It seems about once a year I try a new personal development activity. Two years ago, it was daily goal setting. Last year it was 5-year planning.
In the spirit of creativity (I really feel 2019 has been my most creative year of recent), this month, and in honor of heading into 2020 (the beginning of the ‘decade of vision’) I decided to try the vision board.
A couple thoughts before jumping in.
Firstly, not much has changed about my attitude toward goal-setting. Anything more than a year or 2 out, I’m still a little fuzzy about. In fact, due to extenuating and bittersweet circumstances, my 5-year plan for my car is no longer in existence. I’m still a rational planner, BUT I have made grand advances at allowing myself to dream more. We’re in my favorite season – fall – and it’s probably the easiest (if I could ever call it easy) time of year for me to feel day-dreamy.
Second, vision boarding is NOT scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is definitely more retrospective. I’ve tried my hand at scrapbooking and, similar to journaling, I’m particularly good at retroactively documenting. (I’ll let you in on how years of reluctant writing turned into a daily journal keeping habit that stuck another time.) As I’ve said before, it’s the always the going forward aspect that’s tricky.
Now, on to putting together that vision board!
Step 1 Inspiration/Collages
A little research into vision boards, collages, and getting some inspiration. Many people might think “vision board – Pinterest,” but I honestly made myself sick of it during my college internship when I was challenged to come up with vision boards for event themes. I still refer to it briefly when I need help with the more concrete design-y aspects of my business for all things else you can find me in the aisles of Home Goods or Home Sense. Shout out and thanks to A Girl in Progress and Freelancing Females for resources upon resources for instructional content and lots of nice vision board and collage examples.
Step 2 Collect your thoughts
Once you’ve got an idea of what a vision board even is in the first place and maybe you even have a category narrowed down start gathering (either physically or on a list) all the things you want to include. I started with a written list of items and ideas and then followed it up by going through more visual components to round out my ‘vision.’
Step 3 Determine format
Figure out where and when you’re going to be looking at your vision board. Hopefully, if you’re using it to manifest particular goals in mind, then you’re going to want to be integrating your vision board into your daily life. I do prefer non-digital formats to something on a computer, but for the purpose of this activity, and in an effort to cut down on my never-ending web browser queue, I decided to make my vision board into a new desktop wallpaper. Turns out, I do look at it daily, feel inspired to continue to work AND play, and have exponentially cut down on my number of open tabs and windows ;)
Step 4 Start throwing darts
From my written list and my pile of ideas, I just started chopping up components and “pasting” them in the digital format that I chose. I mixed in words and images and a variety of shapes and colors.
Step 5 Use, reflect, edit
As you’re adding to your vision board, think about what each image or component mean to you and, once your board is complete, reflect daily on those sentiments. As time passes and you feel your aspirations change, edit your board as needed, or create a new one!
Voila – my inspirational desktop wallpaper!
Better than a random list in the back of a notebook or a drawer? Heck yeah! Give your aspirations and dreams more worth than an old piece of paper.
Share yours with me on Instagram!
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