Last year, right before the start of the school year, I decided to make a vision board. Not one that was filled with generic inspirational quotes like “follow your dreams,” but a true group of images and icons that realistically portrayed where I wanted to be in a year. This vision board was very specific, including the city I wanted to live in that summer, the company I wanted to intern for, the grades I wanted to get, the clubs I hoped to join, the experiences I wanted to have at UF, relationships I hoped to create and even views I wanted to see. I was really reaching for the stars.
Fast forward to today, everything I put on that vision board came true. It’s almost scary how accurate it was. I accomplished goals I didn’t even know were possible. There’s a lot of power in visualizing your dreams; creating vision boards and saying daily affirmations can help you get there. At one point, vision boards and reciting positive affirmations were all the rage on social media, so today I’ll be giving some tips and tricks for how to use affirmations and make your next best vision board:
1. Vision Boards 101
If you’re a bit skeptical about creating a vision board for the first time, I completely get it. Your vision board is for you, so don’t worry about impressing anyone or defending yourself. The idea is to visualize your dreams and goals, emphasizing the law of attraction. If you’re constantly visualizing and engaging with your biggest dreams and goals, it is easier to align your actions and thoughts toward making them happen. The good news is that making vision boards can be fun and easy!
2. Get to the root of your “Why?”
There are a few questions to ask yourself before creating your next vision board. Will this board represent your five-year plan? Or your one-year plan? Keeping the timeline in mind will help put things in perspective and give you an idea of how big or small you want to think.
3. Get specific with your images
Instead of just putting the word “happiness” on your vision board, try digging a bit deeper. What are things that have brought you happiness in the past? Was it a career path you enjoyed? Consistently eating healthy? Having fulfilling friendships? Doing well in school? Helping a friend in need? Whatever that is, make sure you’re putting specific images that align with that goal.
4. Creating the actual vision board
Canva is a free graphic design tool that I use to create my vision boards. For images, you can find them on Pinterest, or the internet. Putting all of the different images, logos, quotes, and ideas you thought of allows you to see everything in one place, which paints a picture of your goals in your mind.
5. Affirmations 101
Daily affirmations are positive statements you can repeat to yourself to improve your positivity and well-being. The exact affirmation you choose to say each day is totally up to you, just pick the one that resonates with you the most, there’s truly no right or wrong affirmation! A popular affirmation I’ve frequently seen is, “I don’t chase, I attract. What is meant for me will simply find me.” I found the one I currently say while scrolling on Pinterest and have been saying it for the past two years.
The main point I want to get across here is to recite it daily. I like to write my affirmations on a Post-it note and put it somewhere I walk past every morning. This can be on your bathroom mirror, at your desk or maybe on your kitchen fridge (hey, maybe your roomies can start affirming also!) The exact wording doesn’t matter. As long as the affirmation resonates with you positively and you try and say it every day, that’s the key. Also, don’t be upset if everything on your vision board doesn’t immediately come true. It takes time for things to fall into place!
Last Thoughts
Creating a vision board and saying daily affirmations is a great way to reinforce the goals you want to achieve for yourself. These different tools help place those goals at the center of your life, which can motivate you to achieve them. Manifesting is basically placing your energy and focus into a certain area of your life. By making a vision board and saying daily affirmations, you are welcoming a path to be created for your future, and saying yes to the possibility that you will get what you want!