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If you’ve ever heard about mindset and manifestation, I’m sure you’ve heard the term visualisation being used quite a few times.
Visualisation is an incredibly powerful tool, but before you get crafty, here are 3 mistakes you could be making with your vision board without even realising it!
What is a Vision Board?
A tool used by many to map out their desired lives, a vision board is a space for us to organise our thoughts, ambitions, and dreams.
Everything from our physical appearance to our love interests, dream homes, and quite popularly, our financial well-being.
It’s a very personal exercise and as such, each person has their own unique way of using it, but there are some very important guidelines that need to be followed if you’re serious about manifesting.
3 Mistakes that you could be making with your Vision Board
You’re not looking at it every day
Ok, so picture this.
You’re feeling inspired and ready to start living your dream life and you’ve decided to map out your feelings through picture clippings and inspirational quotes.
You’re feeling very accomplished as you look at the beautiful vision board you’ve just created, BUT you end up putting it in the back of a closet or behind a dresser.
One of the biggest mistakes that you could be making with your vision board is the fact that you’re only taking it out to look at on days that you’re lacking ambition and motivation.
The key with a vision board is to look at it every day! Especially when you’re feeling motivated, not the other way around.
While looking at it when you’re feeling lost and out of touch with your dreams is a very positive thing to do, it shouldn’t be the only time that you do it.
Don’t use it as a reminder from time to time, instead, make sure that it’s the first thing that you see when you wake up in the mornings and the last thing that you see and think about when you go to sleep.
Having it in sight, means that you’re starting every day with a positive mindset and with the intention of working towards your goals.
You have a vision of the life that you want, but you have no idea how much it’s going to cost.
If you’re anything like me, your dreams are BIG.
You want to travel the world, buy nice things, maybe own a property or 2, maybe even 3?
All of this can be yours but manifesting and using vision boards isn’t magic. It’s not just going to fall into your lap so make sure that you understand the cost of the life you’re after.
A big mistake that many people make is the fact that they don’t put a number on the annual income that they need in order to bring their dreams to fruition.
You would love a full-time nanny, but you have no idea how much they charge.
You want to buy a 4-bedroom house in the countryside, yet you haven’t got a clue what the mortgage on that would be.
Fly first class to luxury travel destinations? Have you ever even looked into the cost of first-class flights?
See where I’m going with this?
Understand the costs of your dreams and don’t be discouraged if the number seems unrealistically high.
Focus on your goals and the opportunities will present themselves, but don’t chase your dreams blindly.
You’re holding back and downplaying your dreams
Don’t doubt yourself or your capabilities.
Remember, the law of attraction knows no boundaries and if you know what you want and you work towards it every day, the universe will provide.
You are capable of amazing things if you just put your mind to it!
When you start doubting yourself or the power of manifestation, you’re setting yourself back unnecessarily and you could be discouraging yourself without even realising it.
Create your vision board, Pinterest the hell out of to make it aesthetically pleasing to you, set your intentions, and let it go. LET.IT.GO!
Don’t overthink it too much. This life is meant to be enjoyed and while you may feel like you’re in a rut that you’ll never get out of, just remember that by acknowledging your dreams, you’ve already taken the first steps to live your best life.
The minute you start doubting yourself, you’re already talking yourself out of the life that you could have and absolutely deserve!
READ: How to Stay Focused on your Goals in 2023
Best Practices for creating a Vision Board
Now, I don’t want to be focusing only on the negative, so here are a few best practices when you set your vision board up for the first time.
Add goals and aspirations that you’ve already achieved
Many make the mistake of thinking that vision boards are only for current dreams and goals but actually, by having your past wins on the board, you’re reminding yourself of how far you’ve come.
It’s a great motivational drive to look back and be grateful for everything you’ve already achieved and it reminds you of what you’re capable of.
Set your intention
I was first introduced to this concept when I read The Source, by Dr Tara Swart.
She describes your intention as the overarching goal that underpins everything else that you want to achieve for the future.
Say you have a successful blog or side hustle, your overarching goal or intention could be as follows:
“To develop the skills and confidence that I need in order to provide for my family and to find joy and happiness every single day.”
Nothing in life works unless you understand the WHY. Why do you want more money? Why do you want a house in the country-side? Why is it important for you to find that special someone in your life?
I know this goes deep, but part of a successful vision board is understanding yourself first, and then working on what you need to do, in order to get to where you want to be.
Digital vs Physical Vision Boards
While a digital board, such as a Pinterest board, is super easy to set up, I will always advocate for a physical board instead.
When creating a vision board from scratch, you’re tapping in to your creativity and you’re focused on being present and in the moment. You’re being intentional with everything that you choose to put on it.
When setting up digital boards it’s easy to grab images that look aesthetically pleasing, but what do they mean to you, what is the intention of having them on your board? Are they simply good to look at?
I would say that if you do like a digital board it’s not bad to have it available at all times as your wallpaper or screensaver, but often we could become desensitised to it and we’re not being intentional with the practice of visualisation.
So grab some magazines, glitter and glue, and express yourself as creatively as you want to when setting up your vision board.
Having a vision board truly makes a big difference when it comes to manifesting your dreams into reality. This method is used by millions of people worldwide and it can do great things for you as long as you’re not being ignorant about it. Know what you want, no matter how out of reach it may seem, and go get it!
Happy Manifesting x