Vision Boards

Every January I create a vision board. What is a vision board? A "VB" is a tool to help you focus on what you would like to accomplish or acquire. It is a "picture" of your mind's eye and, like the calendar I wrote about earlier this week, sets the tone for your year.

This year my vision board (shown here in all its glory) is neon orange. This is a first for me, as I usually go for more subtle background colors. But it seems that bold colors are expressing themselves in 2011. Think about my yellow roses that brought in the New Year...yes, this year I am painting a palette with bold strokes. Going for broke.

If you notice on this year's VB, I am intentionally focusing on increasing my income. So I have placed money images in several strategic places on my VB. Some pictures I just like for their color or the mood they evoke (like Rebecca Hall wearing a sweater with a couture skirt -- looking oh, so Victorian). Other lovely objects (a new watch, a pair of brown boots) appeal to my materialistic urges. I have a picture (upper right) of a family gathering, and also two frames of Julia Roberts from a photo shoot when Eat Pray Love (love the book!) came out. The overall theme for this year is how to turn my creative energy into a lucrative venture. I wouldn't mind having more spa and pampering time as well!

Now you might be asking: does this mumbo jumbo actually work? Well, I would say that the vision board is only as good as the thought that goes into it. Some years I just slapped one together, and not much happened. Other years I had many uncanny coincidences occur. For instance, one year I really wanted (and needed) a new car, but had no resources in sight to make that expensive a purchase. I pasted a new car on my VB anyway. Within a year, I had my new car. One year I found a picture of a cruise ship. Surprise! That year I went on a cruise when I least expected it. (Perhaps my husband took a peek or two at my board?) The list goes on and on.

Vision boards are fun and easy to make! All you need is a poster board, glue, scissors, a bunch of magazines, imagination and a little time to focus. A glass of wine or a cup of tea helps, too! My VB this year is not as cluttered with pictures as it has been in previous years. I think that's because I honestly don't want a lot of "stuff" this year. I'd much prefer to invest in travel and having new experiences. Last year's board was filled to the brim with writing images, and hence, I started this blog.

Last June, Oprah magazine had an excellent article on vision boards by Martha Beck. She advocated selecting pictures that draw an emotional feeling, rather than just images of pretty things. She writes, "a vision board has to come not from your culture but from your primordial, nonsocial self--the genetically animal/angel that contains your innate preferences." In other words, clip pics that appeal to you for no reason at all, but trigger a gut or physical reaction. Sometimes you will surprise yourself and discover something new. Clipping picture after picture of skinny women, for instance, will not help you achieve your dream body. Don't always go for cliches, go for abstract, nuanced images. Think outside the box, or board, I should say.

Remember, the purpose of a vision board is to hold up an image of what you would like to enter your life. Martha Beck says the VB is there "to focus your attention--briefly. After that, the less mental strain you feel, the sooner good things will happen."

And who doesn't want good things to happen?