A vision board is a condensed representation of your desired future. It’s a powerful tool that helps you manifest what you want in your life.
You can make a physical one using poster boards and glue or go digital by making a Pinterest, Canva or Notion board.
If you don’t know how to make a vision board, this step-by-step guide will show you how!
What is a vision board, and why should you make one for 2023?
A vision board is an inspirational tool that helps you focus on what you want to achieve or manifest in your life. It is a collage of images, text and affirmations that serve as a reminder of your desired objectives, dreams and aspirations.
You can use vision boards to set goals, get creative with plans for achieving those goals, and make sure your daily actions align with what you aim for.
If you are looking for ideas and inspiration for the future, then creating a vision board for 2023 could be just what you need! It can help clarify your ambitions and encourage you to take action so that you can realize your dreams.
How to make a vision board that works
To create a vision board that works, start by planning out what kind of life changes or objectives you want to reach within the next year or two years ahead.
Then take some time to look through magazines, books, websites or even Pinterest for visuals that represent these goals – such as words of encouragement, inspiring quotes or photos related to travel experiences etc.
Once you’ve gathered all the materials needed for your board, arrange them neatly onto the poster board (or any other backing surface) and hang up the completed project in a place where you will see it often, like above your desk or near the door of your room!
Place the physical or digital vision board in a place you will see often!
Don’t miss it! It’s the most important step!!
This way, every time you pass by, it will serve as a powerful visual reminder of everything you are striving towards!
What to put on your vision board
When it comes to crafting your vision board, the possibilities are endless — you can include anything that acts as a reminder of the life you’re aiming for.
This can include magazine cutouts, photos of friends and family, inspirational quotes and affirmations, pictures that represent your future goals, drawings, or even symbolic items like feathers.
Step 1: Reflect on what you’ve already accomplished this year.
Before thinking about all the things you want to change or create in the upcoming year, take some time to recognize how far you have come this last year.
Wallow in the success of your accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem – it will give you a sense of confidence and determination when looking towards building upon those achievements!
Step 2: Think about what you want to change.
Take an honest look at yourself and choose which areas of your life could improve. Think about ways to make these changes, such as developing healthier habits or taking up a new hobby.
Whatever it is that will help move you towards becoming the person you want to be!
Step 3: Decide on your next big goal.
Once you understand what needs changing and improving in your life, it’s time to set a big, ambitious goal for yourself that stretches and motivates you!
Set realistic objectives with measurable outcomes so that they will bring immense pride and joy once achieved!
Step 4: Think about the direction you want to take your life next.
Brainstorm ideas on what actions will help you move closer to achieving your goal.
Make sure these plans are attainable by giving yourself tangible deadlines – if necessary, break them down into smaller chunks so that reaching each milestone becomes more achievable over time.
Step 5: Decide what is going on your vision board.
Once all the reflections/goals/plans have been decided, contemplate which visuals would be the most powerful representations of them when placed together on one collage-style board!
You don’t need many items — just enough to evoke strong emotions, so choose wisely!
Bonus Tip: Be clear on your WHY.
Writing down why each step or objective matters will keep motivation high throughout this process. Knowing exactly why each task must be done gives clarity on any tough days when enthusiasm starts waning!
Whenever feeling overwhelmed, simply glance at the list of “whys” to remind yourself why every effort is worth it – this way, nothing stands in between where you are now and where success awaits!
How to make a vision board
Making a vision board can be done in a variety of ways, depending on whether you decide to make it digitally or with tangible materials.
Both aim to serve the same purpose: helping you stay motivated and focused on your desired objectives!
1. Collect supplies for your vision board
Some basic supplies for making a physical vision board include but are not limited to:
- poster boards,
- scissors,
- glue or tape,
- magazines or books for collecting images and words,
- and any other decorative accessories like stickers or ribbon etc.
If opting for digital media, all you need is a tool or an app to create a vision board. You can use an image editing program such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.
Or, you can read my article on how to make a vision board with Canva, which comes with pre-made templates and options for creating beautiful visuals quickly and easily!
You could also go for a different free tool and make a vision board with Notion, an app I use to basically plan my whole life!
And, of course, you can use the tool so many love and create a vision board on Pinterest.
2. Collect your images, words and phrases
Take some time to consider what messages will best represent your goals – these could be words of encouragement from friends and family, quotes from inspirational people or even creative drawings!
I created a collection of 65 inspirational and motivational quotes for your vision board that you can take inspiration from.
You can also look through magazines for images that represent what you are trying to achieve in the new year.
