Whether you’ve heard of a Vision Board or not, have you ever created one? 

I’m a huge fan of Erin Benzakein from Floret and admire her tenacity to go after her dreams with a strong passion that shows up in every facet of her business. 

I’ve watched and rewatched her documentary series called Growing Floret and decided this was the year I would implement her Vision Board technique. I’m a paper calendar and journal kinda person and I knew I’d get much more value out of a cut and paste Vision Board rather than collecting images on a Pinterest Board.

Sitting with a pile of magazines, cutting images and words from its pages was oddly satisfying

It all took me back to the days when my mom taught me how she made her childhood scrapbooks. She collected cards, memorabilia and images from magazines to paste into an inexpensive dime-store scrapbooking notebook.

I laid out my pile of inspirational snippets and arranged them on 2 large poster boards. Many of them didn’t make the boards because I only wanted to include those that truly spoke to me for the coming year. I only had a vague idea of what my vision is for this coming year so I wanted to make sure that nothing was added that didn’t feel true or authentic right now. 

The results surprised me in a good way. 

To quote Erin

So by now you might be asking, what are the Secrets you may discover from this simple process of cutting and pasting images on a poster board? Here is what I’ve learned:

FOCUS AND DIRECTION

The act of creating my vision board required me to think about what truly matters to me right now. This process brought some clarity about priorities and helped me sift through what doesn’t fit in my life any more and what needs to be brought to the forefront so I can move toward my desired goals. 

One of the biggest surprises is how some things just didn’t feel “right” anymore. Things that I’ve strongly associated with or have clung to for a very long time. It’s not that those things aren’t good or don’t belong in my life anymore, it's just that they need to shift to the side so fresh ideas, habits and creative processes have room to be explored and grow.

CLARITY OF GOALS

By creating a paper version of a Vision Board and hanging it in my studio, it is in plain sight and not hidden behind several clicks on my computer. I see it when I’m journaling in the morning or enjoying a pause in the afternoon. It causes me to think about and clarify my goals and aspirations. It helps me define what I truly want to achieve in various aspects of my life, such as creativity, home, time management and personal development. 

VISUALIZATION

By regularly seeing the  images and words that represent my goals and mindset, it reinforces my desires and helps me keep them in the forefront of my mind. I can already tell that this visualization tool is contributing to a more focused and motivated daily/weekly routine.

MOTIVATION AND INSPIRATION

My Vision Board is serving as a regular source of motivation and inspiration. When I see my goals visually, it reminds me of the reasons why I chose them in the first place. I know this will be especially helpful during challenging times or when I’m facing obstacles.

FOCUS AND DIRECTION

The act of creating my Vision Board required me to think about what truly matters to me and what rings true in this new year/new season. This process is bringing clarity to my priorities and helping me focus on what I need to do to move towards some desired outcomes.

POSITIVE MINDSET

Creating a Vision Board involves selecting images and words that evoke positive emotions. This process caused me to slow down, listen to what is in my heart and connect it to my head. Doing this has helped me shift my mindset towards optimism and create a positive mental space, fostering a belief that I can achieve my goals.

Although this process of creating a Vision Board takes more time and effort than collecting images on a Pinterest Board I found it well worth it! I’ve found that having all the images clustered together tells a much bigger story and has revealed so much more to me as the days turn into weeks. I’m seeing nuances of things that I didn’t notice at first which is expanding the story and provoking more thought. 

I had my doubts that this cut and paste exercise would be anything more than just that. I was proven wrong and I’m glad for that. 

I can’t wait to do this again. I can’t wait to find out what “secrets” will be revealed at the beginning of next year when I do it all over again. 

Even if you love your pinterest boards I challenge you to try this and see what happens. I’d love to hear your thoughts!