How to Make a Vision Board That Actually Works (in 4 Simple Steps)

Some people’s vision boards don’t fail because they weren’t inspired. Their vision board failed because they weren’t taught how to use it properly. Solely focusing on aesthetics or creating a vision board that trigger comparison rather than motivation are common reasons why many people vision boards aren’t effective. So, let’s discover four simple steps on how you can make a vision board that actually works for you and the common pitfalls to avoid when creating your vision board.

The Psychology Behind Making a Vision Board that Actually Works

1. Visualization Activates the Same Neural Pathways as Action

According to Sports Psychology, athletes use visualization to improve skills and performance and boost confidence (Stephen et al., 2022). They visualize themselves doing a certain routine or skill that triggers the same neural pathways as actually doing it.

When we vividly visualize something, our brain can’t distinguish whether we have already lived it or not, which propels us to take action.

In other words, when we visualize our vision, our brain doesn’t know the difference of whether we’re living it or not. As a result, we align our actions to our vision.

2. Identity Shapes Behavior

Behavioral Science states that we act in alignment with how we view ourselves (Alfrey et al., 2023). Therefore, if we view ourselves as someone who lacks confidence, we will act like one. On the flip side, if we view ourselves as someone who is confident, we will act like one.

This is how manifesting with a vision board works: by viewing and then aligning your behavior to the person you want to become.

The reality is, you will subconsciously make decisions based on your identity.

Moreover, your vision board will work when your identity shapes your behavior because it is the blueprint of who you want to be and who you’re already becoming.

3. Repetition Builds Belief

Our beliefs are built on the repeated thoughts that we deem to be true. When we see images and affirmations or quotes on our vision board that trigger an emotion within us, we start to believe them. As a result, those beliefs become normal to our brains. We build this belief by pairing affirmations with action images on our vision board.

Here’s Four Simple Steps to Making a Vision Board That Actually Works

Step One: Turn Your Vision into Small Actions

Firstly, to make a vision board that actually works, you must take action. The things on your vision board will not magically manifest themselves in your life. Hence, you will have to put in the work.

Action is what separates your vision board from being a vision to being your reality.

Moreover, our brains change when we consistently repeat an action.

To learn how to make your vision board come true by taking tiny actions, look at each goal of your life categories (physical health, family/relationships, career, etc.) and ask yourself, ‘Which small action habit can I take in [the category] to make it my vision board a reality?’

For example, if the category is mental health and your goals is to reduce your stress levels and increase calmness. Maybe a micro-action can be to meditate for 5 minutes each day. If your category is intellectual and you goal is to read 15 philosophical books, a small action can be to read for 30 minutes each morning.

Step Two: Use Implementation Intentions to Your Advantage

Implementation Intention is a powerful psychological tool when manifesting with a vision board. The concept of Implementation Intention is to turn your intentions into automated actions by eliminating the decision process when carrying out an action because you made all of the decisions prior.

Behavioral Psychologists tell us that we are more likely to achieve our goals if we make decisions in advance for a certain situation; ‘if then this happens, then I’ll do that’ (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006).

Also, Implementation Intentions reduces the need to rely on willpower or motivation because we already made a decision when a certain situation arises.

For instance, when you feel unmotivated to exercise, you’ve made a decision prior to exercise for 15 minutes.

By pre-deciding what to do before a certain situation arises, this triggers your brain to automatically respond.

Moreover, Implementation Intentions reduce decision fatigue and will keep you on the path to making your vision a reality.

To make a vision board that actually works using Implementation Intentions, consider planning for obstacles such as low energy, busy days, or self-doubt ahead of time. This will keep you on track even on imperfect days.

Over time, these small responses build consistency and bring you closer to making your vision board a reality.

Step Three: Align Your Identity with Your Daily Choices

Thirdly, on how to make a vision board that works, you have to make daily choices that will bring you closer to the life or person you want to become on your vision board.

Ask yourself daily: ‘What would the person on my vision board do today?’ Whether big or small, every action you take consistently will bring you closer to making your vision board a reality.

Psychology tells us that our behavior is driven by our identity; the more we act a certain way, the more our new identity is strengthened (Alfrey et al., 2023). Our identity strengthens our behavior, and our behavior is what creates results. In other words, we’ll begin to transform into the person we want to become on our vision board.

By aligning your identity to your daily choices, you will close the gap between who you are now and who you want to become.

