A vision board can help you achieve goals. Here’s how

Having big dreams and goals in life is a great thing. It is the goals and dreams that keep you motivated and gives you purpose. But a goal without a plan often doesn’t execute well. Planning, whether for short term or long term. is essential to keep you focused on your goals. 

We as humans tend to focus more on the negatives than the positives. It becomes difficult to visualize what really makes us happy. Vision board is a sacred space that can help you to stay on the right track. It may sound like wishful thinking, but it does help you towards achieving your goals. When you create a vision board you are creating a space that displays all the things that you want to welcome in your life. 

Dr Bhavna Barmi, a renowned Delhi-based clinical psychologist also says:

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By representing your goals and aspiration with pictures and quotes you are actually strengthening and stimulating your emotions because your mind responds strongly to visual stimulation. And when you have a clear picture of what you want to achieve, your brain can’t help but get you there! 

So, what is a vision board?
Whether you call it vision board or dream board, it is one of the strongest visualization tools that you can make for yourself. These are simple devices that are more than just collages and follow a formula to serve a purpose in your life. This is an image of your future–a representation of your dreams, goals and aspirations of your life.

Some may criticise this by considering it daydreaming but those who have been using vision boards for a long period of time have claimed that it has helped them in manifesting their desired outcomes. No matter where you belong in this spectrum, the one thing you must know is that envisioning the next or better things in your life can help with goal attainment. And vision boards provide a fun, visual way to do just that.

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There’s science behind it too!
Whatever the critics say, manifesting your goals in a vision board isn’t just daydreaming. There is science behind it too. The visualization involved in creating a vision board actually helps you to achieve your goals.

A study at the University of California, Los Angeles found that students who visualised studying for an exam got better results. In another study published in Neuropsychologia found that doing mental training, for example picturing yourself acing your workout drives the muscles to a higher activation level and increases strength. Which means visualizing yourself exercising can get you stronger even before you hit your gym.

How you can make a vision board that actually works?
The very first thing you need to decide is whether you want a digital vision board or a physical one. If you’re creating a physical vision board, make sure you keep it in a place where you’ll be able to see it while doing everyday tasks. 

While vision board is a collection of pictures, quotes and images, don’t pin up just your favourite images at random. The images in a vision board need to have a value and meaning for it to work. Give yourself that time to think and reflect upon what you want to achieve and what your goal is and according to that pin the pictures in the board. 

“By representing our intentions with pictures and illustrations we can strengthen and rejuvenate our emotions as our mind responds strongly to any visual stimulus,” explains Dr Barmi.

Also, listen:

Here’s how you can use a vision board to achieve your goals

1. Make your goals specific and attainable. Researchers also suggest that specific and actionable goals are your best bet for making them come true. Clear ambitions are easier to depict visually and work with.

2. Keep your objectives reasonable for the short term. It will help you accomplish your goals.

3. Have multiple copies of your vision board displayed around your home or workplace so you can see and visualize them throughout the day.

4. Set short term targets on your board and review your progress. This will help you be accountable for what you are doing and also help you reflect on your accomplishments.

5. Get your friends along. They’ll add accountability and you both can encourage each other to envision their goals.

6. As you continue to grow personally and professionally every year, your goals and desires expand too so consider creating a new vision board each year. It reflects not only your dreams but also your growth and achievements.

Dr Barmi believes that, “Vision boards act as a great motivating factor in our habit formation and putting our dreams and goals on a paper further increasing our belief in them.”

In conclusion…
Vision boards are indeed powerful tools to help you achieve your goals. And they help to keep your goals at the top of your mind. But if you don’t put it to use, it’s value gets reduced to just a piece of art. For it to actually work, spend a few minutes every day engaging with the board and visualizing all your goals in your mind.