By Flavia Mosci, M.S. in Counseling Psychology
It is likely that many of you may have outlined your 2020 New Year’s resolutions’ list and perhaps if you are like me, that list has already been set aside and forgotten. Although resolutions can certainly be effective and I religiously create my own version each year, I tend to find more advantages if instead I create a Vision Board.
A vision board can illustrate and help us discern exactly what we want out of life in a fun, creative and colorful way. Vision boards are based on the principles of the law of attraction; what you focus on expands. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of visualization; it is a truly powerful mental exercise. This project is basically a visual interpretation of the goals that you set for yourself, and it serves as a constant reminder of all that you are striving for.
It usually consists of a collage of all the elements that represent your life’s dreams, purpose, and vision. The best part of this enjoyable activity is that you could chose to do it alone, or it can also be shared with family members or a group of friends.
There is a however a big rule about creating your vision board; it is the fact that there are not any rules! You get to choose how the entire process goes, being able to create it at your own comfortable pace.
Here is your chance to get to know yourself a little better. You could place in your board, the things you want to do, places you want to visit, your dream home, your ideal partner, your support system, expressions of your values, your health goals, the various ways in which you want to improve yourself… The basic idea is to collect anything that inspires and motivates you.
To start this activity, you will need any type of board about the size of a poster board as well as scissors and glue. You could have available art supplies such as like mini pompons, glitter, colorful stickers, and fun markers to embellish your board. The next item you will need are some old magazines which you can use to cut images, quotes, or words from.
Before you start this project, I recommend that you make a special time during the day when you are not feeling rushed. Pick a day and a time which you can relax and fully submerge yourself in your thoughts. I have my own little ritual when I create my vision boards; I add relaxing flute music on the background and I burn some wonderful sage to clear the air.
Once you feel confident that you have added all the elements that incorporate your ideal vision, your final work can be nicely displayed in a room of your home or office as a constant reminder. It is about creating that sacred space that displays what you truly desire out of life. As simple as it may be, creating such a board allows for deep self-reflection on all that truly matters to us and it leaves us with a strong sense of direction over our lives. Once our goals are clearly defined, we can not only gain clarity over what our priorities are, but it drives us towards achieving them
