The Power of Visualization and Vision Boards

All top performers, regardless of profession, know the importance of picturing themselves succeeding in their minds before they actually do in reality.
 
When you think of a big goal or dream that you want to achieve, it’s natural to think of all of the obstacles that will come your way. The problem is far too often we allow these obstacles to become so big in our minds that it inhibits us from moving forward. This is when many become satisfied with mediocrity. But what if you visualized yourself succeeding? What if you visualized yourself being the best in your profession?

Consider these three examples:

• Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was always stressing the importance of seeing himself victorious long before the actual fight. 
• To stay motivated, Jim Carrey, decided to write himself a check for $10 million for “acting services rendered,” dated it for 1994 and carried it in his wallet for daily inspiration. In 1994, Jim Carrey learned he would reap exactly $10 million for his role in Dumb and Dumber.
• Oprah Winfrey, who grew up in poverty, would tell herself over and over again “My life won’t be like this. My life won’t be like this, it will be better.” Besides frequently showcasing success stories of positive thinking on The Oprah Winfrey Show, she discussed creating her own Vision Board to realize her dreams. 

 
If you can picture yourself achieving a goal, chances are you will. The more vivid you can get, the better it will work for you. 

What is a Vision Board?  It’s a sacred place where you can place photos, trinkets, quotes, sayings, music lyrics, etc., anything you can think of, that represents your future goals and how you want to feel.
 
Start thinking of your personal goals in life. Spend about 10 to 15 minutes picturing yourself achieving each one. Get as detailed as possible. Picture what you will do once your goal is reached. How amazing does it feel? How will this change the course of your life? Remember, the little details increase the likelihood of the big picture. A Vision Board gives you a visual to look at daily. Important: be sure to look at and focus on each entry on your Vision Board daily!

Here’s how to create your Vision Board.

What you’ll need:

• Any kind of board, if you’re new maybe start with a corkboard or poster board. If you can, you might want a pin board or something pretty you like to look at.
• Scissors, tape, pins, and/or a glue-stick to put your board together. 
• If you want, fun markers, stickers, or anything else you can think of to deck out your board.
• Magazines that you can cut images and quotes from. 
• Most importantly, the stuff you want to look at every day. Photos, quotes, sayings, images of places you want to go, images of places you see yourself working, reminders of events, places, or people, and cut out words that depict how you want to feel. Include anything that will inspire you.
• Give yourself a stress-free hour or two to put your board together. Or it can be a work in progress, which might take a week or two to get all your goals and feelings on your Vision Board.

 
How to do it:
Turn off the TV and turn on some relaxing music. Light a candle and clear your space. 

As stated above, cut pictures, quotes, action words, feeling words out of magazines. You might want to use personal photos, pieces of fabric, coins, anything!

When it comes to actually putting your stuff on the board, you may want to section your board off into themes, such as, “Finance”, “Career”, “Family”, “Romance”, “Travel”, “Personal Growth”, “Spiritual”, “Health”, or what ever you want.

It might be helpful to leave space in between each item because clutter can be distracting. However, if you love the feeling of closeness and want everything to touch and overlap, then group it all together and overlap your objects. As for choosing what makes the final cut, lay everything out before you start gluing and pinning so you can get an idea of where you want everything.

For ideas take a look at Pinterest! You'll find lots of Vision Boards.  But remember, the most important part of your Vision Board is to look at it daily and remember your goals! 

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Liz Birch is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who provides services in her office in Tustin, CA.  Her areas of expertise are in communications, relationships, marriage strengthening, stress reduction, depression, trauma, anxiety, anger, personal growth, and ptsd (civilian and military). She can be reached via LizBirchTherapist.com,  email at LizBirchMFT@gmail.com, or by calling 714-614-0612.

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