You might be thinking spring cleaning, new furniture, maybe a splash of paint on the walls – but no. None of those things will directly improve your business revenue. If you work from home, you want to make sure your time counts. That means being creative AND productive. Here is something that has that kind of potential. A vision board.
A vision board is more than a wish list. It’s a powerful tool that maps out your goals and dreams, kind of like an online Pinterest board. The beauty of the vision board is that it helps keep everything in focus. When you’re stuck or having trouble making decisions, take a look at your board and ask yourself, “Does this decision align with my vision and goals?”
It also helps to get you out of your head and into action. Having a tangible representation of the future you want right in front of you, can help give you the motivation to work towards that goal. It’s like having a personal cheerleader to help keep you on track and inspired.
I admit it. I’m in love with my vision boards. A collection of beautiful, colourful daydreams brought to life, and when I’m working on them, I get lost in my dreams and time slips away. But don’t make the mistake of thinking whiling away an afternoon with my vision board is unproductive. Quite the contrary, spending a couple of hours planning my future with a vision board leaves me feeling inspired and ready to take action. After all, the harder I work, the closer I am to seeing those dreams become a reality.
Just like many other women in business, I work from home. And that means there are a LOT of distractions. Kids, housework, Netflix…That is why having a reminder of where my focus really needs to be is so important. A vision board needs to be front and centre to keep me in check.
Here is my little superpower secret. When my clients create their vision boards it is like I can see their future. They reveal so much about their business that they aren’t consciously communicating. The choices you make for your vision board reach a part of you that you don’t realise is relevant. That is until you pull all of those ideas together into one place. And then what I see just makes sense. That is when I see your business and what it truly means to you.
If you’ve heard of vision boards but haven’t tried your hand at creating one, what’s holding you back? Some people—especially those right-brained analytical types—find the very idea of creative goal setting to be so overwhelming they simply don’t know where to begin. For others, it’s the thought of collecting all the pieces that turns them off.
But here’s something to keep in mind—having a vision board doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a bunch of stuff. You can create an effective one from things you already own, like pictures, magazine clippings, postcards, or even handwritten notes. It just takes some time and dedication to get the most out of it.
For both, though, the answer is simple. Begin with what you have on hand. There are no “rules” when it comes to creating a vision board.
Let’s start with the old-school style of vision board, one you create with craft and office supplies.
These are some of the supplies you will find useful to get you started.
Books & Magazines
You work from home, so don’t spend your day flipping through books and magazines and forget why you are using them. We all have that stack of magazines we keep meaning to toss. Now you can put them to good use by building your vision board. Flip through them and clip pictures that inspire you, such as vacation spots you’d like to visit, homes you’d love to live in, and museums you want to explore. Don’t be picky or too selective. You don’t have to use all the images you clip, so for now, just cut out anything that captures your imagination.
The images you collect don’t have to be photos at all. Inspiring words, beautiful typography, and even attention-grabbing ads can all make for an inspiring vision board.
Colored Pens & Markers
Don’t be afraid to let your creative side show with some hand lettering or doodling on your vision board. Quotes you love, special dates you want to commemorate, and even the names of people you admire can all find a home on your vision board.
Stickers, Ribbons & Art Supplies
If you have kids, chances are you have plenty of craft supplies that will make great embellishments for your board. I know you might be thinking that this is just a bit frivolous, but trust me when I tell you that it is these additional elements that bring your vision board to life.
Stickers are more than just quirky accessories. Use them to mark the most important items on your board, the ones you want to work toward next. Ribbons keep related ideas together, and mementos such as ticket stubs or receipts can serve as reminders of the life you want to live.
Remember, above all else, your vision board is your own. Design a board that inspires you and lights you up every time you look at it, and it will work its magic in your life.
Or you can create a digital version of your vision board.
My go-to place for creating anything visual online is Canva. You can create a beautiful digital vision board with their easy-to-use templates. Plus, it’s free. Canva is a simple and easy-to-use online design platform. Its clean layout and intuitive tools make it perfect for beginners and professionals alike.
A vision board is a personal collage of images that represent your goals and ambitions. It can include pictures, words and phrases, quotations, and affirmations. This is also a great way to stay motivated as you can often see in your own space what it is you’re working toward.
To create your own digital vision board, simply head to Canva.com and get started by selecting “Create a Design” from the top menu bar. You can choose from many templates including Pinterest Graphics, Instagram Posts, Social Media Banners, Flyers, Posters and much more. If you work from home and don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder, you can really let your imagination run wild with your vision board.
Once you’ve chosen a template, you can create and customize your vision board using Canva’s vast library of photos, illustrations, shapes and fonts. You can also upload your own images or drag and drop from other sources such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
When you’ve finished creating it, save it as a PDF file so that you can print it out and put it up wherever you want. You can also save it as an image file to share with friends and family or post it on social media for extra motivation!
Designing a plan for your business is not only about building on paper. It also has to be a visual one. That’s why Canva has created the perfect tool to do just that – their visualization options are endless, and there is always something that can be tweaked or changed without any coding knowledge.
A vision board doesn’t have to be the typical images of beautiful landscapes or peaceful scenery that often adorn these boards. Instead, it can be a whole mixture of things that represent what you’d like your life to look like in five years.
You could also use an app like Pinterest or Evernote to capture and organize inspiring images, quotes, and ideas for your vision board.
Canva has an extensive library of photos, elements, fonts, and colours available to use, plus you can upload any other images you want to use. You can also play around with the layout and design for hours, adding photos, quotes, text, or even virtual sticky notes. The possibilities are endless!
Once you’re happy with your digital vision board, you can save it as an image or PDF to easily access anytime you need a boost of inspiration. You could store it on your desktop, or laptop, or even upload it to the cloud and access it anywhere.
Creating a digital vision board can be a fun and creative way to help you stay focused on your goals and motivate you along your journey. Give it a try and share with me what you create! I’d love to see how your vision board turns out.
