With every new year comes a surge of energy. And for a while, your newfound drive inspires and motivates you to go after your goals right up until the point when it just—*poof*—vanishes a few months later.
So, until science figures out how we can bottle the new year’s buzzy positivity and make it last forever, for now, your best option is preserving that energy on a vision board. Whether on a poster or your Pinterest, a visual representation of your goals—including the ones you didn’t even know you wanted—can serve as a constant reminder of the things you want to manifest IRL.
Zeva Bellel, a certified career and leadership coach who specializes in vision board coaching, describes them as "an assemblage of images that speak to you on a deeper level because they tap into your hidden dreams and aspirations."
Meet the Experts:
Zeva Bellel is a certified career and leadership coach based in Paris, France. She specializes in leading vision board coaching workshops.
Dr. Erlanger Turner, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, an associate professor at Pepperdine University, and the author of Mental Health among African Americans: Innovations in Research and Practice. He is also a member of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) and the American Psychological
Association (APA).
Amy Morin, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist, a psychology lecturer at Northeastern University, and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.
In fact, she often uses vision boards in her coaching because it helps people articulate desires that are otherwise hard to express. "What's important is not what I see, but what the client sees—what are they drawn to most, what are they confused by, what do they want more of or less of in their life? Then, I ask them to imagine how those changes might impact their lives professionally and personally," she explains of her process. "It's really all about exploring inwards what you deeply want and then creating ripple effects outwards across your life."
At their core, vision boards are meant to be your link between your conscious and unconscious aspirations, says Bellel. (Think: If you build it, the goals will come.)
And there are some psychological benefits to manifesting those "good vibes," says Dr. Erlanger Turner, PhD, licensed psychologist, associate professor at Pepperdine University, and author of Mental Health among African Americans: Innovations in Research and Practice. "That can help you feel more confident and have a strong belief [in yourself] that helps you to self-actualize your goals," he adds, noting that research on positive psychology has found optimism and hope about the future important to well-being.
"For example, research shows that optimism is associated with increased happiness, decreased negative emotions such as sadness, reductions in stress, and increased quality of life," he explains.
Ahead, learn everything you need to know about creating the vision board that'll help tap into what you really want.
So, what exactly is the purpose of a vision board?
Simply put, vision boards are supposed to spark a light in you. So many goals are centered around what's expected of you rather than what actually moves you. Think about it: How many times have you put off a goal because you didn't think you had the time, the skills, or the funds?
An image-first vision board awakens those goals you might have been suppressing, Bellel says, and puts an image to the dreams you already knew you had. By flipping through magazines or scrolling down Pinterest for things that pique your interest, you're freeing yourself from the resistance that so often creeps up when you're envisioning your ideal future.
"I liken it to going into a dressing room," Bellel says, but instead of trying on clothes, you're trying on images and photographs for size and seeing how they "fit" your life.
Do vision boards actually work?
The short answer: Yes, with the right kind of imagery.
While positive psychology has found that being optimistic about your future can help you self-actualize your goals, research has also shown that merely fantasizing about an ideal future may actually decrease your likelihood of reaching said future, according to Amy Morin, LCSW, a licensed psychotherapist, psychology lecturer at Northeastern University, and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.
When you picture yourself achieving a goal, your brain reacts as if you have already accomplished it, explains Morin. As a form of celebration, your brain produces a relaxation response, decreasing your motivation and leaving you ill-prepared to face any challenges that may arise in achieving your goals, she adds.
As vision boards tend to contain images of you at your goals, rather than the hard work it might have taken you to achieve them, they can ultimately backfire.
So, instead of visualizing yourself living your dream life, it’s more beneficial to picture yourself working towards it, says Morin. This way, you prepare the brain to do the hard work to meet your goals, and in turn, you’re more likely to reach them.
If, for example, your goal is to win a ribbon at a 5k race, instead of putting an image of you at the finish line on your vision board, you might place a photo of you running. "This can help you stay motivated and keeps your brain focused on the fact that you haven’t earned the reward yet, but with hard work, you might be able to get there," says Morin.
Got big goals this year? You're in good company. Watch this video to learn more:
When should I make a vision board?
Whenever you want. Traditionally though, Bellel says they're created in honor of the new year and birthdays since these moments are associated with getting a fresh start. But any time you're saying goodbye to one phase of your life and transitioning to another, whether that's after a move or a breakup, she recommends creating a vision board to get yourself energized.
Gotcha. How do I actually create a vision board?
If you're going the brick-and-mortar route, you'll first need some supplies:
- A standard foam poster board (cardboard or a corkboard also work)
- Glue (or thumbtacks if using a corkboard)
- Scissors
- Three-to-six magazines that focus on various topics and are heavy on photos
Vision Board Materials
Elmer's Washable No-Run School Glue
Want to try a virtual vision board? All you have to do is set up a free Pinterest account. Once you log in, you'll be prompted to answer a few q's so the website's algorithm can show you images relevant to your interests. You can still keep your answers fairly broad to open yourself up to unexpected images that might strike a chord with you.
