If you or someone around you read or watched "The Secret," you have most likely heard about vision boards, the law of attraction, and the guy who bought the mansion on one of his vision boards without even realizing it.
But, what exactly is a vision board and what does it do? Is it as easy as pasting a photo of a new car on a cardboard for it to materialize in our garage?
I see vision boards as the map we make for ourselves to help us reach our goals. A vision board can include materials things, such as a new camera, or more spiritual or abstract things such as a feeling or landing a new job.
My personal experience with the concept goes back 30 years. As a little girl growing up in Caracas, my mami had the most interesting collection of esoteric friends and I found them fascinating. I remember first hearing about the law of attraction when I was eight years old. Mami and I were having lunch together and we ran into one of her friends, who told me that she was a firm believer that if you wanted something, all you had to do was put it out into the universe and it would come true. After her friend left, mami told me that she would always say "es mio, lo decreto".
My first attempt didn't work well. I gently whispered those words as I dropped my ticket into a raffle box, only to hear someone else win the prize. I figured their wish got to the universe first. I kept on trying. I've said, "it's mine, I decree it," in every possible tone and in many situations, trying to figure out if the way you ask makes a difference.
When I was 10 years old, I started mixing and matching photos of family, friends, things I wanted and quotes into collages. It was my way of expressing what I wanted my world to look like, or visually expressing a feeling. These collages of my youth were not so different than the vision boards I make for myself today.
I know a lot of people set resolutions at the beginning of the year; I create vision boards instead. What do I want my year to look like? What do I want to achieve?
How about you? Are you ready to get started on your vision board?
Here are six tips to help you get started:
- Be specific in what you want and I suggest starting with something attainable.
- Find a visual that represents what you want.
- Keep it somewhere where you can see it. Some people say that after you make your board you can put it away because you already put your vision out to the universe. I personally agree with the school of thought that is good to have it where you can look at it every day and keep your goals in mind.
- When you are looking through magazines, if you see something that catches your eye follow the gut feeling and save it.
- Check in and see your progress.
- Celebrate your successes and tweak your goals if need be.
What you will need to create your board:
- Magazines
- Scissors
- Markers
- Scrapbooking or craft materials
- Your imagination
- Time
If you're more of a digital maven, Pinterest is a great tool to create your vision board. Perhaps some of your boards already are vision boards! You can also check out Oprah's online tool, called the O Dream Board.
I also find myself hanging pictures on the refrigerator or using material objects as vision boards. For example I recently bought some bracelets made in Costa Rica because it is one of my goals to go vacation there during the summer; now every time I look at my wrist, I'm reminded of my summer vision.
Use your vision board as a blank canvas where you can visually create the life of your dreams, let your imagination soar and have fun with it.
