Winner, are you looking to build a vision board? Then you’re reading the right post.
Because I’m about to teach you the simplest way of creating a vision board that not only appeals to the eye, but also works!
So,
What is a vision board and why should you have it?
A vision board is essentially a collection of images and words that represents in detail the kind of life you aspire to.
A vision board:
- makes your dreams become more concrete, because now you’ve committed them to some sort of record.
- helps you map a way toward fulfilling those dreams.
- acts as a push that propels you forward during times when you just want to give up.
- grounds you to always live your values and pull you back when you deviate.
- streamlines your thinking. And aligns it with your dreams.
- makes your days purposeful. Because now with a destination in mind, you carve out a course that takes you to that destination.
It’s for the reasons above that when I started my frugal lifestyle (you can start here too), I decided to build a vision board. And I’ve been using it since then.
Which might make you wonder…
Can anyone build a vision board?
Absolutely yes. Anyone can, and should create a vision board.
Why not? Anyone can live their dream life. If they’d only commit to doing so.
Which is why it’s so important to build an abundance mindset. So you can see that a fulfilling life isn’t just reserved for some people.
But you can enjoy it too.
Even more great news: a vision board is not at all difficult to build because:
- there’s no hard fast rule on how your vision board should look.
- the details of it are entirely up to you.
- you can modify it whenever you feel the need.
- you can create it in one sitting. Without needing any fancy tools.
OK, maybe you might just want to build a vision board. But how do you go about it? What exactly goes into it?
To answer your questions, here are:
10 guiding tips to build a vision board
Tip #1: Be honest with yourself about what you want in life
I’ll stress what you want. Not what your mother, or spouse, or cat, wants for you.
This is your life. So, only you get to best decide how to live it.
If I went by what people want for me, I’d be everything: a nurse, a teacher, a doctor, a politician, a lawyer, a court judge, etc. (I had no idea I looked like all the professions in the world).
I get told every day what I should become.
But I don’t want to live my life the way other people want me to live it.
I want to live it my way.
So, I disregard what people say (lovingly). And focus on what I want.
OK, good. Once you’re honest with yourself about that, you can now…
Tip #2: Think about the person you want to become
Granted, you can build a vision board anytime you want. In fact, you should do it NOW.
But what if you’re not at all the person you want your vision board to say you are?
What if your identity and character now are completely opposite to what you want in the future?
That’s OK. What counts is what you aspire to be.
What counts is carving out an identity you want. Even if it’s just on paper, for now.
As long as you’re committed to becoming that person, now your vision board will help pull you back to that identity every time you deviate.
Let’s take an example:
Maybe you want to become a more altruistic person. But you’re currently so stingy that you won’t even throw away that old underwear you’ve patched a thousand times. Let alone give away your resources to another person.
That’s OK, don’t judge yourself. Instead, be honest with yourself about what you are without condemning yourself. (It’s called self-love.)
But thinking about who you want to become can help you hone your identity and character now. And consequently, cultivate and stick to good habits that support your identity.
You know who explains this excellently? James Clear in his book Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad ones.
You can get your copy here.
FYI: I am that person with the old underwear. But I work at becoming a more generous person (new identity) everyday. And I 100% believe I’ll become exactly that.
Tip #3: Pay great attention to detail
You might become unsuccessful at achieving your dream life if it’s not vivid enough.
So, go into detail about what your dream life is.
Some of the things you dream of, and their details, might appear a little too far-fetched at first. And that’s OK.
Put them down on your vision board nonetheless.
Everyday, I work on the minute details of my dream life.
It’s a simple, minimalist life. And within that life I want:
- a simple, small house with a sizeable space where I can grow my own food. (I even know what I’ll be growing.)
- a simple car (not fancy at all) that’s functional.
- to focus more on cultivating inner contentment that outside gratification.
When I think about all of this: I think to myself, ‘that leaves me with some extra money.’
Which works perfectly because I dream of using my resources to change the lives of those around me for the better.
For example:
I’m committed to making sure that no child walks barefoot to school. Or gets into a classroom on an empty stomach hungry here in my rural village.
Most importantly, I want my resources to help get the Word of God to the ends of the earth.
And believe me, I have details within those details.
