Daydreams. We’ve all had them. As children, we’d imagine flying through the sky like Superman or replay the highlights of that epic trip we had last Summer. As teens, let’s face it, it was any possible scenario where your crush declared their undying love for you. When you let your mind wander now, what do you think about?

Do you imagine taking that once-in-a-lifetime trip, quitting your job in a blaze of glory, becoming famous, or winning Lotto? Daydreams like these can give you real insight into your desires or dreams, and in turn, the goals you want to achieve. For example, if you envision quitting your job on daily basis, this may be an indicator that you’re unhappy and want to find a new situation. As such, your goal could be to find a more rewarding career. What do you dream about doing and how will you achieve it? It all starts with a vision board.

What is a vision board and why do I need one?

Like daydreams, a vision board is a visualisation of your goals, wants and how you want to feel. The only difference is that a vision board exists as a real physical object outside of your head. Here’s mine:

How often have you considered, say, joining a gym? Perhaps, half a dozen times? Did you actually follow through? Maybe you actually did go a few times, but didn’t really stick with it. (We’ve all been there.) Maybe distractions or challenges pulled you away. It’s far too easy to let this happen time after time, but having a vision board helps you to stay focused and motivated.

When you use a vision board, you really flesh out your goals, then when you place these physical prompts (pictures that represent your goals) in a place where you can see them every day, it regularly reminds you what you’re striving towards and keeps you focused on your goals – on a conscious and subconscious level. It’s a pretty simple strategy that can help make your goals a reality!

What do I need to create a vision board?

You will definitely need the following items:

• Notebook
• Pen
• Written/typed copies of your goals
• Mobile device or computer
• Digital/physical images

Optional items:

• Physical notice board
• Pencil
• Material/wrapping paper
• Scissors
• Sticky tape
• Double-sided sticky tape
• Ruler
• Old magazines
• Personal items
• Pins
• Printer

How do I create a vision board?

STEP 1: REFLECT ON YOUR WINS AND LESSONS LEARNT.

Grab a piece of paper or a notebook now. We’re going to do some journaling!

What three (or more) amazing things did you achieve in 2018? Write them down. These can be related to career, travel, spirituality, health, finances or relationships. One of mine was that I wanted to save enough money to travel around Europe for 6 weeks. External circumstances prevented me from saving as much I wanted, but I did still get to go to Europe. I’d call that a win!

Next, ask yourself, what are three important lessons you learned in 2018? Failures or negative events are bound to occur in our lives, but learning from these experiences helps us to improve. Forget the clichés – what’s relevant and meaningful to you? Some examples of lessons include, important things are worth waiting for, be present in the moment, and perfection is impossible. Think about what lessons you learned last year and make a note of these. You’ll be surprised at how your feelings towards those negative events have changed.

STEP 2: BRAINSTORM YOUR FIVE YEAR VISION.

So, you’ve chosen to make this year a better one, but how do you do that? We still need to do a bit of soul-searching. Flip the page over and write down the five most important values to you. (You’ll use this info. again later.) Here are some ideas to get you started:

Now, start a new page and create a graphic organiser like a brainstorm or MindMap. Visualise yourself living the life you want in five years.

Ask yourself the following questions and record your answers on your graphic organiser:

• What will my life look like?
• What will my life feel like?
• What will I have achieved?
• Where will I be?

Consider how these questions relate to relationships, health and fitness, career/business, finances, travel/adventure, and spirituality.

STEP 3: WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD.

Now that you’ve visualised what your life will look like in five years’ time, it’s time to get planning. What can do this year to make your vision a reality? Remember that what you achieve this year will be the starting point in your five-year journey.

Out of those five values that you recorded earlier, circle the three that you feel most strongly about. We’re going to use these to create three goals for the year, so make sure they’re ones you can commit to and see the value in achieving, otherwise you’ll feel less motivated to make your goals happen. I always start with three goals. You can always add more later.

The best goals are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant and Time Bound. Let’s start thinking about how we can use these principles and apply them to our top three values. Start a new page in your notebook and keep reading.

How can you use a value to create a goal? Well, here’s an example of one I’ve used in the past:

My final goal incorporated all of this information and looked like this:

I will exercise daily, by walking or running for 20-30 minutes and commit to completing the FitStar Core Workout Program. I will do this because I want to look good in my clothes and feel more comfortable. I will start on 12 January and evaluate my progress on 12 July. If my body looks more toned, I will reward myself with a massage, then set a new health goal.

