When I was growing up, the idea of creating a vision board wasn’t in vogue the way it is today. If it had been, I assure you I’d have been all over it. In my own way, I was an early proponent of the technique; although, in my case, visualizing my hopes and dreams didn’t involve cutting and pasting magazine pictures onto a board. The process took place entirely in my head.
What I love about the idea of vision boarding—mentally or otherwise—is that it forces you to identify what truly matters to you and focuses your energies on making your dreams a reality. Athletes have long known what a powerful tool visualization can be. Weekend golfers know it works, too. So do performers. And now, thanks to neuroscience, we know why it does.
Let’s say your goal is to run your own company. (If you’re going to dream, why not dream big?) If you picture yourself in that role, your brain cells won’t realize you’re not already playing it. They’ll interpret the picture you’re creating in your mind as a real-life action. The visualization process will send a message to your brain that you’re on a mission and start training it to work towards your goals. It’s like having a personal trainer inside your own head!
I first realized the power of visualization in high school, when I worked part-time as birthday hostess at Chuck E. Cheese, the family event and entertainment centre. I wanted to become a supervisor. (Having to climb into one of those hot, heavy animal costumes and walk around talking to the kids during a break when one of the entertainers didn’t show up for work may have been a motivating factor.) In any event, I pictured myself in a supervisory role, and a year later, I was offered a promotion. Full disclosure: I also worked my butt off to show my superiors I deserved the responsibility. But visualizing myself in the role helped me stay focused.
Going forward, I mentally pictured every single career goal I wanted to achieve. Once I chose the company at which I wanted to launch my career, I pictured myself going to the office in a suit and pumps every day and trading office gossip with my colleagues. Once I landed a job at entry level, I pictured myself at the next level. Once I reached it, I pictured myself at the next, and the next. Once I got over the shock of being promoted to head of the sales department—an area I would never in a million years have pictured myself leading—I immediately started visualizing myself in that role, too. Today, before I take the podium to deliver a speech, I imagine the looks on the audience’s faces when I’m speaking and their reaction when I’m done. If I don’t picture myself killing it, chances are I won’t.
I vision board mentally in my personal life, too. When I want to lose ten pounds, I picture myself fitting into my favourite dress. (I also go for regular walks and watch my eating, but picturing myself in that dress is hugely motivating.) Visualizing isn’t a panacea. Intensely visualizing that my husband would get well didn’t help him recover; but it definitely helped me find my way forward after his loss— no small feat, since we met in grade nine.
In the end, vision boarding, whether you do it mentally or with a pair of scissors, brings clarity, motivation and focus to the task of realizing your dreams. It’s the closest thing to a magical power I’ve ever found. I heartily recommend you give it a try.