Can a Vision Board Really Affect Your Future?

Want a new love interest, a meaningful career, or a better self-image? Some people swear by the power of the vision board, a tool they use to display and then hopefully achieve specific life goals.

The concept has been around for a few decades now and has been popularized by a handful of books and celebrities, probably most notably, Oprah Winfrey. It is based on the Universal Law of Attraction, which basically says that our minds are powerful tools that can turn thoughts and desires into reality. “What we focus on expands and becomes our reality. Where intention goes, energy flows,” says Dacey Paul, life essence coach and vision board instructor, in an interview by e- mail.

Take 12-year-old Aliya Jo Ramey, for example. In 2018, the young dancer / actress fell in love with Broadway and subsequently learned of a call for nominations for “The Lion King”. “At the end of 2018, my whole family made vision boards for the new year because we wanted to prepare effectively for 2019,” writes her mother, Kirsten Ramey. On Aliya Jo’s painting, “She put ‘Broadway’ in the center and surrounded it with words and pictures (dancing, singing, exercising, healthy eating, etc.). She divided each of these pictures into goals and prayed every day with myself, her father and her sisters, ”recalls her mother.

It didn’t take long for Aliya’s hard work and vision to pay off, as she won the role of Young Nala on Broadway in February 2019. “The whole vision board thing is even hard to believe. for me!” his mother said.

“Creating a vision board provides a clear goal for your dreams of a fulfilling and joyful life,” says Paul. “The important thing to focus on is what you want to feel and create a vision to support that desire. Photos of these desires are placed on your vision board so that you can look at them and feel the feeling associated with them. “

Is there any science behind vision boards?

The effectiveness of visualization boards has yet to be fully and definitively researched, but similar studies are inconclusive. Dr Neil Farber, writing in Psychology Today, pointed to several studies that have shown that people who visualize a positive result are less likely to take concrete steps to achieve their goals. Yet some studies have shown that visualization the work to achieve a goal (such as training for a sport or studying for a test) was more likely to push participants to do difficult things (i.e. study for the test), rather than just imagine the final result (get an “A.”)

Others see visualization as a way to motivate themselves and keep their goals in mind. Indeed, elite athletes have used visualization techniques as part of their training for decades, to prepare them for success. One study found that people who saw lifting weights before going to the gym were able to lift more weight than those who didn’t.

Paul says your mindset is important to the creation and success of boards. “Visualization boards can fail if you think they’re not working. It’s that simple ! ” she says. “If you believe in the vision you have created, then your dreams can come true.”

Make a vision board

The process of making a visualization board is easy and inexpensive, involving materials as simple as a piece of poster board as well as plenty of magazines, designs, inspirational word prints, and of course glue. Simply cut out pictures and designs that you like and stick them on the board. Paul suggests placing the completed vision board where it can be viewed several times a day. “Your thoughts are powerful! Visualize and feel the feeling of getting your heart’s desire,” she said.

Vision panels can have different functions. They can be goal-oriented (e.g. to earn more money), or related to a theme (such as a travel destination) or intuitive (you’re not sure what you want so rather than ripping off images that match a theme or purpose that you simply tear off the images that appeal to you). You may want to spend a few minutes sitting still and thinking about your intention before you begin the creation process.

Jessica (who requested that we drop her last name) is an ESOL teacher in Atlanta who recently created a travel-themed board. “I set it up in my home office, so I can watch it and be reminded of it every day,” she says. “No results on this one yet,” she notes via email, “although I’ve been reminded to look for cheap flights more often!” But she is not discouraged. ” I did [vision boards] before with words and sayings, more like affirmations, “she recalls.” It helped my state of mind. “