What is a vision board?
A vision board is a visual representation of the future. People often make it for the upcoming year in January, so if you do a vision board right now, it will be for what you’d like to see ahead in 2026.
Why do you need one?
A vision board helps you to clarify your wants and needs. It propels you to achieve goals by visually putting them out in front of you. Even just by going through the motions to create one, you’re taking the first step toward that future by putting attention – and intention – toward what you want.
How to Make a Vision Board
Are you analog or digital? If you like arts and crafts, you can transform a used Amazon box into a mood board by cutting it into a rectangle and gluing photos of the things you want onto it.
If you’re digital, there are apps dedicated to creating vision boards, or you can use something like Canva (note: I had to search for “mood board” templates because, for some reason, “vision board” didn’t yield anything useful).
Your vision board can include pictures and words – whatever you find aspirational and aligned with the future you want.
Once you’ve made your vision board, hang it somewhere you will see it (or set it as your desktop background).
My Experience Making a Vision Board
Truth be told, I’m not a vision board person.
I’ve always taken the approach of shooting for the moon and leaving the “aiming” to the universe. This has worked for me, but I’ve heard of significant benefits to going through the vision board process. Some people swear by the law of attraction and see vision boards as a big part of that.
A vision board was this week’s homework for a Women’s Financial Success Circle I am hosting, which is what prompted me to get on the vision board train. I’m excited to see what kind of results making a vision board this year produces for me in 2026!
What if you don’t have a vision?
- Start with anything clear. Even if it’s just one thing you want, what is it?
- Are there some things you’re doing for sure this year that you’d like to do well?
- Identify things that are unclear, around which you’d like clarity.
- Let the juices flow. Take your time. Revisit after you’ve had some time to think about what you put on there.
Vision Board Observations:
♦ Most people like this exercise because it makes you really feel like you’re doing something for your future, and it helps you to clarify what you want to do this year.
♦ The actual process of making the vision board is not that straightforward. Either you need to be handy with scissors and glue (and have some source of images), or you need a little digital know-how. Canva was easy once I found the template and got moving.
♦ It helps to define an overarching theme for your year. Mine is “Progress and Prosperity.” To me, this includes moving forward in a reliable, measured way despite global volatility because I have processes and systems in place that will withstand the disruption. What’s yours?
♦ If you can quantify something, do it. Perhaps you’ve heard of “SMART” goals. “SMART” stands for “Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.” The closer you can get to ticking all these boxes with your aspirations, the more “achievable” your goal will be.
♦ It’s ok to use photos of yourself and your family! Usually, when we see vision boards, they’re made up of random images. I wanted to use some images from my life because they were areas I want to keep growing, and I think actually seeing ME on my vision board helps bring that idea into reality.
♦ Consider buckets in which you’d like to grow. My vision board included buckets for relationships, health & wellness, work, and finances.
Now what?
Even if you don’t refer back to this throughout the year, the vision board activity is valuable because it helps you identify what you want and shows you areas where you might need more clarity. It’s a positive way to take a moment for yourself.
Having said that, your vision board is even more helpful if you put it somewhere you can see it and check in with it regularly. Consider revisiting it monthly. Are you making progress toward your goals? Have your priorities shifted (why?)?
Need help clarifying your vision?
Having just gone through this activity, I can empathize with how hard it can be to sit down and get started. If you need an accountability partner or sounding board, you can find me at https://kyladuffy.com.
Go for it!
