I have been making vision boards every January for the past seven years, and I firmly believe they have had a profoundly positive impact on my life.
A vision board is a powerful tool that uses images and words to represent our intentions, goals, visions and desires for the coming year. By reflecting on the past year and manifesting the future, you can create a pictorial representation of your aspirations, allowing your goals to feel more tangible and attainable.
Towards the end of each year, I reflect on what I put on the vision board for that year and think about where I want to go. This process of reflection and visualization not only sharpens my clarity but also stimulates creativity. And the day I sit down to make my vision board, I do this with my friends at my women’s group, The Purple Tent, and often new thoughts and ideas arise as we work, making the process even more enriching.
Seeing your goals visually represented keeps them at the forefront of your mind, serving as a constant reminder of what you’re working towards. This repeated exposure acts as a source of motivation and commitment, reinforcing your intentions and keeping you aligned with your priorities.
The practice of making a vision board is deeply intertwined with the concept of manifestation. Manifestation is the process of transforming thoughts, desires, and intentions into reality by aligning your energy, actions, and mindset with your goals. It involves clearly defining what you want to achieve and visualizing yourself as though you’ve already succeeded. This mental imagery fosters a sense of focus and clarity, while belief and confidence play a central role in keeping you on track.
Manifestation is not just about thinking positively. It requires intentional action to create momentum and drive progress.
Gratitude is another crucial aspect, as appreciating what you already have opens the door to receiving even more positive outcomes.
As I look back on my own journey, I find that each year of creating a vision board has led to meaningful progress, growth and expansion. My life consistently improves as I focus on my intentions, harness the power of manifestation, and embrace the clarity my vision boards provide.
How Do You Make a Vision Board?
The first step in creating a vision board is to reflect on the past year and ask yourself: What are your intentions for the coming year? This process doesn’t need to be rushed—it’s fine to spend weeks or even months deciding. You might start with a few ideas in mind, but often new inspirations come once you begin creating your board.
If you’ve made a board before, review it to see what you’ve achieved, and consider taking a photo of it before dismantling it. This reflection will help you acknowledge your progress and inspire new goals. I have heard so many people realise that they really did achieve most or all of what they put on their board.
Some people choose a theme word or words for the year, which can provide additional focus. In the past, I’ve chosen words like positivity, music, and dancing to guide my intentions.
I don’t put crazy ideas on my board. I include images and words of intentions that are realistic.
In advance you need to gather the materials you’ll need. I use a 900x600mm cork board with drawing pins, which I recycle each year, but some people prefer to use a journal or scrapbook to make a vision book. I use magazines to find images and words to represent my intentions. You might also want to include photos or written affirmations.
You can create your board as messy or as neat as you like—it’s entirely up to you. My first ever board was quite messy, but now I prefer a more simple layout. You might even choose to make two boards, one for personal goals and one for professional aspirations.
When you are ready to make your board – set aside a dedicated time to work on it. Create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere by playing music or lighting a candle. Making your board with others can be especially powerful; group settings often spark fresh ideas and foster creativity. The photo included here shows us making our vision boards together in 2022 in my house.
Take your time crafting your board, thoughtfully selecting everything you include. While I don’t go back to edit my board after it’s completed, you can if that works for you.
Once your vision board is complete, place it somewhere visible where you’ll see it. Regularly looking at your board keeps your goals fresh in your mind and reinforces your commitment to them. If daily viewing isn’t practical, set aside time once a week to revisit your vision. Visualization is a powerful tool—by repeatedly seeing your goals, you train your brain to internalize them and stay focused.
As Oprah Winfrey famously said, “If you can see it and believe it, it is a lot easier to achieve it.”
Some thoughts for your intentions
Through my work I have created a “wheel of health and happiness” which is a useful tool for thinking about all areas of your life. By colouring in sections to reflect where you currently stand, you can identify areas to focus on in the coming year. Health and happiness is a holistic practice – ideally balancing all aspects.
Health – are you balancing the 5 pillars of health?
Nutrition – are you eating healthily? What about alcohol, caffeine, sugar and salt? Are you cutting down on ultra processed foods?
Exercise – is this the year you take control of your exercise? Are you doing enough variety of exercise, including weight bearing, and stretching? This is so key to your health.
Sleep – are you getting enough? Is there work to be done to help your sleep?
Mental health – this is a growing issue in today’s hectic society. Do you feel like you have too many tabs open in your mind? Is there work you can do to help your mental health?
Friendships and communities – are you feeling lonely? Are there family and friends you want to see, or relationships that you need to heal? Add their photo or name on your board.
And happiness
Hobbies – are there hobbies you did years ago but have let slip? Is there a new hobby you would like to take up? Make 2025 the year you do it. Maybe you want to take up a new hobby such as yoga, running, art classes, singing, listening to music, join a book club, more live music, dancing, learning a new language, belly dancing, outdoor swimming?
Creativity – I think this is hugely important to our happiness. It is not just about drawing or painting. It might be gardening, cooking, or writing.
Time in nature – this is free! See the sunrise and sunset. Love the seasons. Try a walk every day. Enjoy our beautiful planet.
Sex and love – maybe it’s time to make more time for your partner, or find love or to quit a toxic relationship?
Stillness and quality time alone – most of us need to relax more – to be still and have a digital detox. What about a daily meditation and spending a few minutes a day being really mindful and breathing deeply. Make time to reflect.
Sense of purpose and career – what is your sense of purpose? What are your career goals for 2025? Are you happy in your job? If not make this the year you sort it out. Are there courses you want to do, a promotion you want to go for, any changes you want to sort out?
Here are some topics that are not included in my wheel of health and happiness but are also hugely important and you might want to add them to your vision board.
Money – are your finances in good shape?
Holidays – they are so important for our health. Where do you really want to go and who do you want to go with?
Home – is it time to do a big clear out of your house? Are there clothes that you have not worn for years? Is there clutter that you do not want to throw away but could be moved out of sight? A decluttered house can really help you feel relaxed. Are there repairs you need to do or an extension you want to build? This is especially important as many are of us are spending more time at home.
Let’s try and make 2025 your best year ever. And if you want more help – my next blog is about the retreats I will be involved with in 2025. Come along to learn, relax, reset and get motivated.
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