Use the table above as a template for your own goal setting. Remember to ask yourself, how can I make my goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant and Time Bound? And don’t forget to write your goals down (make two copies if you plan to create a physical vision board)! Fun Fact #1: People with written goals are 42% more likely to succeed than people without written goals. Fun Fact #2: Telling a friend will increase the success rate to 78%. May the odds be ever in your favour!

STEP 4: CONSIDER IMAGES AND ITEMS THAT EMBODY YOUR GOALS AND DESIRED FEELINGS.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. When you think of each of your goals, what pictures come to mind? Are there any images that link – even indirectly – to your goal? These images are the things that you will need to look for and add to your vision board.

For example, if you want to lose weight, you might think of a fit person running in a park, or if you want to save up enough money to buy a house, you might have a picture in your mind of your dream home. Have a think and make a few notes about possible images that connect to your goals.

Remember what I said earlier?

“A vision board is a visualisation of your goals, wants and how you want to feel.”

Not only should you have images that link to your goals, but you should also think about including images of things you want. I want a toned stomach, so I have a picture of that on my vision board. If that’s too Nip/Tuck-y for you, you don’t have to do that. (What must my search history look like…)

Also consider how you want to feel this year. Are there any objects that remind you of success, hope, motivation, relaxation or happiness? For example, you could include a postcard that you picked up on holiday when you were feeling at your most relaxed to remind you of this feeling. Including keywords or quotes on your vision board is also an option. I have some of my favourite health quotes on my vision board to make me feel motivated, because let’s be honest, getting up out of bed and being active is probably my hardest goal!

Your board doesn’t have to look like mine, but this will show you what I mean:

STEP 5: GET A BOARD.

Now that you’ve done the planning, give yourself a pat on the back and let’s make it happen! There are two different types of vision board: digital or physical. Both are fine, as long as your goals are SMART, you’re committed to achieving them, and you place your chosen board somewhere where you will definitely see it on a regular basis.

If you don’t have much time, space or feel like you’d be more likely to look at a vision board on your phone or computer, then you can create one online with Dream It Alive,  Foto Talisman or you can download an app like Subliminal Vision Boards (paid) or the Hay House Vision Board (free). You’re welcome!

Personally, I prefer a physical board. I like being creative and having a glaringly obvious reminder in front of me every day. I find it very easy to ignore apps. A physical board cannot be ignored. (Mine hangs on the wall beside my desk where I sit for hours at a time.)

Where can I get a physical board that suits me?

Great question! I spent a while searching for my own, so let me share my research with you. Below are 10 unique boards, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive. Only you can decide how much you want to spend. All of these will hold your images and items and look good doing it!

 1. The School Days Board  2. The Hipster Board  3. The Rustic Board  4. The Basic Board  5. The Multi-Functional Board  6. The Geometric Board  7. The Wanderer Board  8. The Nautical Board  9. The Scandinavian Board  10. The Vintage Board

STEP 6: ADD A BACKGROUND (OPTIONAL), FIND PICTURES AND ITEMS, THEN ADD THEM TO YOUR BOARD.

You’ve done the planning. You’ve got the board. The final step is to put your board together!

If you want to use a physical board and it has an inconsistent background (like mine), you may want to cover it with some material or wrapping paper before doing anything else. Simply measure the space required to cover your board, use pencil to rule out these measurements, cut along the lines and pin the background in place. Easy!

If you’ve chosen to use a digital vision board, use Google Images and Pinterest to search for what you noted in Step 4 and copy them to your board. If you bought a physical board, you can pin/stick on objects, cut out images, quotes and keywords from magazines, or find images from Google Images or Pinterest and print them out and put them up. I also find it helpful to pin up a written copy of my goals for the year.

As the year progresses, things may change, so don’t be afraid to move things around, and change or add things, as required. I don’t mean that you should give up on your goals just because you can’t be bothered! You do, however, need to be flexible. Be prepared for changes that may impact financial, career or travel plans. Unfortunately, life is unpredictable. We can only try our best, adapt and learn.

Vision boards help to manifest your goals and desired feelings by prompting you with regular visual reminders. Before creating a vision board, you should reflect on the previous year, brainstorm your five-year vision, and write down your goals for the year ahead. The key to a successful vision board is choosing a style that suits you, placing it somewhere that you frequent often, and including strong visuals, keywords and quotes. Now that you know how to create a vision board and where to get one, go forth and prosper! Creating your vision board is only the first step to making your dreams a reality, but if you commit to working on your goals, you will succeed.

Ready to get started? Download my free Vision Board Creation Cheatsheet.

I’d love to see what you create using these steps, so tag me on Instagram to make sure that I see it!

Talk to you soon!

Grace x