Creating a vision board is a powerful practice that taps into the principles of visualization and goal setting, leveraging the mind’s ability to manifest desired outcomes. The practice of envisioning goals activates the brain’s reticular activating system (RAS), influencing our focus and attention towards opportunities that align with our objectives. This practice isn’t just about wishful thinking; it’s about channeling motivation and effort towards achieving specific aspirations.
Studies have shown that visualizing goals can enhance motivation, confidence, and overall performance. When we create vision boards, we engage in a process that involves selecting images, words, or phrases that represent our aspirations. This activity stimulates our brain’s visual cortex, reinforcing the desired goals and making them more perceivable in our consciousness.
The process of creating a vision board can also serve as a form of meditation itself. It requires mindfulness and concentration, allowing us to immerse ourselves in our aspirations, fostering a sense of purpose and clarity. This purpose and clarity comes from a space of deep reflection on where you have been, where you are, and where you want to go. It is also important to consider these aspects on different levels of your existence- personal, communal, and universal. That can feel like a lot to ponder! So here are 5 simple things to think about before you start your 2024 Vision Board:
- Reflect on What you Have Accomplished in the Last Year– it’s important to assess where you have been and keeping that confined to the space of the last year can keep it from feeling overwhelming.
- Think about Where you Want to Go– Get absolutely audacious with this one, now is not the time to think small! A vision board is about reaching toward the very limits of your imagination for what you want your life to look like. This can be for the next year, the next 5 years, or 20! Want to write a novel? Put it on the board. Want to cruise the Mediterranean on a yacht? Slap some Elmer’s on it. No dream is too big for your perfect little piece of cardboard.
- What’s Holding you Back?– This is an important one to consider, because it gives a specific point where the work can start. Maybe this is the year you get sober curious and a picture of your favorite non-alcohol bevy goes on the board. Maybe you post that workshop or the schedule/registration of that piano class you’ve been wanting to take for years but just never got around to. This is the year and the moment to keep replaying the phrase- “If not now, when?”
- Reach Beyond Yourself– How do you want to affect your community and the lives of others? Post that volunteer organization you would love to give some time to, or something that reminds you to be the change you want to see in the world. The more specific you get, the better the chances are you will accomplish the things you’ve set out for yourself to do.
- How do you want to Feel?- Happy? Accomplished? Peaceful? Pick 3-5 words that describe how you want to feel in the next year, words that are aligned with your values, and let that drive what you choose to add to your board.
Manifestation, the practice of turning thoughts into reality, goes hand in hand with the concept of a vision board. In class you might have heard the phrase “What you think, you become.” Positive thinking and visualization can influence behaviors and attitudes, impacting the decisions people make in alignment with their goals.
The practice of yoga and meditation complements the creation of vision boards and the concept of manifestation. Yoga emphasizes the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. Through physical postures, breathwork, and meditation, yoga cultivates mindfulness and self-awareness, fostering a clear mental space for setting intentions and visualizing goals.
Meditation encourages presence and awareness and can aid in refining mental imagery. By incorporating visualization techniques during meditation sessions, you can strengthen your ability to manifest specific aspirations. This integration helps in directing focus and energy towards the actualization of your goals.
The impacts of starting the day with affirmations or positive thoughts align with these mental practices as well. Beginning the day with a positive mindset can set the tone for how the day unfolds. It primes the mind to perceive opportunities and challenges from a more constructive perspective, thereby influencing your experiences. It’s helpful to think of starting each day with a mini vision board in your mind.
The practice of creating an actual vision board and the habits of yoga and meditation are interconnected through their emphasis on mindfulness, visualization, and the power of positive thinking. Collectively, these practices harness the mind’s potential to manifest goals, enhance motivation, and cultivate a more purposeful and fulfilling life.
Join Terra on January 14th 2024 at 1:30pm for a guided flow and Vision Board Workshop with Supplies and Guidance provided by a certified Business and Life Coach, and make 2024 the best year yet.
