Can you believe it’s already October? Time really does fly — and as we get closer and closer to 2022, I’m starting to think about all of my epic plans for the upcoming year.

I encourage you to do the same. What do you want out of 2022? Are you hoping to expand your business, gain visibility and traction online, scale to 6+ figures, or hire a team? Or maybe your 2022 goals are a bit more personal — like traveling to Paris, getting in fantastic shape, learning a new skill, or moving to a new city.

Whatever your dreams are for the year ahead, there’s one tried-and-true tool you can use to pave the way for them to start coming true right now: a vision board.

A vision board is a visual representation of your goals featuring a combination of text and images that represent whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish. The idea is that seeing it every single day will encourage you to take inspired action and turn your dreams into a reality.

Keep reading to learn how to create your own high-impact vision board!

What You’ll Need

• Old magazines or printed photos (check Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration)
• A poster, piece of large construction paper, or canvas
• Glue/glue sticks
• Scissors
• Pens/markers

You can also go the digital route and use a program like Canva to create your vision board if you’re not feeling super crafty — all you have to do is import your inspiration photos and arrange them into a collage on your blank digital canvas.

Step 1: Reflect on what matters most to you.

Take a moment of self-reflection and figure out what is really, truly important to you. Think back on the past year: did anything happen that made you feel great? Is there anything you wish could have happened that didn’t? Are there any goals you want to carry over into the new year? Are there any habits that don’t serve you that you want to move on from? Perform an honest analysis of the year and write any thoughts you have in a journal or blank document.

Step 2: Visualise the next year.

Now, close your eyes and think about the coming year. What would make you SO happy? What would improve your physical and emotional health? What would be really fun or exciting? Consider all aspects of your life — like your career, relationships, health, finances, mindset, experiences, etc. Use these answers to identify 3-6 goals you have for the upcoming year. Now figure out WHY these goals are important to you. Are there genuine intentions behind each one? How does each item on your list positively serve you? Once you have your answers, create a final list of goals/dreams that would make up your “dream year.”

Step 3: Create your vision board!

It’s time to get crafty and start putting your vision board together. Use the internet or magazines to find images that best represent your goals and speak to you the most. You can also add quotes, phrases, mantras, or anything else you feel is relevant to the visual representation of your “dream year” that you are creating. Be very specific about the images you are selecting. If your goal is to travel, don’t just select a photo of the city you want to travel to. Find a picture of the exact hotel suite you want to stay in, or the restaurant you’ve been dying to go to. The more intentional you are, the better your results will be.

There are no real rules to creating your vision board, so don’t be afraid to get creative and have fun with it! It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to feel right for YOU.

Step 4: Don’t forget about it

It’s your job to put your vision board somewhere you can see it every single day (like on your wall or as the background of your laptop/phone screen). It’s your job to look at it and visualise your dream year. It’s your job to make sure your vision board becomes more than just an arts-and-crafts project! The power of manifestation and visualisation is real, but it doesn’t happen overnight and it does require effort on your part. If you don’t actively go out of your way to use your vision board as a tool, you won’t see results — it’s that simple. 

Remember, you can always update your vision board as you see fit. I recommend giving it a lookover once a quarter to see if there’s anything that needs to be changed, and then creating a new vision board once a year. You can also create vision boards that cover more long term goals in addition to your yearly board. 

I firmly believe it’s never too early to start setting goals, and I personally can’t wait to craft a vision board and see what’s in store for OJC in the coming year. 

What do you think? Have you created a vision board in the past? Will you be creating a vision board in anticipation for 2022? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear about your experience!