Manifesting.

Awakening purpose.

Radiating abundance.

Exuding divine feminine energy.

No, thanks.

I’ve never believed in any of these fluffy buzzwords, and for the most part I see them as being used to goad and manipulate, rather than tangible ways to create a happy and fulfilled life.

What I do believe in are proven methodologies that help people develop beneficial habits and apply fruitful structure to their lives.  I love finding new approaches to being more productive.  It excites me when I uncover a better way to get from where I am to where I want to be. It’s like a breath of fresh air when I learn new mindsets or mental models that fundamentally change the way I approach specific aspects of my life.

So, many years ago when I first heard of vision boards, I was naturally skeptical.  I understood what they are meant to do—a visual display of the things you actually want to happen and, by seeing those things frequently, you end up focusing your energy and attention on them, thereby helping bring them to life.

There is significant research that supports the benefit of visualization.  According to the book The Secret, “The law of attraction is forming your entire life experience and it is doing that through your thoughts. When you are visualizing, you are emitting a powerful frequency out into the Universe.”

What I haven’t been able to understand, though, is how a vision board’s psychological impact is any different from having those same visualizations another, more private, way.  This could be developing a list you keep in your drawer, or a slideshow on your laptop, or a photo album on your phone.

I also quickly realized that the feeling that you want to reach is more important than the exact material or relational images you put on your vision board.  Yes, it’s nice to want to buy a specific house or a particular car or to have a certain type of spouse or friendship.  However, what mattered more is why you want those things and what psychosocial security you’re looking to attain.

Do you want that house because you want the social status that is associated with that type of house, or because you want to achieve a sense of housing security?

Do you want that spouse because you are finally comfortable enough with yourself that you’d be able to connect with someone in a healthy manner, or because you believe your status in society would be elevated by being with a particular type of person?

The feelings behind these goals matter because they determine the type of character you’re building and the person you’re becoming over time.

Beyond the disconnection with who you are becoming, vision boards haven’t clicked with me because they’re so…visible.  I don’t want someone to come into my home or office or bedroom and see my goals and hopes and dreams (my soul!) splattered on the wall.

These vision boards “cons” I’ve touched on aren’t meant to deter you.  If vision boards work well for you, by all means keep making them! It’s all about doing what works best for you.  

I’ve found that what works best for me is to create a photo album on my phone and dump in there all the wonderful images, quotes, and helpful tidbits I want to refer to over and over again.  Some I come back to on a daily basis, others I look at only weekly or monthly. All of them help define the person I want to become and the foundational character and values that drive that person.

I recently stumbled across this YouTube video by Lefie that is the best approximation of how I feel about vision boards.  Instead of an actual physical board, she uses index cards in much the same way I use my phone’s photo album. 

Check it out and see if it resonates with you.

Whichever method you ultimately choose to monitor your goals, be sure to incorporate the feelings of “why”.  Ultimately, it’s those “whys” that drive the type of “who” you become.