Tip #4: Become an eager student of life
Life is much more than what you can see. And what you’ve experienced.
So, tap into other people’s experiences and see life from their perspective.
Learn about nature. And how you can work with it, not against it, to achieve your dreams.
Educate yourself about death, so that you stop being a victim of it.
Resolve to controlling your life, instead of letting it control you.
Tip #5: Become comfortable with evolving
Even after all your hard work of building the most detailed vision board, what you dream about today and put down on your vision board might become obsolete after a year or two. Or even less.
Maybe you thought you wanted to become the richest person listed down on some magazine.
But a year down the line, you just feel like that’s not important anymore.
And what’s more important is using your wealth to change lives for the better around the world.
So, what’s happening now is that your philanthropic dreams are getting bigger than your vision board.
And that’s OK. Because you can make adjustments to your vision board anytime.
Briefly put: change is good. Growing is good.
Do whatever gives your life meaning. That’s what goes into your vision board. Even if it keeps changing after every two years.
OK, Winner, now that you’re armed with the tips to build your vision board, you’re probably ready for these:
7 steps to build a vision board
Step 1: Find a sizeable piece of paper for your vision board
It can be any sort of paper. Even cardboard works just fine.
Here’s a clever idea:
Find an empty box you can sacrifice. Then cut out any of the sides into a size you want.
And now you have your base for your vision board.
Step 2: Get any writing tool
It can be a pen, pencil, marker, etc. Anything that can put words on your piece of paper.
But preferably something more permanent. So, a pencil might not be the best here.
Why not a pen, or a marker, instead? Or a combination of both?
Step 3: Gather your pictures
Do you have any old magazines stashed somewhere in your house?
Even one dating back to 1901 will work.
Because I can bet you a million dollars right now, that you’ll find a picture of food, a house, a car, in that magazine.
So, collect as many magazines as you possibly can.
Alternatively (and this is the route I took), if you can’t find any physical magazines, you can turn to the internet.
Luckily, I do have internet access, a laptop, and a color printer. So, I googled, printed, and built myself a nice stack of pictures.
Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay are some of these 34 best sites for free images and pictures.
Here’s yet another brilliant idea. You know what else you can do if you don’t have any access to ready-made images?
DRAW your own images! Yes, I said it.
Drawing beats ready-made images hands down. Because you can put exactly what you want on paper detail for detail.
Talk about a DIY within a DIY!
You know what? I might just try that myself.
Step 4: Attach your pictures to your paper
You can use some glue, tape, stapler, etc.
Anything that gets your pictures fiirmly secured on your piece of paper.
I used a glue for my vision board.
Step #5: Write messages that accompany each picture
Remember that there’s no hard fast rule on how to build a vision board.
And I’ve seen vision boards with only pictures on them.
Whatever works for you, Winner.
But I find that attaching a message to each picture helps to make that piece of dream even more concrete.
The message acts as a commitment to the dream.
And gives me stamina during those times when my dream life feels far away.
Especially during those times, I read the messages out loud like mantras.
Step #6: Put your vision board where you can see it everyday
You don’t have to put it up in a public space (unless you want to, of course).
But I’m more of a private person.
So, I built my vision board across two pages of an open journal I made here at home.
Now, I can just open the journal anythime I want. And see my vision board.
Step #7: Constantly review your vision board
Don’t set your dreams in stone. Because life happens. And that’s OK.
There’s nothing wrong with modifying a dream. Or even eliminating it altogether.
And that’s as long as you’re honest with yourself about how you want to live your life. I can’t stress this enough.
Summary of how to build a vision board
Creating a vision board can help give your life both a purpose and a direction, as well as help you carve an identity you desire. Everyone can and should start a vision board using the tips and steps outlined above.
I hope you found this post helpful.
In that case, please share your feedback with us by commenting:
- What do you think of this post?
- Do you have a vision board?
- What are your own tips for creating one?
- Do you want to add anything else to this post?
Winner, by commenting, you can inspire another Winner out there to also build a vision board so they can begin living meaningfully.
Last but not least, remember that it’s your life. So there’s no rush. No right or wrong. Only progress.
Also, remember that in everything you do, you’re a Winner. And in everything that happens, your life is always a win!