Vision Boards - Amazing Stuff!
A quick calculation in my head combining Covid restrictions, winter weather temperatures, and the holiday season added up to several extra pounds! With it being the end of year, the typical weight loss goals came to mind. In talking with my sister, daughters, cousins and sister-in-law, it was discovered we were all in the same boat, and it was sinking.
Rather than setting goals and individually trying to achieve them, we set up a group contest, shared our goals with one another and got really excited about swimwear season (kidding). As I was thinking of the goals I had set for myself, I felt the need to not only share them but to create a visual that would help me be accountable. A quick trip to the store resulting in poster board, colorful stickers and a set of motivational stickers, set the scene for vision board creation. With supplies in tow, my sister-in-law and I started creating.
Being less than creative, my vision board was quite plain but full of color, motivation and goals. Senait, my sister-in-law, created a board pleasing to the eye. My daughter, Haley, who is in her final semester to become a nurse, created a very large chart that made sense to her, and my other daughter, Lindsey, had a hodgepodge of catchy colors and numbers. Each one was different, but each one made sense.
Vision boards are not only helpful when setting goals for personal use, but for work as well. What is a vision board you ask? Well, “vision boards put the forces of visualization to work; they are meant to harness the power of the positive energy you send into the universe. A vision board can by any type of visual (usually created on some sort of poster board of frame) that displays images that embody your aspirations and dreams.”
Looking back at my career in staffing, we had visual boards canvasing the walls whenever we were wanting to acquire new clients, win contests or grow revenue. When our team was involved in a contest that winners would receive a trip to Jamaica, our vision boards contained magazine cutouts, inspirational quotes and charts that would allow us to make tick marks for every client gained. It may sound corny, but it really worked! Even though this was a nationwide contest, we won!
Heidi Bartolotta, a contributor to momsmakingsixfigures.com, shares her thoughts on vision boards. She states, “The key to vision boards is to focus on how you want to feel, rather than solely posting pictures of what you want. So, as much as you may want to paste a picture of a tantrum-free toddler, that may not be the best way to go.” Obviously, for work, pasting one million dollars on your board may not be all that motivating either.
While simple to create, vision boards need to have enough on them to help you reach your goals. In other words, simply pasting pictures to the poster will not be enough. Your goals, your accomplishments and something to track achievements needs to be included.
Why do vision boards work, for most anyway? Payscale’s Career News share these reasons as to why:
It is concrete: Creating a vision board helps you to conceive of, and focus on, real tangible goals. Having concrete objectives helps you make progress.
Serves as a reminder: Seeing a vision board every day keeps your career goals close at hand. You won’t forget them, even when caught up in the to-dos of the day.
Visualization works: Visualizing what you want, and what you’re working toward, helps you get where you want to go.
So, will our vision boards work or will they fade like a fad? Tune in June 30, 2021, for the follow up to our group and our vision boards!