What is a Vision Board and Why is it Important?
A vision board is a personal graphic that contains aesthetic photos, or a list of an ideal lifestyle and goals of an individual. A vision board can help you keep a focus on the goals you want to accomplish especially when life starts to get busy.
A study conducted by the Dominican University of California found that 42% of individuals who write down their goals and visualize them are more likely to achieve them.
By actually placing your goals on paper it helps visualize your dreams and help you stay accountable to accomplishing them.
My Vision Board Success Story
I used to think that manifesting your goals, writing them down, or doing a “vision board” was a bunch of bull crap… Until I actually did it myself. My first vision board was in 2022 and it wasn’t anything fancy. It was piece of paper with 8 goals and a couple of pretty pictures (they literally didn’t even match the goals). But let me tell you, that was one of the most productive years I had ever had. I felt so good about myself and my accomplishments that I decided to continue testing this vision board theory and take it a step further the next year.
At the end of December 2022 I created an aesthetic vision board of everything I wanted to accomplish for 2023. I then printed it out in a frame and put it on the wall next to where I most commonly hangout (In that case my dorm room). Every month I would slowly work towards whatever goals were on the list by breaking it into bite sized pieces.
Now, as we come out of 2024 and into 2025, I’m proud to say that almost all of my goals on my last 2 vision boards were accomplished or way ahead of schedule!
My only regret was honestly not starting this system sooner…
Setting your Goals
Congratulations on taking the first step to living your dream life! It all starts with a goal. Creating a vision board helps put your dream life on paper so you can actually take actionable steps to reach your goals. It also helps you learn more about yourself and priorities!
Brainstorming
When creating a vision board it’s important to put realistic goals into categories that are important to you. This is where brainstorming comes in. So when your first starting grab a piece a paper and jot down all the things that are important to you. It doesn’t have to be organized and don’t spend to much on this process.
Now take a look through those ideas and circle anything that can be accomplished with a little bit of elbow grease. It’s important to ensure these dreams are realistic for your lifestyle. For example you can’t “Become the first person on the moon” without going back in time, which is currently impossible.
An example of a good brainstorming idea could be “buy a home” and later we can take that dream and set a goal to it “saving x amount of money by the end of the year” (but this comes later).
Some Examples from a brainstorm session:
Life Categories
Now that you’ve done your first brainstorm, take a look at the dreams and ideas that came out of it. What do they have in common? If you had to organize them, what would be the general theme or categories that come out of it? Next determine your categories, You should have between 3-5 life categories. Some examples could look like…
- Lifestyle
- Career
- Health and Wellness
- Passive Income
- Financials
- Personal Growth
- Fun & Recreation
Set Goals
Now that you have your categories, it’s time to solidify your goals for the year! Come up with 1-3 goals for each category. When creating these goals it’s important to make sure that…
- Your goal is something that you can realistically accomplish within year. Setting yourself an unrealistic goal can lead to procrastination, and an “out of reach” mindset.
- You’re actually passionate about your goal. If it’s something that you believe would be nice, you’re less likely to want to work towards it than something you’re actually passionate about.
Now your ready to learn exactly how to create your vision board!
How to Organize Your Vision Board
There are a bunch of ways to organize your vision board and the big secret to making it work is that there is no right or wrong way to create one. Everyone is different, meaning every vision board will be unique too! This vision board is your little piece of the world that you are crafting for yourself, so just be you! A few of my favorite ways to create a vision board is:
- Traditional vision board
- Bingo cards
- Goal Lists
I have examples and a brief tutorial of all of these ideas below… Stick around for my free bingo card template to be able to get started right away!!!
Option 1: Traditional Vision Board
I personally used a free online photo editing website called “canva” to paste my photos together. You can also cut out pictures from magazines or print your own and glue/tape them together. The photos you select to put in your vision board should have meaning related to the goals you want. It can be real photos of you or simply just pictures you find online that speak to you.
You can create a free account at canva here: https://www.canva.com/
Next you’ll want to divide your page into the life categories you’ve figured out, it doesn’t have to be perfectly defined for example “Career” could be in the top right of your page and “Hobbies” will be in the bottom right. But the pictures can meet and mix in the middle of the right side of the page.
Once you place all your pictures on the board, make sure to hang it somewhere you frequently are!
Here are two examples of vision boards I’ve made in the past:
Option 2: Vision Board Goal List
Since you already have your goals and categories, it’s time to bring them to life! Write or print them neatly on a piece of paper, then get creative by decorating it with markers, stickers, or even your favorite motivational quotes.
Categorizing your goals helps you stay balanced and ensures growth in all areas of life, while the added personal touches keep you focused and inspired all year long!
Option 3: Bingo Card
Start by dividing a 5×5 grid into 25 squares and filling each one with a personal or professional goal, ranging from small, easy wins like “drink 8 glasses of water daily” to bigger milestones like “get a promotion” or “save $5,000.” Customize the card to fit your aspirations, whether it’s health, career, relationships, or hobbies, and aim to complete a full row, column, or even blackout the entire card. It’s a playful yet powerful way to track progress and stay focused on your New Year’s resolutions!
Download my free Bingo Goal Template Here to get started:
Conclusion
Creating a vision board is more than just a fun craft project—it’s a powerful tool to help you focus on your goals and bring your dreams to life. By visualizing your aspirations daily, you’ll stay motivated and inspired to take actionable steps toward achieving them. Remember, your vision board is a reflection of your unique journey, so make it personal, meaningful, and something you’re excited to see every day. Make sure to place it somewhere you can see it and start building your dream life today, one vision at a time!
One Comment