Every January, people worldwide make new year’s resolutions and set goals for the next 365 days. These resolutions range from fitness and health ambitions to financial and family aspirations and rigorous intentions for love and relationships. An extension of this new year goal making has in recent years come to include vision boards. The textbook definition of a vision board is a collage of images and words representing a person’s wishes or goals, intended to serve as inspiration or motivation. Once confined to poster boards, magazine cutouts and glue, they have evolved to varying digital styles too. The original purpose, however, remains. But how does one create a vision board that delivers results?
We checked in with certified life coach and wellness trainer LaToya Stone to get her expertise on creating impactful vision boards. Stone is the CEO, or chief empowerment officer, of REAL Wellness, the founder of Your Hidden Treasure, Inc. and author of Life Lessons that Heal the Soul. Stone’s life’s work is empowering people on their journey to be their best selves through motivation and enlightenment. A native of Queens, NY who has worked with individuals nationwide and in the Caribbean, she started facilitating vision board workshops in 2011. Here she shares six practical ways to ensure your own vision board delivers results in 2024 and beyond.
Timing is everything
Although creating vision boards is certainly not limited to January, the beginning of the year can in fact be a great time to start one. “Energetically, most people are focused on improving their lives physically, mentally and spiritually at the top of the year,” Stone explains. “The frequency is higher because so many people in our universe are focused on being their best self. Vibrations are powerful. You can use this to your advantage when creating a vision board.”
Fear can be an excellent motivator
“Think limitless!” urges Stone. It is natural to want to add things to our board that we’re comfortable with and we feel are well within our reach. However, Stone encourages us to get comfortable being uncomfortable when creating our vision boards. “We’re going for a feeling,” she says. So even if the idea of living abroad with your family of six seems completely far-fetched because you have never left your small Midwestern hometown, if your soul is drawn to the idea of it, go ahead and add it to your board. Stone advises, “You want to use words and images on your board that strongly resonate with you; even if they also ignite some fear.”
Avoid glorifying public figures
“You don’t know what’s actually going on in those people’s lives behind closed doors,” warns Stone. While it is easy to view someone’s life from the outside looking in, especially because of social media, the truth is we simply do not know their full story. But we do know ours. “You could be inviting something into your life that you actually do not want by including pictures of celebrities on your board,” she continues. A feasible workaround is using images of models, illustrations or letters to spell out your desires.
Location, Location, Location!
“People often create vision boards and then stick them in their closets,” reveals Stone with a chuckle. “You must make it visible. Your board should be displayed in your home where you have to see it daily. And not just see it but stand in it. We are habitual beings.” She suggests attaching your vision board to a daily ritual to ensure you regularly engage with it. “In the past, I have stood in front of my own board while brushing my teeth. So, I had to look at my board at least one to two times a day.”
Don’t dismiss digital
Another practical way to ensure you view your vision board daily is to make it your phone and/or laptop screensaver. In addition, Stone is not opposed to people creating their vision boards with the help of digital apps like Pinterest or Canva. “I’m all for it!” she says. “Instead of cutting from magazines and gluing to paper, maybe you are clicking and dragging on your device.” Stone maintains that the intention is what is most important regardless of the medium.
Be your own motivational speaker
Stone recommends “reading” your board daily and saying everything in the present tense when doing so. For example, if you have included images and/or words indicating that you want to get a raise at work and you desire a stronger bond with your romantic partner, consider saying, “I make a minimum of $25,000 more a year than I did last year, and my relationship is consistently growing stronger on every level.” Say it as if you already have it; every single day. “Your board is a tool to activate the law of attraction. Once you say the things you desire on a regular basis, you are much more likely to complete actions to execute those goals.”
