5 Steps to Making Your Dreams Come True: Meet the Vision Board

“Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.” 

– Oprah Winfrey

 We all have dreams. Hopes. Goals. And yet, oftentimes, they can become stagnant or just too overwhelming to know where to begin. Say, for example, you want to start walking every day after work but no matter how many times you mark it on the calendar, something comes up. Whether it is a gymnastics lesson for your daughter, or a social event that you committed to attend, life just sometimes makes it difficult to dedicate time to ourselves.

But what if someone told you that there is a fun, cool way to capture those goals, to wake up in the morning brimming with excitement because of your tropical-themed vision board that is hanging on your pantry door luring you into its good vibes?

Enter the vision board. This, my friends, is where seeing is both believing and achieving!

Let’s set you up for success with these 5 easy steps:

Step 1: Set Your Goal. It is helpful to start with small, baby steps. When we set our goals too high in the beginning, this can sometimes backfire and lead us to disappointment when our goals are not achieved. One of the best ways to set a goal is to use the “SMART” acronym:

S: Specific

M: Measurable

A: Attainable

R: Relevant

T: Time-sensitive

For Example: I am officially a Starburst addict. I know they are not good for my teeth, lack any nutritional value, yet I always reach for those fruity, sugar chews after lunch and dinner every day. My ultimate goal is to stop eating these on a daily basis and only consuming occasionally, during special events. So, my ultimate vision for changing my behavior for the better may be: “To End My Daily Intake of Starburst.”

A great initial SMART goal for the first week may be as follows, assuming I am eating more than 6 a day for example:

S:  Decrease the number of Starburst I eat every day.

M: I will keep track of how many I eat with my white board that is on my refrigerator.

A:  I will decrease my daily intake to no more than 4 per day as my first step.

R: I want to help decrease my intake of empty calories and protect my teeth from cavities.

T: I will reach this goal within 7 days.

It is helpful to take your goals and break them into a series of small steps as follows:

Starting on week 2,” I will decrease my Starburst intake to one after lunch and one after dinner.”

Starting on week 3, “I will decrease my Starburst intake to one after dinner.”

On day 31, “I will no longer consume daily Starburst.”

There are a variety of techniques that can help you break free of unhealthy habits. For me, and my starburst, I may start chewing sugar free gum as a “replacement” if I find that I am still craving something. Also known at the SWAP technique, this should help me with my “chewing cravings” and lacks negative health consequences.

Step 2: Pick Your Rewards. I like prizes. Who doesn’t right?! With every baby step you take, give yourself some kind of reward. In my example above, after successfully achieving my first week of a Starburst taper, I may splurge on renting a movie from Netflix or buy that new book I’ve been wanting to check out. For some folks, a great reward may be a kid-free night out, or escaping to a long bubble bath with a glass of wine. Whatever your reward is, find something that really motivates you and keeps you on point.

Step 3: Find Your Space and Gather Your Supplies: This is super important because you need to pick a spot that continuously reminds you of your vision. It also depends on how big your board is. If it is a smaller one, then the refrigerator is a great place. If it is a medium to large board, then you may consider keeping it in your home office, laundry room, or bedroom. The possibilities are endless.

Supply-wise, some great board choices to consider are cork boards and white, dry erase boards. From there, you can brainstorm what supplies you may need. You can start simple or go big. As long as your vision is staring you in the face, you are good to go! There are online vision board supplies you can purchase that include photos, quotes, and other goodies to get you started. Let your imagination run wild!

Step 4: Organize: For me, this is one of the most important, yet more challenging steps. But once you get your thoughts and SMART goal(s) organized, the fun truly begins. There are countless variations with how to organize your vision. Many people like to break it down into particular sections with titles and pictures and categories often include your ultimate vision, a visual tracker such as a calendar, and a rewards section. Depending on your goal, it may be best to try to break it down into smaller, step-wise achievements. For weight loss boards, there are some really neat ideas circulating on the web including using mini clothes pins on a string to help track pounds lost. I encourage you to go online exploring for some designs that inspire you to help get your board kickstarted.  

Step 5: It’s Arts and Crafts Time! Turn up your favorite tunes and go to town! Embrace the fun-ness of creating your vision board and savor this time that you are devoting to yourself. You deserve it!

Fuel Your PFF (Positive Feedback Frenzy): Launch a Vision Board Challenge amongst coworkers, employees, friends or family members! Whether you and your coworkers are having a biggest loser challenge or you are working on healthier eating at home with your family, use this activity as a source of inspiration to you and those around you. Reach for the stars and soar!