As we begin a new year, many of us are thinking about our goals for the year or our New Year resolutions. I am curious about something, though. Do you have a vision board? If you do, what is on your vision board for this year? I have two confessions to make. First, I have never had a vision board, and I currently don’t have one for the year. As a matter of fact, I have never desired to have a vision board despite hearing so many positive things about it. I have always thought of it as an unnecessary additional task to complete. However, it may also be because I am not very artistically gifted.
What is a vision board?
A vision board is a goal map consisting of images, affirmations, and quotes to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to bring your dreams to life. Your vision board can be straightforward or creative. It can be as simple as pinning photos to a poster or foam board. The important thing is for your goals to be displayed visually in a way that emotionally stimulates you. Regularly seeing these pictures of your priorities, dreams, and goals keeps you focused and motivated.
What is on your vision board?
Your vision board should have goals that align with your values. Focus on what is important to you and not just any generic goals. Think about it carefully. In which areas do you want to see improvements? Your health? Career? Relationships? Finances? Etc. Your goals should motivate you to reach higher and accomplish more.
Why is a vision board important?
Really, I think we all have vision boards. Everyone wishes for a better future, but we don’t always write it down or depict it with images. Instead, we store our wishes and plans in our brains. However, we don’t always remember our goals and often don’t realize when we accomplish them. Interestingly, there seem to be some additional benefits in displaying our goals on a vision board. A vision board utilizes the power of imagery – imagining or visualizing being successful at something – to improve our performance. For example, studies have shown that athletes perform better after successfully imagining themselves performing a move.
Several fields, including coaching, counseling, academics, and business, utilize vision boards. Coaches and counselors use vision boards as a therapeutic tool to inspire and empower clients to focus on their goals and future. However, despite all its positive attributes, there is minimal research on the effectiveness of vision boards.
How should a vision board look?
If you are struggling with what to put on your vision board, check out this template describing what to think about as you create your vision board. This template relates to a health and wellness vision board, but you can do the same for your finances, career, relationships, education, etc.
Sample: health and wellness vision board
Here is a sample health and wellness vision board I created from the template above.
Advantages of vision boards
1) It helps you clarify your values and create goals that ultimately align with your values.
2) It helps you keep track of your progress and adjust your actions to accomplish your goals.
3) Vision boards act as a tool for decision-making. For example, if I focus on the vision board above and want to lose that 10 pounds, deciding whether to eat an apple or a bowl of ice cream becomes a no-brainer.
4) It helps you communicate your goals to people around you so they can understand you better. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Disadvantages of vision boards
1) You can become discouraged if you don’t meet your goals. However, remember, it’s really all about the journey. If you do not accomplish your goals, try and try again!
2) Some people believe that a vision board can cause you to live a life based on fantasy. Already seeing yourself achieve all these things causes your brain to go into a relaxed mood. Think about it. It’s kind of like how you feel about a week before a vacation. You already feel comfortable and happy just by dreaming about how much fun you will have on vacation. One study actually showed that fantasizing about the future produces poor achievement because it does not produce the energy to pursue the desired future.
Now what? Do vision boards exist just to make us feel good? And are they effective or not?
Biblical reference to vision boards
Habakkuk 2:2 AMP – Then the LORD answered me and said, “Write the vision And engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets So that the one who reads it will run.”
The Bible says to write and engrave the vision plainly. In other words, make it plain, so there are no misconceptions or misinterpretations. Let there be no doubt as to what the vision is! And why? So that when we read it, we can become motivated, and we can run with a spring in our step because we have a clearer picture.
Final thoughts
Now, here is my second confession, I am skeptical about most things. I often try something, not because I believe, but because I want to form my own opinion. There is nothing wrong with being a healthy skeptic, though. Being skeptical helps us to hit pause when information is thrown at us. Then, through systematic doubt, we pursue fact-based knowledge with an open mind.
So, why, after all these years, am I suddenly interested in a vision board? Over the last few years, I have watched my “little” cousin’s vision board. And I am inspired by how she has systematically accomplished her goals and consistently moved on to higher goals. You see, her vision board is her laptop homepage, so it is constantly visible to her. Looking at her laptop, I can see what is important to her, her values, where she is going, and how she plans to get there. As she successfully navigates medical school, I have watched her painstakingly overcome considerable obstacles to emerge triumphantly. Though still young, she utterly inspires my kids, our entire family, and myself. Boladale Ashiru, I am sure your late mom, Mrs. Olushola Ganiat Ashiru (nee Adeeko), is smiling down at you from heaven. You make us all proud!
And because I trust my “little’ cousin and trust the word of God, and because I really want to know if it’s worth the hype, I will give vision boarding a try this New Year! How about you, my friend? Why not give it a try? After all, there is absolutely nothing to lose. Please feel free to share your comments below, and have a Happy New Year!
Yours in health and fitness,
Doctor Abi
