Vision Board: A Simple Beginner’s Guide to Vision Boards and Goal Setting

I am sure you have heard some celebrity out there talking about a vision board. And yes, I can only imagine what you think when you hear the words vision board. The truth is a vision board is simply a visual tool used to help you focus on your goals and the things you truly want. Vision boards are known to work with the law of attraction, but you can use them as a simple daily reminder of what you want to bring into your life. By the way, if you are more comfortable in Spanish check out this article by my friend Macy Calderon.

Before you get started make sure you are in the right mindset. Just carve out some me time and make sure you are not in a negative or bad mood. It is vital that you follow these steps, or your version of them, in order. To be able to make your vision board you first need to have clarity on your goals and what you want your future to look like.

1. Self-Reflection

By this, I mean to reflect on all of the previous year, good and bad. You need to think about the reason why you want to be successful, this will help motivate you. Also, think about where you are now and what aspects of your life you are happy or unhappy with. Think about what success looks like for you; it is different for everyone. Reflect on your priorities, who you want to be, what legacy do you want to leave behind, what brings you happiness, and your values.

2. Gratitude

Write a gratitude list for the last year. Think about what you have accomplished. It can be small or big. It can be anything from getting a new shirt to starting a business.

3. Brain Dump

Then in a calm and quiet state, which I know is hard for moms, brain dump everything you want to accomplish next year and any areas you want to improve in. Try and not think about it too much. Just write it down even if you think it is too ______ (big, crazy, silly…). They don’t even have to make 100% sense in the next step we will refine them. I also brain dump possible ideas for my word of the year. This year I am between confidence and trust.  

4. Polish your goals

Now it is time to refine and edit our goals from our brain dump. This is the time to rewrite our goals and improve them. We need to make our goals as specific as possible. I personally use the Smart Goals system just because I am very familiar with it thanks to school. Make sure you also write your goal as if it already happened. This is extremely important. You can also label your goals by how long they will take, short term (from now to 1 year) or long term (1 year and up).

5. Group your goals into categories.

You can choose whatever categories you prefer. The categories I use are:

• Professional Development – Career, education, professional skills, networking, professional opportunities
• Business – This is if you have or plan to have your own business
• Finance – Savings, income, credit score, and debt. I include anything I can’t afford yet in this one. Some examples are a cleaning person, a purse, a bag
• House – Home improvement projects, upgrades, pets, organizational systems
• Personal Development – Hobbies, lifestyle goals, mindset, fashion, executive functioning skills
• Health, Fitness, & Wellness – Eating healthy, exercise, going to the doctor, sleep routine, mental health, faith, and body, mind, and spirit
• Travel – Any place you would like to go or anything having to do with travel (for example buying luggage or getting passports)
• Family/Friends – Their health, get-togethers, goals for my kids, goals for me as a mom
• Affirmations – What traits would the best version of you have? Some examples are I am confident, I am blessed, I give myself grace, I am strong, I manifest abundance

Some other examples of categories are Social/Fun, Spiritual/Faith, and Relationships.

6. Find images that represent your goals.

Look for your pictures or words to represent your goals. You can look in magazines or online. What you need is to look for similar photos to represent your goals, dreams, feelings, or things you want to attract into your life. There are so many options. You can look on Google, Pinterest, in a magazine, or anywhere you want. Remember to be as specific as you can. I also make sure to find my word for next year in a decently large size, so it stands out.

7. Designing and decorating your vision board.

This is one of the easiest parts. Now you get to cut out or print your images, arrange them on the board, and glue or pin it down. I recommend you resize any digital image you get before printing to make sure it fits. First, before gluing, I arrange the images to ensure that I like the look. It can be nice and neat or a little messy. It is completely up to you!

You can also choose to decorate your vision board. Just get creative and have fun.

8. Hanging your vision board.

Put the board somewhere you will see it multiple times a day. Use your board as an inspiration for who and where you want to be in life.

8. Make plans for your goals.

I take the list of goals by categories and make sure I have it in my calendar. Later, when I get a chance to sit down and organize my week or write my to-do list I can reflect on my goals. I will break down the larger goal into smaller bite-size steps and add them to my to-do list.

10. Let It Go!

You’re not going to like this if you are anything like me. You are going to have to let it go and stop worrying about them. If you consistently stress and feel that you are never going to accomplish your goal you are far less likely to do so. You are still working toward them you just need to have faith that the rest will fall into place.

Never forget to enjoy the process, have fun, and have faith!

I even do this with my kids on a simpler scale based on their age and understanding. Just to warn you in advance, don’t be surprised when you disagree with your child’s goals. I literally had to remove a couple of images from my kids because we don’t need any more dogs or 500lbs of candy.