Reach Your Life Goals With a Personal Growth Vision Board

by Cricket Wingfield, MD

Reach Your Life Goals. Just the thought sounds pretty lofty.

We’re often caught up in our day-to-day, and forget to ask those bigger questions, like what do I want at a deeper level, how do I want to feel, what do I want to learn, and who do I want to become, to grow into, the values to stand by, the fun experiences I want to have? Developing ourselves, learning and growing, deepening our relationships, having fun and adventures. If you find yourself saying, “I’ll have more of that!” read on.

Whatever your life goals and dreams, whether you’re dreaming big or keeping it simple, growing and developing will hone your skills and broaden your horizons. Vision boards or dream boards work to help you clarify your life goals and even reach your goals. A personal growth vision board gets you focused on your growing edges, what you want to learn, and any area of life where you want to develop yourself. By using both images and words, a vision board engages your whole brain; the right side loves images, color, and possibility while the left side loves words, plans, and strategies. Using the whole brain also gives your subconscious mind a clear picture of where you are headed, so it can work in the background to achieve your goals.

Before you even start with your vision board, try this visualization tool for more holistic goal setting.

Scan through the areas of your life, and make a list of the areas where you want to grow. Is there a new skill you want to learn either just for fun, health, weight loss, a new DIY project, to take control of your finances, communicate more clearly, or as professional development?

Make that list and pick the top one to three you want to focus on now. For each one, take a moment to imagine the result that you want. Even though learning and growing are ongoing, the level of mastery you desire in each area may vary. Do you want to know just enough French to get around on your next trip to Paris, or would you like to be fluent enough to be a professional translator? Setting a personal goal or result in each area will give you the bullseye to aim for in the next step.

Now that you have a goal or result, consider your why. What is important about this? What will it mean to you, and/or the ones you love? How will you feel when you’ve grown in this area? Who will you grow into being? Is there a name for this aspect of yourself, the one who persists, leans in, and grows?

At this stage, it’s time to get creative with vision board ideas! Thumb through magazines, looking for both images and words resonant with your goals. Use images that represent your outcome and words describing your goals and how you want to feel, and who you will be, as you reach them. Paste them on a poster board or into your Living Vision Board. If you found a name for your inner persister in the step above, add that, too! If you have a favorite motivational quote, find a place for that. Make it fun, full of life as you want to live it, and inviting to your sensibilities. This is your direction, so let it feel good, compelling, rewarding, and most of all fun! Let your vision board, dream board, or Living Vision Board reflect your delight in reaching your goals with a big YES!

When you have your Living Vision Board you’ll be using it on a daily basis to awaken, clarify, refine, and achieve your goals. You’ll be tracking your progress and keeping your why in the forefront of your mind. If you’re using a poster board, it’s good to spend time revisiting your goals, as well as the rewards of achieving your goals. Whatever form you use, keep your goals and dreams top of mind, and keep moving in their direction.