Tips on How to Create a Vision Board for the New Year

Happy New Year! As we reach the end of the year and look toward the future, I thought I'd share with you an annual tradition that I do every year - creating a vision board. 

I've been creating vision boards for the last decade, but it's only been the last several years that I've started to do this with friends. In the past, I'd squirrel away in my office and surround myself with magazines, my journal, scissors, and glue, and then imagine my life over the next year. Now, I do the same thing but with friends over drinks. For me, it's more impactful to share this ritual with others as it feels more real when I share my intentions with others. 

This year, our Vision Board party was slightly different as it took place over Zoom instead of in person. I still have my cocktail in hand, but we connected in a virtual space rather than in a communal state.

Here's some tips on how to create a vision board:

1) Reflect on the past year - First, take some time to reflect on the past year. I usually do this by writing these questions on a word document and providing space for the answers:  

• What are you most proud of in 2020?

• What do you wish you would have done more of in 2020?

• What do you want to say goodbye to in 2020?

It’s important to look back to consider the things that filled you up as well as the things that you’d like to say goodbye to. I think we can all agree that there is so much to let go of in 2020. Here’s a pro-tip: it's more powerful when you write the answers down in your own handwriting. That's because it seeps into your body and subconscious when you handwrite your reflections instead of type it out.

2) Consider what you want to invite into the New Year - On the same document, write down the things that you want for 2021. I don't like to be too prescriptive here on what these things should be. They can be goals, intentions, or wishes - basically anything you want to invite into your life. I try to think of at least 3-5 things that I want to focus on during the year. 

Frame your intentions in the positive rather than the negative. For example, rather than say, "I want to lose weight," say, "I want more energy” or “I’d like to wear my Size 6 jeans proudly." If you negatively frame things, your subconscious will focus on the negative, not the positive results you want.

3) Do a little imaginary future pacing. When you consider your intentions, think about how your life might change when you reach those aspirations. Think about the feelings that are associated with each of your wishes. If you had more energy, how would that make you feel? Content? Excited? Unstoppable? Write down those feelings as well.

4) Also consider the 'why' under each of your intentions. When you think about your goals, uncover the 'why' beneath them. For what purpose will each of those intentions make your life better? Maybe having more energy will help you be more productive in your business. Perhaps it will help you give more to your customers or clients or your family.

5) Bring your vision to life through pictures and words. Now it's time to create your vision board. Looking at the things you want to invite into your life, create a vision board that reflects your positive intentions. Pick out images that capture what you want, especially those that capture the feelings and emotions beneath what you want. Don't be afraid to use color or texture to convey this feeling. If you want more serenity, your vision board might look soft, ethereal, and calming. If you want to be more expressive, your vision board might be more colorful and energetic. 

Most years, I do my vision board in a collage format. I take a big piece of paper and fill it up with images and words cut out from magazines. You can better manipulate the design with a collage, but you need to access good magazines. It's also fun getting messy with paper and glue. 

The alternative I chose this year was to build a digital collage in Powerpoint or Canva. I've created a lot of mood boards on both. The vision boards may end up a bit more linear. But you can still manipulate scale, orientation, and text, so you can still get some dynamism in a digital format, even if you don't have mad editing skills. It's a great alternative to collaging if you do not have many magazines on hand since you’ll have access to millions of Internet images. 

There you have it, the 'how-to' on creating a Vision Board for the new year. I recommend doing it at the end of the year or the first month of the year to bring some clarity and focus to the next year. You can also do vision boards throughout the year. I keep a vision book with the images that inspire me and things I want to call into my life beyond just this year.

Keep the vision board near to remind yourself of all the wonderful things you will create this year. This year, I set my vision board as the backdrop to my computer.

Remember, the purpose of a vision board is to inspire you. So, don't beat yourself up if you look at this later in the year and feel like you are falling short. Just course correct and keep moving forward.

I wish you all the best for 2021!