Why Your Vision Board Isn’t Working (And How To Fix It)
You’ve found that perfect image of a Greek island vacation from the stacks of old magazines you got at the library sale.
You glued it alongside photos of a couple having lunch in an enormous garden. Then you added pictures of a perfectly-toned woman with a slim waist.
You visualized and manifested.
And then, nothing.
It did feel good to glue that vision board together on a January evening, still fueled by the excitement of the New Year.
But then February came along – and those perfectly-curated images (that really nailed your vision of an ideal lifestyle) got shoved away in some forgotten drawer.
Because your vision board was all about your desired outcomes: the perfect holiday, the meaningful relationship and the healthy body.
But it didn’t include anything about how you’d actually get there.
Why outcome-based vision boards don’t work
Your vision board will never work if it only includes outcomes.
It must also include images of THE PROCESS to reach those outcomes. It must romanticise what needs to be done to actually get there.
And most importantly: your vision board must include imagery that depicts persistence. It must include photos that convey being dauntless in the face of the challenges and discomforts you’ll meet along the path.
How to shift from outcomes to the process
If you want to spend a few weeks on a remote Greek isle eating feta and picking olives, you’ll have to save more money, get a promotion or find a new job.
If you want afternoons of deep conversations with loved ones in a garden, you’ll have to start limiting your screentime and planning dedicated family nights.
And if you want a healthy body, you’ll have to exercise more, eat better and quit your bad habits.
To help you reach those goals, your vision board should include: images of an expanding savings account, images of a determined job hunt and images of starting a side hustle.
Forget the beautiful couple enjoying lunch. And fill your vision board with images of a digital detox and a dedicated date night scribbled into the calendar.
Forget the perfectly-toned woman in a tailored dress. And include images of a beautiful neighborhood walk at sunrise and a mouthwatering salad with dried cranberries and walnuts.
Romanticize the process and the persistence it takes to reach your goals.
Elements your next vision board needs
Fill your vision board with depictions of what you’ll tell yourself on a Monday morning when your brain is saying: “This is hard, I’m exhausted. I deserve a break. I should just admit this isn’t working.”
Include imagery that depicts overcoming obstacles.
Use keywords like “progress” and “moving towards my goals” with images that depict the beauty of the journey.
Fill your vision board with images that illustrate that secure, satisfying feeling of making a large deposit into your savings account.
Take what you think should feel punishing (like the grueling exercise routine for a healthy body or the cancelled subscriptions to save money) and flip them into positives.
Think about how good it feels to stretch your muscles in the morning at your local park. Or how satisfying it is to spend a quiet evening listening to the radio away from your screens.
Let your vision board depict what progress looks like. Let it show the messy but determined effort it takes to move towards your goals.
Then use it.
Hang your vision board above your desk and meditate with it on those days when it’s already noon and all you’ve done is answer a few useless emails.
Remember it on those weekends you spend hours in front of the TV with loved ones instead of spending quality time together.
And on those days when you spent all morning scrolling and decided to skip your morning walk (just this once).
Let your vision board serve as a reminder that your ideal life isn’t just a hopeless pipe dream.
Let it remind you that it’s all about persistence and making steady – but often slow – progress towards your goals.
Let it remind you about the beauty of the journey itself.
Because if you don’t enjoy and romanticize the journey, you’ll quit long before you reach your destination.
Read next:
How To Make A Vision Board That Really Works
14 Inspiring Vision Board Ideas To Manifest Your Dreams
10 Creative Journaling Ideas for Beginners
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