Optimizing Your Vision Board: 5 Things to Avoid When Visualizing Your Future

Hi Friends,

Adejoké here! I'll be leading the Konseye Vision Board Workshop (and party) with a couple of guests this Sunday (rsvp here) and I'm excited to share some tips with you in advance. Today's #MondayMusing aims to provide valuable insights into the process, emphasizing five key elements to avoid to ensure your vision board is an effective tool for manifesting the future you want.

Tip 1: Avoid Creating a Complicated Vision Board 

The beauty of visualization lies in its simplicity and flexibility. You want to create focused attention on the life you desire. Avoid overcomplicating your board with too many images or words. You do not want your vision board to become cluttered causing you anxiety instead of the relaxed joyful feeling you want to experience when you look at it.

Tip 2: Your Vision Board is NOT Your “To-Do” List 

One common pitfall when creating a vision board is turning it into a checklist. This is one temptation that can be hard to avoid because we can get very excited about the “how” of making our vision come true. Instead of listing tasks or goals, focus on images and words that capture the emotions and core essence of your goals.

For example, if your dream is to establish a bakery, place on your board images depicting a thriving bakery, perhaps add a mantra that resonates with the feelings of accomplishment and success. Do not create a vision board with lists such as “submit applications to culinary school,” “complete culinary course,” or “sell 10 cakes etc.” A more effective vision board would have an image of a beautiful bakery for example, or happy customers eating some baked goods with joy on their faces. Such images depict your ultimate vision. If you like mantras and affirmations, you could add something like: “I am the driving force behind a successful bakery, leaving customers with smiles of satisfaction. Each day, my baking passion turns into delicious creations, making my bakery a symbol of joy, community, and sweet success."

Tip 3: Steer Clear of Negative Emotions

Positivity is the driving force behind an effective vision board. Avoid incorporating negative statements or images that evoke unwanted emotions. Let us do a little exercise. 

Picture Mary. Mary is an employee in a difficult work environment where she feels unappreciated. Mary may write a statement on her vision board: “I do not want to work in difficult environments where I am made to feel like I do not matter.” Take a moment and read that statement again. What is the primary feeling you experience when you read that? Is it joyful or is it anxious?  Do you feel any sensation in your body when you read that? Where and what? Is it relaxing or is it restricting?  Finally, what are the images or series of thoughts that come up in your mind when you read Mary's statement? Do you see happy co-workers or does the statement bring forth images of how hard Mary must be having it at work?

Okay, let’s erase this from our memory, breathe in and try again. Instead of a negative statement, let us look at this statement: “I enjoy going to work daily in a workplace where I am respected and deeply appreciated.” Think again about how you feel when reading this statement, what images and thoughts come to your mind and any sensations in your body, and compare it with the previous statement.

Tip 4: Personal Connection Is Key

Resist the urge to include elements on your vision board based on societal expectations. Each image and word should hold personal significance to you - aligning with your unique values and aspirations and not your friends, parents, co-workers, or even celebrities. A genuine connection to the visuals enhances the motivational impact of your vision board, making it a true reflection of your authentic self or your BIG self like a coach of mine once told me.

Let's take Mary again. Mary is the first of her family to earn a graduate degree in law and the expectation is that she would become a partner in a top law firm after working for a few years as an associate lawyer because her family believes that such a role would give her financial security. However, Mary does not enjoy practicing law; in fact she has told her friends that she would rather pluck her eyes out. Mary's secret passion is baking. Mary might be tempted - due to family expectations - to place an image or references to working as a top lawyer on her vision board. But this is not a vision of the life she wants to live and most importantly she has no personal connection to such images. What Mary really desires is financial security. Wouldn't she be better off putting images of what financial security looks and feels like to her on her vision board?

Tip 5: Take Time to Reflect Before Starting Your Vision Board 

This is probably one of the most important aspects of creating a vision board that is often overlooked. Putting together pretty photos and empowering affirmations may seem more fun than doing the critical work of gaining clarity over your dreams and why they are important to you. Just like building a house - you would want to first ensure you have a solid foundation before you start worrying about whether you want to install ceramic or porcelain tiles in the master bathroom. So friends, take some time to do the important work first. Look at it as a free investment in yourself. This would actually make the rest of the vision board process more enjoyable. Some questions to ask yourself to begin: 

There are many more questions you can ask but these should get you started in the much needed conversation with yourself. 

So there you have it friend - 5 things to avoid when creating your vision board. In next week’s #MondayMusing we will go into what makes vision boards effective. Hint - it is not the pretty images; rather it has to do with mindset and action. But we’ll get to that next week.

If you have not already secured your spot at our free community event, what are you waiting for? Join us this Sunday, 14 January 2024 (3pm - 5pm GMT) for the Konseye Vision Board Workshop (and party). RSVP HERE.

Have an amazing week and remember, with the right network anything is possible!

Adejoké

Founder & Mentor - Konseye, The Mentorship Network