board can give you both a glimpse into what a future together would look like (just make sure your partner is there by your side making it with you).
Creating a vision board will not only give you something to pass the time but also act as a positive outlet for expressing yourself, your wants, your needs and your desires. You’ll get to know yourself better and form a deeper understanding of what you want out of life.
After all, you’re the only one who’s in charge of your future. So why not figure out what your future might look like? Check out some of the benefits of making a vision board below to help motivate you to start creating your own. Also, check out some of our favorite vision board examples people have shared on social media to help you get started.
1. You'll be able to manifest what you want for your future.
A lot of times when we talk about our future it can be challenging to picture it actually working out or fitting certain things into your current life. Making a vision board gives you the opportunity to bring your dreams to life in a way you can physically see, which can feel inspiring and help you actually start to work toward the goals you've set for yourself.
There's no better day than today to get started, so if you’re able to have a visual of your goals, it makes your ideal future a realistic endeavor. When you can see what you want, it feels more attainable.
2. It will remind you of what you’re working towards every time you wake up in the morning.
Once your vision board is complete, it can be used as a big motivator every time you get up and look at it in the morning. Sometimes it’s easy to get off track and make decisions that may not be in our best interest, but all you need to do is look at your dream board for a reminder of how far you've come and where you're wanting to go.
Having this board will keep you focused on your goals and unstoppable in your everyday life. It’s important to recognize why you’re doing what you’re doing.
3. The future will feel hopeful and more exciting.
During this time (with a global pandemic, everyone on lockdown or stuck in quarantine), it can be hard to see a positive side to life. But here it is, the opportunity to spend time (finally!) focusing on yourself and your future — the best is yet to come and your vision board will be the proof. There’s so much to look forward to.
It’s exciting to see that your life will be so much bigger than it currently is. If there’s something you’re unhappy with now, it can change in the future.
4. Your vision board will help you figure out what you want in life — and what you don’t want, too.
While creating your vision board, you’ll discover things about yourself that you might not have known before. Maybe you’ll realize that you want to live in New York City or that you don’t want to have kids.
This activity is a way for you to explore your priorities and learn more about your inner desires, especially if you're taking the time to do this by yourself.
If you find there are things you’re still unsure of, that’s okay too. No one is saying your board is set in stone.
5. Updating your dream boards help you accept that your goals and visions can change.
The vision board that you make at 16 years old will probably (definitely) look a lot different than the one you make at 21. It’s normal to be constantly evolving and looking for new experiences, so having these dream boards laid out year after year as you update them with your new goals and dreams can be really inspiring and motivating.
It’s also important to acknowledge that dreams change and there’s nothing wrong with that. I encourage you to revisit your vision board in a few years. That way you can see how you’ve grown and begin to focus on new goals.
6. You'll be inspired to start your future now (instead of waiting for tomorrow).
The truth is that the present is the most influential part of creating the future you see in your vision board. The decisions you make today will impact whether or not your dreams become a reality, so by making a vision board, you're taking that first step into your future self.
It all starts with you. And it starts now. Your board is the beginning of the journey to a life you’ve always wanted. Go get it girl!
Isabella Pacinelli is a writer who covers love, relationships, sex, self care, body confidence, women’s health, college, and entertainment topics.