Once you have identified the right content, collect the images/text you need and add them to your project folder.
Cut out these images and paste them onto the poster board. An optional step is writing down quotes or words that are associated with each picture on your physical vision board.
3. Position pictures and words on your vision board
Think carefully about how each element should be positioned on your collage so that it reflects its relevance.
This could involve arranging them in such a way that they appear as stepping stones towards achieving success or placing one element close to another if it symbolizes something greater when placed together!
For a physical vision board, use the supplies we collected in a previous section to attach the images onto a poster board.
For a digital vision board, most image editing software come with several templates that allow users to create beautiful visuals in minutes! All it takes is dragging pictures/text into its designated layer before resizing each item accordingly.
Once everything looks arranged, save the file onto any device ready for viewing wherever convenient! Or, you can always print it out!
4. Where should you put your vision board?
Hang up the completed project somewhere prominent – this could be near the kitchen where everyone can admire it from time to time or even above your desk, where it serves as a daily reminder of ambition whenever working!
What do you do once you have a vision board?
Besides admiring its contents often enough, challenge yourself by noting down progress made against each objective represented by an item on the collage!
Doing this helps track accomplishments more effectively, leading to increased confidence when striving towards greater successes — all evidence needed for building momentum towards reaching desired results faster!!
Do vision boards work?
Vision boards are a great way to focus on what is important to you and how you can reach your goals in the new year.
Mental practice, including visualization, has been shown to be effective in improving performance in various fields, such as sports, chess, and even physical strength. Individuals mentally rehearsing their goals can enhance motivation, increase confidence, and improve motor performance. ( learn more about these findings at “Seeing Is Believing: The Power of Visualization,” Psychology Today.)
Guess what? Visualization isn’t just for athletes; it’s for everyone!
You can use it to reach your personal dreams and goals too. Just set clear objectives, picture your ideal future, and involve your senses. This way, you’ll boost that awesome mind-body connection and make strides toward achieving what you want.
Creating a vision board doesn’t need to be complicated, either. Whether physical or digital, all it takes is thoughtfully curating images or words that honestly represent how you want to feel, the experiences you want, or your goals for the upcoming year.
Vision boards do work – when regularly revisited – and can help bring clarity to ambitions, reenergize motivation, track progress, and act as helpful visual reminders of how far we’ve come in pursuit of achieving our desired objectives.
Wrap Up
Vision boards are a powerful tool for achieving your life if prepared to fit your personal desires and visited regularly.
Now that you know what is a vision board and how to make one, it’s time to start planning your dream life for the next year!
Please share this guide with your friends and family if you found it helpful.
Vision Boards: FAQ
What is the major rule for creating a vision board?
A major rule for creating a vision board that works is to make it honest to your desires and set achievable goals.
How do I make a vision board if I don’t know what I want?
It’s perfectly okay not to know exactly what we want. Sometimes, it takes time for our true desires and passions to reveal themselves before real clarity is achieved! As such, it can help take inspiration from other people’s creative ideas during brainstorming or look at magazine images in search of something meaningful– prior knowledge doesn’t always dictate successful results here!
Should I have one or several main vision boards for different areas of my life?
Both are possible but every person will have their own preference between the two. If you feel like one big board with all the elements best represents your projects, go for it.
On the other hand, if more than one collage better portrays what’s important to you, then create multiple boards instead!
What should you not put on a vision board?
You should not put any negative, diminishing or upsetting imagery and quotes on your vision board. If you dream of a positive and successful future, it’s time to let things go and leave negativity behind,
Do I change my vision board if my goals change?
Absolutely! The whole purpose of having a vision board is to stay focused and motivated toward achieving a certain goal.
So if that goal is no longer relevant, it would be wise to update the board accordingly by deleting irrelevant elements and replacing them with ones more representative of your current endeavors.
How often should I update my vision board, or make a new vision board?
Depending on how quickly you progress/change, updating any minor tweaks could be as frequent as weekly or even monthly. Alternatively, some people prefer making a whole new vision board each year when enough changes have been made!
Is a vision board the same as a mood board?
A mood board consists of visual materials used to express a certain vibe or emotion, including colors, textures and shapes that evoke certain feelings when viewed separately. A vision board, however, serves as a reminder of personal goals expressed through pictorials accompanied by text in order to stay motivated and focused on desired outcomes.
If I write down my goals, do I also need a vision board?
No, not necessarily. Writing down goals provides an excellent way of keeping track of development over time. However, there are many people who like assigning visuals alongside these words, which act as further motivation when things seem difficult at times!
