Vision Board

 Vision Board

A vision board is like creating a role model, but instead of someone else, it is like creating a role model of your best self. A vision board is a board, created by you, that reminds you of the person that you want to become in the future. It can portray goals that you have for your social life, your romantic life, your professional life, it can be whatever you want. But it should create the image of the all-encompassing person you desire to be. This may seem like an empty gesture, but often can yield real results by allowing you to better visualize the small steps you need to take to work toward a goal by seeing it every day. You will never outperform your picture of yourself, so it is important to keep updating a positive picture of the person you want to be.

Here's how that works:

STEP 1:

Look through your favorite magazine or journal. Find images that you connect to. Or, have a specific image or goal in mind? You can simply search for that image on Google Images. Find images that give concreteness to the adjectives you want to be described as. Want to be more family-oriented? Find pictures that demonstrate the relationship you want to have with your kids. Want to find your dream man/woman? Find images that exemplify the qualities you want them to have. Cut all of these images out and paste them on a poster board. Or if you want to go digital, you can create a Pinterest board or use an app like Posterino. Look at others' vision boards to find inspiration as well. It can be as simple as Googling "vision boards" or checking out Pinterest. You may find a quote or an image that you find inspiring yourself, and desire to use it. The image above is an example of a vision board. The focus is on interests: fitness, family, and motivation. Positive images pair with uplifting and action-oriented phrases.

There are even specific apps for making vision boards. Dreamitalive.com not only features a place to create vision boards, but also allows you to connect with like-minded people to use as mentors and team members on the journey. Mind Movies is a way to animate your vision board and thus make it even more engaging. Mind Movies is an online vision board creator that allows you to combine your uplifting images with powerful affirmations and motivating music to produce an inspiring three-minute video. The movement and music can help create the kind of inspired emotion that may be difficult for some just looking at a board. They are also easy to share with others, if you want to get friends and family in on your goals. Mind Movies also offers their own videos as inspirational guides that offer steps to achieve different dreams. Some of the popular ones they feature are: "Attracting Health," "Attracting Wealth," and "Attracting Spirituality.

Step 2: 
Put this board in a place that you will see it FOR SURE. Like, a lot. Make it your home page on the Internet. Put it next to your bed. Put it on the refrigerator. I don't care, just make sure you see it a lot, so much that you don't even think about it anymore.

Step 3: 
Stop thinking about it. Let it become simply part of the things you see every day. This way, your brain gets accustomed to it. Vision boards are all about emotion. "Just seeing my vision board for a few seconds in the morning whilst brushing my teeth, I'm immediately reminded of what is really important in my life and how grateful I am for the life that I have already created," states Martyn Anstey. He continues: "It can catch me just as I am about to go to a business meeting, and just seeing one word, one image, completely changes my day." When making your vision board, focus on images and words that will get this type of reaction; you want your brain to wake up, and realize the way to the things it wants.

Step 4: 
Live your life, but be aware and be active. Vision boards are not going to do all the heavy lifting for you; they are simply there to help you notice the possibilities that are right there for you, and to realize the potentialities within yourself to reach these goals. Many vision board proponents purport to have completely forgotten about a vision board until much later, realizing that they had attracted into their lives exactly what we were looking for, to an odd specificity. Vision boards help make all of the jumbled, abstract feelings in your head into a foreseeable future. If you're skeptical about making a vision board yourself, ask what you really have to lose by trying it. Not really much. But perhaps it makes you more in tune to the repercussions of your choices and how they align with getting what you want. 

Dr Elton Clemence is taking new patients at Family First Chiropractic. 403-347-3261 142 Erickson Dr Red Deer T4R 2C3