Vision Board // Keep Your Dreams in Front of You
Have you taken the time to really sit and think about the dreams stirring in your heart? Have you imagined what it would be like to attain them? Or are you usually too worried about taking care of everyone else around you and meeting the needs of your family that you’ve forgotten to take that time for yourself?
I know I’ve struggled with the idea of not wanting to disappoint others and chosen to put their best over my own. But here’s the thing. It’s time to really make that shift and ensure that we are being filled as well. We cannot continue to give unless we are being filled. Take charge of your dreams, develop them, and create a vision for your own future.
Now that we’ve established that it’s time to dream again, let’s ask some more prodding questions:
What is it that you truly want? What are your goals? What are your dreams? Do they seem far fetched and out of reach at this very moment? Do you actually have a clear picture of them, or do they still seem too far off in the distance?
A clear picture will provide a clear direction. When we have an extra clear picture of what we are striving for, it really opens us up to envision the dreams as if we already have them. It helps us to emotionalize them and puts us in the moment of our dream coming true. It draws out the raw emotion behind the dream itself.
The simplest way to keep our dreams in front of us is to physically post them where we won’t miss seeing them! The hardest part about this is that it seems so silly to take the time to post them. Why would that even matter in the grand scheme of things? What is it actually doing? How does posting a picture of a business goal or a dream house or a dream car or a financial goal or a job promotion or debt elimination or whatever is stirring inside of you help you to get it?
After all, it’s not just going to *POOF* jump out of that specific picture into your living room! Wouldn’t that be nice though??? If only it were that easy.
I’ve heard it said that the refrigerator is a magic box. If you put a picture on it of something you want, you will get it. Now, I know that’s not entirely the truth. That’s not exactly how it works, and it doesn’t just magically appear. However, if you post a picture on the fridge, which is a high-traffic area, you will see that image multiple times a day, and that picture will begin to stick in your head. Your mind will eventually begin to believe that you are worthy to have it and start coming up with ways to attain it. That’s the power of the visual.
When you see something long enough, it moves into your subconscious mind and eventually drops down into your spirit. There you know that you know that it’s going to happen. When you put a picture in front of you that represents your dream, you will begin to move toward that vision.
RELATED: Ultimate Guide to Having a Growth Mindset
Here’s the tough news though …
It doesn’t happen overnight, you may not physically see it right away, and you still have to put the action behind the dream to make it happen. Shucks. Action is what creates the results. But action with visualization will create a burn inside of you to find a way for you to realize your dreams. That’s the beauty in it. The two work together for you.
While I was training to qualify for the Boston Marathon, I made a 12×12 scrapbook page with my goal boldly written on it. On the page, I placed my time goal, a logo of the symbolic race, and a map of the Boston race course. I developed this dream board with my goal attached. Then I hung it on my kitchen wall so I was forced to see it every time I walked by. There was no missing it.
By the time race day came, and I was on that starting line, I knew that I knew that I knew that I would hit my time goal. Picturing it so many times and putting in the physical hours of training, there was no way it wasn’t going to work for me. Personally, it wouldn’t be allowed.
I let those images I had posted months before burn into my mind and drive me through the race — especially in the many moments that I struggled to continue.
It was no surprise when I crossed the finish line at my exact goal time. I had emotionalized what it would feel like to hit that massive goal for so long, that it panned out almost exactly as I had seen it during each of my long training runs.
The tears that streamed while crossing the finish line were the same tears I had while visualizing me actually making my dream come true. I felt it in my entire being, and I wouldn’t be denied. This is the power of putting your dream in front of you in picture form.
This works for business goals. Also, it works for personal goals, financial goals, and family dreams. It works for those who work it. The secret is that after seeing the pictures for so long, you begin to feel worthy and confident in your dreams. And that’s what matters.
So, have I convinced you that pictures are vital? Are you ready to create your own dream board?
There are so many different ways you can create a vision board, so I’m going paper form.
Materials needed:
- Poster board, 12×12 cardstock, pin board, scrapbook, etc
- Magazines or printed pictures, you can use Google to find images to symbolize your goals
- You could use words to inspire/quotes to go along with your goal
- You’ll need glue or tape or tacks or some way to hang your pictures up.
Then all that’s left is the assembly! Have fun with it! Host a party, and do it alongside friends. Sometimes I flip through magazines to find images that symbolize my dream. But usually it’s easiest just to hop on the computer and search Google. I’ll print pictures to correlate to my dream or goal.
After you create your vision board, post it in a visible location, and look at it multiple times a day. Visualize your dreams coming to pass, and let it do the work of seeping into your mind and ingraining a burning passion into your soul. And remember that as important as it is for you to help your family with their dreams, it’s just as important for them seeing you accomplish your own.
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight and no vision.” — Helen Keller
FINAL STRETCH
Take the time to develop a clear picture of what you want. The clearer it is, the better. When we have a clear vision, we will automatically begin to see ways to make it happen. Once you have a clear picture of what you want, find some pictures to symbolize it, and create a vision board so you can always keep those dreams in front of you. I’d love to hear what you come up with! What are some of those dreams? What pictures, words, or quotes did you use?
And, remember, you are a winner. Just run YOUR race!