Hang a Vision Board: Achieve Your Goals in 2016!

Details are key, the more the better! Photo: Healing Through Art

YOUHANGIT knows: your higher self is hanging out in there somewhere, and 2016 is the year to let it out: all you need is a vision board! So, many of you have probably heard of vision boards from a variety of sources, including The Secret, Tony Robbins, and any number of other inspirational workshops, lectures, or books. But making a vision board takes more than just the time you put into creating it. It takes a little foresight and one crucial smart move: hanging your vision board where you will see it many times a day, every day. Dreams do come true through the use of visual aids — thousands of people all over the world can attest to the success they have had through the use of vision boards. Here’s how you can make your own and figure out where to hang a vision board in your home or office.

Use accurate and visually stimulating images to represent goals you want to achieve

Rather than picking the first image you see in a stack of magazines that sort of matches up to the accomplishments you wish to realize, work to find or even draw, Photoshop, or paint the pictures that depict precisely what you want. For example, if your dream is to own a log cabin style home in the woods by the end of the year, cutting out a picture of a house in a residential neighborhood and placing it on your board isn’t going to get you there; be specific and find the cabin you see in your mind’s eye; whether it’s an image from a Craigslist ad, Zillow, or something you found on a Google image search. If you want to have your first six-figure year for your small business, don’t add images of dollar bills to your image board — create a picture of a check written out to you in the amount you want. When you take a more literal approach, your eyes will see — and most of the time, eyes believe what they behold.

Tell a story with pictures and words in an order that makes sense to you

Beyond picking and creating the right pictures for your vision board, use words, too. Use keywords that make sense to you — they don’t have to make sense to anyone else, this is not a people-pleasing project, this is a YOU-pleasing project! Words like “abundance,” “happiness,” “creativity,” or even phrases like, “finalize divorce,” or “allow myself to grieve” are powerfully positive messages for those who need to hear them. Whatever it is you need to see and hear to believe in yourself and accomplish the goals you’ve set are what matter, not what any other onlookers may think.

Next, ensure you prioritize your vision board images and verbiage in an order that makes sense to your mind and spirit. Whether that order is chronological, by order of financial gain/investment, in alphabetical order, or as a cloud of concentric circles that you understand, whatever works the way your brain does will do the job. Just remember: the core idea is to create and maintain clarity, which is the key to realizing your intentions.

How big should my vision board be and where should I hang it?

Your vision board can be any size you want, but most beginners choose something the size of a posterboard. This gives you plenty of space to place the images, words, drawings, and other visual materials that inspire you, keep you focused, and encourage you to remember goals you have for your future throughout the day. Hang your vision board where you will see it most often and at the most important times of day: right when you wake up, and right before you go to bed. This could be right next to your computer if the first and last thing you do each day is check your emails. It could be right by your bathroom mirror if the first and last thing you do is brush your teeth. Or, it could be on the wall closest to your side of the bed so your vision board is the first thing you see when you open your eyes and the last thing you see as you drift off to sleep.

Create a new vision board each year to update your goals and keep old vision boards so you can look back and actually see what you really did accomplish simply by utilizing a visual tool that reminded you daily to work toward goals. Making a frame for your vision board allows you to hang it on the wall using a wire hanger, and swap out boards each new year. To hang a framed vision board with a wire hanger, use two Sexy Metal Hooks that are level on the wall — this way your board will stay securely on the wall without swaying back and forth.

Some final words of wisdom:

• See and FEEL yourself in the REALITY that exists on your vision board
• Truly BELIEVE what is on your board is already YOURS and that you DESERVE everything you've placed there
• Celebrate each time you reach a goal!
• Be overtly GRATEFUL for what you have both before and after goals are achieved
• GIVE to others whenever you are able to
• NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!