Now that you have all of your materials, it’s time to actually assemble your board. Ahead, Bellel walks you through how to do just that:
1. Set aside three hours to assemble the entire board.
This time will be broken down into intervals dedicated to each step of the creation process. (It also prevents you from endless scrolling, if you've gone for the virtual option.) While you might want to drag the project out over a few days or weeks, Bellel doesn't recommend it because you'll start to lose sight of what you want. The slight sense of urgency of a three-hour time limit will help your mind zero in on the things it wants as soon as it sees it.
2. Create an environment for inspiration to grow and flourish.
Think of making a vision board as an active form of self-care, meaning it's supposed to be fun! So, put on your favorite playlist—Bellel suggests something light and joyful that won't distract you.
3. Start seeking out the images that speak to you.
Set a timer for 30 to 45 minutes, and begin perusing those magazine pages or pinning those photos.
If you're flipping through magazines, Bellel recommends going through each one twice: "First, get a general idea of what's in each magazine. Then, during the second flip-through, whenever you see a photo that sparks a light in you, rip out the whole page." Once you've got a pile of inspo, walk away from it and take a break for about 15 minutes.
Same goes for the Pinterest pals: Pin whatever sparks a light in you, then step away from the tech and take a break.
4. Hone in on the images that reflect your ambitions.
When you come back to your magazine pages or pinned images, dedicate the next 45 minutes to focusing on the photos that excited you. "Invite the original intention to play a role in your final selection," Bellel says. If a picture still sparks something in you, cut it out. If it doesn't? Ditch it. (Again, the same principle applies to your virtual vision board: Keep the best, Marie Kondo the rest.)
From the pile of keepers, start making smaller piles of the images you think make sense together. Maybe one pile focuses on more professional goals, while another is all about travel.
On Pinterest, you can pin photos and infographics to different boards, making mini boards that focus on a specific aspiration or feeling. Play around with assigning pins to different boards and see how they fit together.
Now, it's time for another break.
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5. Begin arranging your photos.
When you come back, take 20 to 30 minutes to arrange your images on your poster board without actually gluing anything to it just yet. "This is the time to ask questions to your board," says Bellel. While it might sound strange, she says the board should start to feel like a mirror—reflecting you back to you.
Ask: What does this board as a whole say to me? How does it make me feel? What is the energy that it's giving off? What am I most drawn to? Which images call out to me? Why do I identify with those in particular? If I could turn the volume up or down on any part of the board, which parts would that be?
If an image or an entire area your board seems strange or out of place, lean into that, Bellel says. "You might find some untapped resistance in that part of your board." Whether you've gone Pinterest or poster board, it's not too late to make tweaks, after all.
6. Get gluing!
After all that, if when looking at the board you see yourself and what you want for yourself looking back at you, glue everything down.
With a virtual vision board, you can always add and delete images, but aim to mimic the gluing part of the process by leaving your boards as they are. (Don't worry, you can always make more!)
Where should I store my vision board?
Somewhere you can see it. Just having it in view on a regular basis might be enough to keep you inspired to act on your goals. But, if it doesn't, Bellel says to keep on asking it questions. "Interrogate it everyday," she affirms. Ask: How am I moving forward with this part of the board? What are the most intuitive steps I can take right now to get me closer to this goal?
If you’re thinking about the specific steps needed to achieve a specific goal, are the images on your board helping you get closer to that end goal or do you need to redirect?
With an online board, make a habit of checking in on it every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. Or, if you have a printer, you can always print out your virtual vision board and hang it up in your home.
Should the goals on my vision board have an end date?
That's totally up to you, says Bellel. If your board has a mix of short- and long-term goals, you probably won't achieve them all at the same time. So, once you knock out a few, you might consider updating your board with some new ambitions (more on that in a sec), or keep it as is until you've accomplished everything.
And even if you don't meet every single goal you identified on that board, you can always mark it as a work in progress and start a new board with new goals you'd like to work on at the same time.
"You can't get this wrong," says Bellel. Because there is already so much pressure around setting and meeting goals, she explains that the sole purpose of a vision board is to bring some enjoyment back to the experience of wanting more for yourself.
How can I update my vision board once it's been made?
After you accomplish a few of your goals or your ambitions change, you might want to update your board with new intentions. Whether your board is virtual or IRL, updating your board is as simple as changing your clothes (to go back to the dressing room reference).
Once you reach a goal on your board, you can simply remove the image or paste over it with a new aspiration. For Pinterest users: Simply delete the pin from your board or move it into a new board where you can store all of your accomplishments—looking back on these completed goals can be a great reminder of all the amazing things you’ve done, and can help motivate you to chase after new dreams.
Ultimately, your board should push you to achieve your aspirations by outlining the steps you plan to take to meet your end goals, says Morin. While it might be helpful to keep an image of a desired outcome on your vision board, put it on the side of your board and instead focus on highlighting the steps you’re going to take today and over the next few months to get one step closer to achieving your dreams.
And if you ever find yourself in doubt, remember the wisdom of Jordin Sparks: When it comes to goal-setting, just take one step at a time.
Naydeline Mejia is an assistant editor at Women’s Health, where she covers sex, relationships, and lifestyle for WomensHealthMag.com and the print magazine. She is a proud graduate of Baruch College and has more than two years of experience writing and editing lifestyle content. When she’s not writing, you can find her thrift-shopping, binge-watching whatever reality dating show is trending at the moment, and spending countless hours scrolling through Pinterest.
