How to create a Vision Board

The concept of a Vision Board is to clarify how you wish to design your life, or part there of.

Before you begin your Vision Board, sit quietly and ask yourself what is it you want? Set the intention of your desires in now designing your life. Perhaps some images will come to mind. Then, later as you search for images for your board, you may also be inspired with other images. However, it is important to first BE WITH YOURSELF, to see and know what is important to you, without the persuasion of media, the internet, or other people's desires. (Of course, you can 'borrow' desires through inspired sharing later). Also, when you go to create your board, set yourself up in a 'sacred space' with some soft, meditative music.

First you create a collage of images and words of affirmation to surround your conscious mind with images of what you want, how you want to live your life, who you want to become, what values you want to vibrate with on a daily basis.

There are several ways you can design your Vision Board.

It can be made under the pretext that:

1. "You know exactly what you want", if you are clear about your desires or there is something specific you want to manifest, or to make a significant life change such as moving house/location, career, relationship etc.
2. The "Opening and Allowing" Vision Board, if you feel resistant or hesitant to pin-point exactly what you want, because you simply are going through a transitional period of not knowing what you want. Or perhaps you know what you want, but are stuck on the "HOW?!" Often a transitional period of grief or depression sometimes experienced during a change of life circumstances: divorce, separation, a death, loss of job, etc can have you feeling 'stuck' in knowing exactly what you want. That is perfectly OK. In this case, you are encouraged to dream, spread your thoughts with wings and experience the magic happen.
   
3. A Specific "Theme" Vision Board for a particular period of time (eg. 2009) or event, such as a Birthday, Celebration, Wedding, etc.
   

Personally, I have been creating Vision Boards every 6 months, with the focus on a year. I have found this to be extremely powerful, and have witnessed and experienced manifesting almost everything on my Vision Boards! Which is why I also review them regularly.

Just a note on the "Opening and Allowing" Vision Board: In creating a collage of images and positive affirmations, it can sometimes feel overwhelming, when in this emotional space of uncertainty.

I highly recommend a gentle and kind focus on healing images and positive affirmations to help you center your vibrational (energy) core.

If you find yourself being a tough critic eg, "you won't ever get that!" "that's never going to happen" etc and find yourself 'stuck' on the "HOW?" then creating the "Opening and Allowing" board will be a great opportunity for you to nurture your spirit and place yourself in a receptive state once again.

Remember, you can always update your Vision Board again, as you shift emotionally. You will find that as you start attracting some of your desires into reality, you will gain emotional momentum in magnetizing even more.

You can also create a combination of all three types of Vision Board strategies. The key is to trust and follow YOUR INTUITION.

Methods to design your board:

Traditional: Using Poster Board

1. Traditionally, you will pick a large sized piece of poster board, and pick a color that resonates with you at the time of creating it.
2. Collect images and affirming words (I also like emotions: eg 'JOY!' 'Gratitude,' 'Abundance') from magazines, internet, etc which depict the vision of your life or event that you wish to create. Play with these against the poster board, moving them around to what feels right for you.
   
3. Glue everything onto the board, add any additional writing or embellishments you desire.
   
4. Create a space in the middle of the board to place a picture of yourself radiating joy, laughter, happiness. The BEST photo you can find, or take, which has you in an energetic field of love, laughter, joy. One that you also remember a magic moment.
   
5. Frame your poster board, and hang it where you will see it every single day, and often.
6. Take a photo of your poster board, laminate the photo and stick to your diary or journal, to give yourself an extra 'Vision Board' to focus on regularly throughout the day. This also allows you the opportunity to share your Vision Board with like-minded people who are interested in your journey (you will be amazed at what 'miracles' show up when you share your vision with people you now begin to attract into your life to help you create the life of your dreams.)
   

Digitally on your computer
As a frequent global traveler, I have changed my strategy of Vision Board creation to a digital version.

1. Open up a new word document (pc) or pages file (mac), choose landscape page set-up
2. Google images online of what you want to add to your Vision Board.
3. Create word text and positive affirmations to overlay on your Vision Board.
   
4. As with the traditional Vision Board, add a picture of you on the board, preferably in the center.
5. Save as a PDF, and keep a copy stored on your desktop for daily viewing.
   
6. Print a copy (A4), laminate and carry with you. (I have mine with me everywhere I go, keeping it next to my bed whether I stay at a hotel, at a friend's place, or in a campervan!)
7. You can also save each image to a new word document and run the collective images as a screen saver, as an additional way to 'view' your Vision Board even more often.

Note: there are also now Vision Board Software products available to help you create your Vision Board even faster, using templates to guide you. A GREAT example is a product by Ryan Higgins, called Mind Movies.

Remember, you want to be able to SEE your Vision Board as often as possible. You are creating the SEEDS of desire, CLARIFYING your Vision, and INVITING your desires into your life.

The caveat is.... You must FEEL great when you SEE your vision board. When you focus on your vision board, stay centered in gratitude for all that you have NOW, and all that is on it's way to you NOW. The other part of this equation, is that as you see and feel yourVISION, you will cause yourself to think different thoughts, take different actions, behave and believe in a newer way, now beginning to attract what you want into your life.

Some Extra Tips:

1. Have FUN! Be Playful! ALLOW YOURSELF to DREAM BIG!
2. Create an afternoon of play with family or friends, who also want to create their Vision Board.
3. Allow yourself time to complete it, and 'tweak' it. (My first Vision Board took me three days to complete).
4. Consider BALANCE: Spiritual, Financial, Assets, Relationships, Self, Lifestyle, Health & Fitness, Environment. Also, when laying out your images, consider keeping them in segments, in some orderly fashion, linking the images up in how it makes sense to you.
5. Get photos of you experiencing what you want already. Consider going to 'test drive' a car, or walk through that home you want. Get a picture of you IN the car, versus cutting one out of a magazine or brochure.. You lock that emotional image in even more, with greater magnetizm.
   

****NOTE FROM KATIE*****

If you've found this blog valuable, I invite you to leave your feedback in the comment box below. I would also LOVE to hear from you when you have completed YOUR Vision Board, and now in the slip stream of manifesting more of what YOU WANT into your life!