Get on Track in the New Year with a Vision Board
A Vision Board is a visual representation of your hopes, dreams, ideas, and aspirations. It can be for just one area of your life, such as relationships, finances, or education, or it can cover all areas of your life. It can be as small and simple as a sheet of paper or as large as a poster. It can include hand written words, pictures from magazines, stickers of motivational quotes, and anything else that will personalize your board and provide a reminder of what is important to you and where you are headed.
Why Make a Vision Board
Studies have shown that individuals who commit their goals to paper are 33-42% more likely to achieve them compared to those who merely conceptualize them.
Documenting your goals is helpful in 3 major ways:
- Clarity – Thinking about your future and how you want your life to pan out helps you to decide on exactly what it is you do want. It helps you to imagine your outcome. It encourages you to make important decisions and determine details.
- Enhanced Support and Motivation - Seeing your goals in writing and/or pictures helps to remind you of your endeavors, hopes, and dreams. It can inspire you to push on and take steps toward your goals.
- Visually representing goals, dreams, and aspirations can provide a tangible way to navigate your life with intention and joy.
Enhanced Clarity and Focus Through Vision Board Creation
The process of creating a vision board helps organize thoughts and focus on specific goals. By choosing images and words that resonate with your desires, you can better concentrate on what is important to you. This activity encourages a clearer mind, as it simplifies the often overwhelming array of thoughts into a single, cohesive visual representation. The act of organizing and arranging important elements on a board, aids in enhancing mental clarity and sharpening focus.
Encouraging Goal Setting and Achievement
Vision boards are a powerful motivator for goal setting and achievement. Visually outlining aspirations, can make abstract ideas more concrete and therefore more attainable. Seeing goals regularly can reinforce the commitment to achieving them. This visual reinforcement not only promotes motivation, but also provides a clearer roadmap of how to get there.
Promoting Emotional Well-being and Positive Mindset Development
Creating a vision board is not just about setting goals; it’s also about cultivating a positive mindset. By focusing on future aspirations, it encourages ideas of optimism and hope. This practice can significantly impact emotional well-being, and reduce depressive thoughts and feelings. The act of repeatedly viewing your vision board with positive, future images, helps to reinforce a positive outlook on life, contributing to overall emotional health and happiness.
Provides a Sense of Purpose and Direction in Retirement
For many older adults, retirement can bring a sense of uncertainty and loss of direction. A vision board can provide a renewed sense of purpose by clearly outlining desired achievements and experiences in this new phase of life. By visualizing the future, you will gain a sense of direction that helps to guide actions and decisions. It can give you a new sense of purpose. This can help in maintaining motivation and overall life satisfaction, as it helps to focus on what truly matters in the retirement years.
Strengthening of Memory and Cognitive Skills
The process of selecting and arranging images on a vision board can enhance memory and cognitive skills. By repeatedly interacting with their vision board, memories associated with goals and dreams are reinforced. This repetition can help in strengthening neural connections, ultimately benefiting cognitive functions and keeping their minds sharp.
Creating Your Vision Board
You can go with an all-round approach and make your board cover many aspects of your life or you can focus on one specific area or goal. There are many topics you can plan your vision board around. Some ideas are:
- self-care
- health
- fitness
- money
- work
- travel
- hobbies
Collect images and words that resonate with you. You can:
- Write words, ideas, goals, and sayings in large letters on a piece of paper so they can be seen from a distance.
- Use stickers or scrapbooking materials for some sayings or backgrounds.
- Gather pictures and images that feel personal for you. You can use photographs, drawings, or pictures from magazines.
- Use pens, paints, or markers that are enjoyable for you to use.
Arrange your materials on a piece of paper, posterboard or a cork board and attach them with push-pins, or glue. Don’t be afraid to move them around until you find the arrangement that feels right.
Hang your vision board someplace that you will see it regularly. If you live with others, find a place that you can view it daily, yet keep it as personal as feels necessary. Even the bathroom works.
By reviewing and visualizing your ideals and goals you will find that you will have greater fulfillment and satisfaction in life.
A Professional Caregiver
A professional caregiver can be an important part of your support system when you are working on living your best life. A professional caregiver can provide support, care, and companionship for you in the comfort of your own home. They can help you to organize your thoughts and collect materials for a vision board. You can find a professional caregiver through our website whether you need someone full-time, or for just a few hours a week. Right at Home will work with you to select the perfect, qualified, professional caregiver to make sure that your loved one’s needs are met. Each caregiver is screened and bonded to ensure professionalism. Our unique five-step process will provide just the right fit for your family. Contact us today at 631.352.0022 and ask for a FREE in-home consultation.
