Assembling a vision board is a creative way to explore and describe your hope for how your life will expand into the future. It is a practice of intentionality to visualize the plans you have for yourself and setting them as a tangible reminder as you strive to manifest your ideal life. There’s no particular magic in this process beyond the mystery of trusting yourself to have a vision for your life and a willingness to take steps to make realize your hopes and dreams.
Give yourself at least an hour to experience this practice.
What you will need for this practice:
- Something on which to assemble your vision board. I recommend something at least 8 x 10 inches and as large as 18 x 24. You might choose a canvas, large piece of cardboard, foam core or even a thin bit of plywood.
- Old magazines, postcards or even cool art books found in a thrift store (Try to stay away from Google and enjoy the slow ambling, tactile experience of browsing hand-held material.).
- Scissors
- Glue
- A couple of tea lights
- This Spotify playlist
Before you begin take a moment to quiet the room where you will work. Close your computer, silence your phone and invite others living with you to enter their own quiet time.
Light the candles and set them just outside of your work space.
Breathe in slowly and fully arrive where you are.
Notice where your body touches the furniture.
Now, imagine you are walking in a new neighborhood with cozy, safe houses lining the street. It is early afternoon and people are happily moving about, smiling or waving as you pass by. As you walk, your attention is drawn to an opening in a lush hedge.
When you draw closer your future life of happiness comes into focus just beyond the hedges. What does that life look like? Where do you live? What are you doing that brings you happiness? Who is part of your life? Try to see the fine details that fill in your ideal life.
Now, with some images in mind, give yourself ample time to flip through magazines, salvaged books, old postcards or even old doodles idling in erstwhile journals.
Select and clip images, words, shapes and colors that represent your vision of an ideal life. Collect as many as you like, even if you don’t end up using them on your vision board. Be generous with your vision.
Before gluing to the board, assemble the clippings in a pleasing way. There is NO right or wrong way to do as long as it makes sense to you. Once you like the layout, glue the images to the board.
Once dry, place your vision board somewhere in your daily field of vision to remind you of your hopes and dreams. Some folks choose to hang a vision board right in the kitchen while others enjoy the feeling of tucking their board in a place where they can meditate on their future in private.
After choosing your location, take a deep breath and thank yourself for the time spent creating a tangible reminder of your hopes.
Extinguish the candles.
