The start of a new year often brings about self-reflection, resolutions, and intention setting and one tool that can help crystallize the path to achieving those goals is vision boarding. There are many different tools in the self-care and well-being toolkit that individuals use when setting goals and charting their path to achieving them. Vision boarding can be a useful tool to help visualize goals and dreams, particularly when we’re coming off holidays and there’s the feeling of a new year and a fresh start.

What is a vision board?

A vision board typically is a collage of images that represent goals and dreams. Many people often use visuals from magazines and other print media that they cut out and paste onto a paper or board. The visuals can be images or words that help manifest and bring to life the goals and how you want to get there. Ideally the images and words convey action to achieving the goal.

Vision boards can help make goals feel more attainable as they allow for self-reflection and create self-awareness. Vision boarding can help create feelings of optimism for a positive future by helping focus and bring self-awareness to your goals and adding visuals for how to achieve them.

5 benefits of vision boarding

• Help you think about what you really want.


• Boost motivation for your goals and dreams.


• Reduce stress as vision boarding provides a focus on goals.


• They’re creative and fun.


• It’s a reminder of where you want to be in life.

Getting started with a vision board

DEFINE YOUR GOALS.

Start by thinking through all the areas of your life that are important to you (for example, family, friends, hobbies, relationships, fitness, etc). Think about one or two goals or dreams you have for that area of life. Focus internally and what you want for yourself, your mindset, your well-belling across different areas of life. When doing this exercise, make sure your goals align with your personal values. You can ask questions like: What things or actions give me meaning or purpose? Who do I want to be? How do I want to spend my time?

THINK ABOUT YOUR MOTIVATIONS.

Motivation is important for helping you fulfill your goals and dreams. If your goal isn’t something that’s actually important to you, it will be much harder to stay focused on that goal, especially when you hit obstacles or rough patches on your journey.

SET PRIORITIES.

Now look at all the goals, however lofty and tangible they are, and prioritize which ones are most important to you. Moving those goals and dreams toward the center of the board and focus on visualizing why that goal is important will help you focus time and energy on the goals that matter most to you.

Take time when creating a vision board. It shouldn’t feel forced or something that needs to be accomplished in 30 minutes and checked off a New Year’s to do list. It should be a time for self-reflection, positive thinking, and visualizing for the future. Time that brings you joy, energy, and motivation.