Why most visions boards don't work and how to actually achieve your dreams
Vision boards have more recently become a colloquialism, with manifestation making its way to mainstream audiences through the internet, memes and pop culture. And, like anything worth their weight in gold, there will always be hand-on-heart fans and nay-sayers.
I, for the record, am a fan. For a long time, even before the advent of Pinterest boards and Instagram Saves, vision boards have held a rightful place in helping to manifest personal successes and allowing one to gain momentum on career goals. But it’s more than sticking a picture of cash next to a photo of a Range Rover. Let me explain...
First let’s cover the basics.
What is a vision board?
A vision board is one of the best things you can implement in your daily life to kick-start the Law of Attraction. As in, the energy you put out attracts the energy you need for the results you want. This visualization tool refers to a physical board on which you can create a collage of words and pictures that represent, ultimately, the way you want to feel.
A vision board is a visual representation of your personal goals, dreams and aspirations.
By having these goals readily available to the naked eye in one space, you’ll end up visualizing, re-visualizing your goals more frequently. By placing the board somewhere where you’ll catch it daily, your goals will remain at the forefront of your mind, which will entail the kinds of actions, energies and words that you put into everyday tasks and relationships.
Why create one now?
What is your 2022/23 vision for your career? Are you job hunting? Are you planning to switch careers? Are you seeking a promotion at your workplace? What are your career goals?
If you are seeking career growth in 2022 and beyond, then you need a vision board.
As you scroll through social media, flip through magazines or watch TV, you might feel like the last thing you want is to look at more images, words and media. But the difference between those images and the ones on your vision board is that they talk to you in a way nothing else can. Creating a vision board feels truly, personally curated and well, kind of sacred.
If you feel like you don’t have direction, like the days are a blur and nothing is inspiring you - that’s a pretty good starting point to consider a board. And remember, you don’t have to have a complete vision, colour coordinated images, or fancy one-liners that sum up your life. This isn’t an agency branding exercise! It does not have to be perfect. Don’t be afraid to start small, or start over several times.
"This isn’t an agency branding exercise! It does not have to be perfect. Don’t be afraid to start small, or start over several times."
- Achievher
My first vision board was something I created at a very lost and confusing stage of my career. I wasn't confident enough to put into words what I wanted to do or experience. What I did know was how I wanted my life to look and feel. It was a case of laying out my life in front of me, like a roadmap, and examining where I was, and where I had to go to get where I wanted to be.
At the time, it was a collection of images from magazines and photographs put together. there was no sense of structure, or even a grand focus. Even still, the confidence and clarity I gained going through the motions of laying out my vision for my life - was incredibly powerful. Since the creation of my first board, I’ve gone on to achieve 90 percent of the goals and visions I set for myself.
Why most vision boards don’t work
You’re too focused on “stuff”
Clothing, cars, 24 karats. That’s all well and good to put on your vision board, but if you’re not associating the feelings, or the affirmations associated, then it will only ever be stuff. Consider feeling “financially free” when it comes to investing in big ticket items, or having “abundant confidence” when it comes to designer clothing, because they’ll only ever look as good as you feel.You’re sitting back
So you’ve made your vision board - great! What’s next? It’s imperative you don’t resort to sitting, waiting, and wishing for your dreams to come true - you need to take the associated action. Positive thinking is reliant on the associated positive action, in order to result in the desired outcome.You’re not specific enough
You want a better job, right? Or a higher salary? It’s important to zero in on the nitty gritty details, or you won’t be able to properly visualize the goal in your mind’s eye. Stick up a salary figure, or a monthly wage that would set you free, or the exact position and job description of your ideal career. If you’re too vague, and lack detail in your goals, then you’ll ultimately lose motivation with no associated plan of action.
How to make your vision board do its job
Step 1: Look at it.
Looking at images on a vision board primes the brain to grasp opportunities that may otherwise go unnoticed, because the brain has a process called “value-tagging,” which imprints important things onto your subconscious and filters out unnecessary information. The brain assigns a higher “value” to images than written words on a “to-do” list, and the more you look at those images, the more those images move up in importance.
Step 2: Feel it.
When looking at the pictures on your board that represent what you hope to achieve, you should visualize what it feels like to already be there. It’s important, because to the brain there is little difference between a strongly imagined vision and the actual experience of the thing happening.
Step 3: Trust it.
It guides your thoughts towards the things that you truly do want in your life creating intentional thought patterns. The process of creating a vision board causes you to really take the time to daydream and visualize what you want your life to look like. This ALONE is something many people never do.
Start now
Vision boards are where we start at Achievher. They are personal, powerful and can change your life, but only if done correctly. We can help you do that.
Change doesn't happen overnight; it comes from consistency in your actions. One of these essential actions is using tools like the Achiever 90 Day Planner built in vision board framework. Our planners and journals and quarterly events offer a structured approach to support your journey of transformation. Collaborating with a group of like-minded women will provide the motivation and support you need to turn your vision into reality, making consistent actions towards substantial achievements the most fulfilling and effective way to kickstart your journey!"