Moreover, this new identity will change your self-concept, making your vision feel less like a dream and more like your reality.

Step Four: Track Evidence, Not Just Outcomes

Lastly, to make a vision board that actually works, track your improvement and not just your achievements. One of the most common reasons many people lose motivation is that they solely measure their success by what they’ve accomplished. Furthermore, some people only care to know that they’ve achieved a goal and not the growth they’ve obtained. As a result, if a goal is taking too long to achieve, they will give up and discard all of the progress they’ve made.

However, our brains boost our confidence through evidence. For example, when we keep track of the days we showed up, keep our promises, or accomplish our daily goal, we give our brain permission to build self-trust, which predicts long-term success.

Instead of focusing on the results, focus on the woman you want to become. Moreover, this approach reduces self-doubt and unmotivation and increases consistency and self-belief.

Four Reasons Why Vision Boards Don’t Work

Reason One: Vision Boards Fail When It’s Solely for Aesthetics

When a vision board is purely made with eye-catching images with no emotions attached, it is more likely to fail.

A vision board that is purely for aesthetics will stimulate desire but not direction.

As a result, we will only desire this life, but not take actions to live it.

When it comes to manifesting with a vision board, our brain needs meaning, emotion, and personal connection to make it relevant to us. Furthermore, our vision board should be a visual guide to shaping our lives rather than for decoration.

Reason Two: Vision Boards Fail When They Ignore Behavior and the Process Required to Make the Vision Real

Another reason why vision boards don’t work is that they don’t show the process it takes to achieve the vision.

When creating a vision board that actually works, consider using images that show the process to the end result. Your vision board also needs action images. A great rule of thumb is for each category(Physical Health, Intellectual, Relationship, etc.),use one to two action images.

You want your vision board to have doable steps. It should show habits and systems to get you where you want to be. As a result making your vision board a reality.

Psychology states that change happen through repeated action and not visualization alone.

When we only have images of our desired outcome on our vision board but not the action to get there, our brain struggles to connect the execution to the action.

Reason Three: Vision Boards Fail When They Reinforce Comparison Rather Than of Self-expansion

If your vision board triggers feelings of inadequacy or pressure, it will work against you.

Your brain sees comparison as a threat, resulting in self-doubt. You will not feel motivated but rather discouraged.

Therefore, make your vision board a reflection of how you see yourself in the future, not based on someone else’s lifestyle. A great idea is to place images of yourself on your vision board, and act like this higher version. This will make your vision board personal. Your vision board should encourage self-growth and not self-hinderance.

Reason Four: Vision Boards Fail When They Don’t Match Our Identity or Belief System

The brain resists any goals that don’t align with who we believe we are. The subconscious pushes back from that vision; this is known as Cognitive Dissonance. This is when the mind rejects what feels unrealistic and unsafe.

If deep down we don’t feel capable of achieving something on our vision board, this will trigger procrastination, unmotivation, and self-sabotage instead of action, productivity, and motivation.

When manifesting with a vision board, it must align with the person you want to become. As a result, allowing you to step into your vision naturally.

When you believe in your vision board, your actions will reflect it.

To Sum Things Up

The truth is that many people misuse their vision board and don’t know how to make it work for them. The purpose of this post was to shed light on how to create a vision board that actually works for you through visualization, defining your identity, aligning your identity with who you want to become, and tracking your progress. Also, this post is to help you avoid the common mistakes people make when creating their vision board, such as not including action photos, only using aesthetically pleasing images, or not making a vision board that align with your life.

References

Alfrey, K. L., Waters, K. M., Condie, M., & Rebar, A. L. (2023). The role of identity in human behavior research: A systematic scoping review. Identity, 23(3), 208-223. Full article: The Role of Identity in Human Behavior Research: A Systematic Scoping Review

Stephen, F. A., Ermalyn, L. P., Mangorsi, B. Y., Louise, L. J., & Juvenmile, T. B. (2022). A voyage into the visualization of athletic performances: A review. American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation, 1(3), 105-109. document_6_-libre.pdf
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta‐analysis of effects and processes. Advances in experimental social psychology, 38, 69-119. Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta‐analysis of Effects and Processes – ScienceDirect

Psst…Yes, you! If this article helped you consider liking and sharing it with someone it might help or share it on your social media pages. Until next time, Ciao!