New Year, New You
January is a great time to get keenly focused on how to take your business to the next level–a time to reflect on your progress from the previous year and plan how you want your business to develop and succeed in the coming year. To help achieve that goal, why not try Vision Boards, a fun and easy way to set you up for success?
What Is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a collection of images, pictures, words, and phrases that depict what you want to be, do, or have most. They are also referred to as treasure maps, creativity collages, dream boards, etc. Regardless of what you call it, a vision board provides a visual pathway to achieve your goals, get the most out of your life, and transform your business. Your vision board aids you in creating intention.
By surrounding yourself with pictures of who you want to become, what you want to have, and where you’d like to go, your life changes to match those images and desires.
A vision board allows you to get laser focused on a clear, compelling vision—creating an understanding of key priorities.
It’s so much more than plastering pictures from your favorite travel magazine onto a board— the process of creating a vision board gives you focused time and energy to reflect on specific elements, items, clients, situations, experiences, people that you want to attract in your present and future. It’s only when we are clear about what we want that we can move in the appropriate direction to fulfill our dreams.
There are countless people in the world who have used vision boards as a gateway to achieve massive success in their lives and business including, Oprah Winfrey, author and media mogul Steve Harvey, actor Jim Carrey, Sara Blakey (founder of Spanx), superstar Lady Gaga, and famed athlete Muhammad Ali. These folks from all different walks of life, businesses, and disciplines have used the power of setting intention to usher in their success whether to achieve personal success or for business success
Having a vision board helps provide you direction. You wouldn’t dream of jumping in your vehicle and driving without a destination in mind—you shouldn’t run your business without a clearly mapped out end result in mind.
Why Do Vision Boards work?
Instead of just thinking positively– wishing, hoping and thinking about the future—vision boards allow you to craft the visions of your goals and dreams today. They enable you to create your future in a deliberative, intuitive fashion, working from the inside out, not the outside in. You are crafting from your own inspiration instead of the desires and motivations of others.
When your vision for your business is clear—your results will appear!
Visualization Is Proven To Work:
Top peak performance athletes have used the concept of visualization for success for years. According to Psychology Today, a study was conducted looking at the brain patterns of weightlifters. The results found that the same synaptic connections were created when weightlifters physically lifted hundreds of pounds compared to their counterparts who only imagined (visualized) that they were lifting.
If you can see it in your mind’s eye—you can hold it in your hands.
Steps To Create A Business Vision Board That Rocks! (or Works)
There is only one rule when creating your vision board: There aren’t any rules! You create a vision board on your terms. You are literally using images and phrases to craft and mold the vision you have for your business.
There is no right or wrong way to make a vision board. The key is the believe you have in the items that you place on the board.
Here are some helpful guidelines on how to create your vision board masterpiece:
- Create Your Personal Vision Statement:
Before you clip out one magazine image or search on Google Images for that perfect picture, compose your personal vision statement. Your personal vision statement is designed to help you get more intentional about your direction and serves as a tool to help you focus on what’s important. Answering the following questions will get you moving in the right direction:
– What are my greatest strengths/abilities/traits/things I do best?
– When am I at my best?
– What are at least three things I can start doing/more often that use my strengths and bring me joy?
– Where do I “SEE” my business in the next five years? (Use “I am” statements, instead of “I will”; it’s more powerful.)
– What power words best describe the future me?
- Decide On The Type of Board You Will Make
General Board
Do you want to achieve general success in your business? What do you want your business to be? What images represent that vision? Is it you standing on a stage in front of thousands or working one-on-one in a coaching relationship?Theme Board
Do you have a special project coming up that could benefit from some specific attention? Do you want to focus on a certain area in your business (e.g. sales, marketing, keynotes, coaching clients, or product creation)?
- Sift and Sort
Go through the magazines and clip images and words that really speak to you. Have fun with it; don’t question why the picture is speaking you, just go with it. The goal is to get a big pile of pictures to choose from. Next, start laying the pictures out on your board and arranging them. Discard any images that no longer resonate with you. Wait until you like the placement of all the images before gluing the items. You might want to designate each corner of the board with a different theme around it: one corner might be health, while the other corner might focus on future travel.
- Clear out The Beliefs That Aren’t Serving You
Is there a mindset shift that you need to make around your business? Wishing or hoping for something is not enough. What habits or thoughts do you have that aren’t in alignment with your business and personal success? Examine the goals and dreams that you have put together and ask,” What beliefs do I need to have in place to support these visions coming true?” Address the fear. Dance with it. Then, push past it.
- Buy Your Supplies
Purchase a large poster board or core foam board (Target has a great matte finish 14 x21 board). Pick up some of your favorite magazines– choose magazines that are likely to contain images, quotes, inspirational phrases, etc. that will support your personal vision statement.
- Set Yourself Up For Success
Set the mood for your creativity to take shape. You may want to invite some like-minded friends or colleagues over to join in on the fun. Throw on your favorite soft soothing music, such as the Calm Mediation channel on Pandora or Liquid Music. Clear a space that will allow you to work and spread out.
- Place It Where You Can See It Daily
This is extremely important! A common mistake that people often make is not putting their board in a place where they can see it daily. Make sure you put it in a place where it will be a daily reminder of the goals and intentions you have set such as in your office, bedroom, or even the bathroom.
- Celebrate
As you see the reality of what you’ve depicted on your board, start to take inventory and get excited about it. Maybe you just signed on a new client or you received a prospect that might lead to a keynote opportunity. Whatever it happens to be, take note of the serendipitous moments—they likely are the result of the focus you put on your board. Continue to expand your focus on the things that matter most to you personally and professionally.
- Affirm Your Vision
Affirmations are positive powerful specific statements that help you to overcome self-sabotaging, negative thoughts. Affirmations help you visualize and believe in what you’re capable of achieving and help you make positive changes to your life and business. They can anchor and support what you’ve placed on your vision board. It’s important to keep affirmations in the present tense and positive. Here are a few affirmations to get you started:
– I am running a successful business which brings me financial freedom.
– Good paying clients come to me easily and frequently.
– I have more business than I know what to do with.
– I attract success with all of my ideas.
– Success and good fortune flow toward me in great abundance.
– I am a person who people seek out personally and professionally.
(Check out media.visionboardparty.net/80Affirmations.pdf for more affirmations.)
Oprah once said, “Create the highest grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe.”
Set that vision for your business in the coming weeks.
Challenge yourself to create a vision board for 2017 and see your success bloom!