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Regardless of the month of the year, there is an undying desire to have a life hack for setting goals. Who has time, right? Most of us have already not reached our goals for the year. We say we want This year be different when research (and history) proves that is only possible with a new way of thinking. I am constantly working on how to open my mind to new possibilities. The vision board is just one tool in the toolkit. Yet when I saw my dream of interviewing Oprah come true after putting it on a vision board, I became a big believer in it! Here’s what I learned about manifesting what I want, without letting being busy slow me down.
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Redefining the vision board
“Know your lines. But really know the story you’re telling.”
That’s what Lady Gaga told me she learned from Bradley Cooper while filming his first big movie. The power of a vision board, just like in a movie, is to get to know your story better. Unfortunately, some think it’s overrated.
I once asked a realtor friend if he made vision boards. He looked at me like I was from another planet. “What is a vision board?” He thought it was a bunch of woo-woo. “I use run charts,” he said. “With practical steps to achieve a goal, if that’s what you mean.”
We were on the same page but using different verbiage and tools to define our process. We both used visuals. I did what he called execution with a seven-step process in a notebook and a vision board. In the words of announcer, Fred R. Barnard, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Most people can’t run without seeing it!
While sometimes people get lost trying to make a pretty display, it really comes down to what images will reach you. Vision boards help crystallize and add detail to the sometimes blurry picture of an idea in my mind and give it some bone.
Related: How to Create a Personal Vision That Empowers You to Lead Without Fear and Succeed
The process works. Eight months after putting a picture of Oprah on my very first vision board, I met and interviewed her. Fast forward to today, I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her and OWN on a number of projects. In 2018, I wrote “I am a published author” on my board. That year, I received my first book contract. I even have furniture in my house now that I put on a vision board years ago.
Morning in America, the three-hour show I now host on NewsNation, came in part through vision boarding. As a child, I imagined having my pulpit, being at the forefront of something new where I could have a real impact on people across the country. Now it’s real enough for others to see.
All of our desires are triggered by visualizing what we want. It is an investment of time to use our imagination. However clear that vision is to you, whether in words, pictures, or even video, it’s important to create a process that you can connect to.
When are you going to hate being here?
I took a coaching course on goal setting earlier this year, taught by a friend of mine, William Krause. He had worked for years in the touchscreen and projection screen industry, which led him to work on projects for some of the biggest companies in the world, such as Apple, Samsung and Pepsi. A shift in priorities and the historic global shutdown of 2020 forced it to pivot.
He now owns a thriving landscape business in Florida. Initially, he lacked the motivation to turn a penny. He had injured his back and his creativity was stifled. What made him change was a question he asked himself and those of us who attended the course. “When you get there you need to know, when will you hate where you are so much now that you decide to change?”
We had to start hating where we were right now. We must have hated resorting to what we were used to. “I hate being a tenant,” said the man who aims to buy his first home. “I hate being single,” said another who is aiming to find a partner.
Write down what you hate or have it printed on a banner in BIG BOLD LETTERS. Keep it short and sweet. Then add what you want and why. Finally, focus on selling the benefits of this new lens.
“I own my production company because_______”
“I’m in the best shape of my life because________.”
Hang it above your bed or on your closet door. It sounds pretty basic, but don’t take your eyes off your list.
Related: 4 Visualization Techniques That Can Boost Your Success
Write down achievable goals
According to a Harvard Business study, people who write down their goals were three times more likely to succeed than those who had a plan in mind but never wrote it down! Writing is a force multiplier. The next step is to write down the action steps to help that goal become a reality. This is achieved in several ways.
Make a list of who and what is needed to achieve your goals. Do you need a nanny or a babysitter? Publicist, manager or assistant? Then talk about the change that achieving this goal will bring to others in your life. Set a deadline and share the list with a responsible friend.
Finally, narrow down what could be a long list. Four goals is a lot to tackle simultaneously. This will help with accuracy and be easier to manage.
When you set your goals and pursue them, never lose sight of what you hope to accomplish. Vision is the key to success.
Related: The best creativity tips we’ve heard in 2021
