50+ Vision Board Ideas to Inspire a Happy Reality Now

This post will cover over fifty vision board ideas in various areas and how to get the most out of your vision board to create the reality you desire now.

The real power behind a vision board is that the mind cannot tell the difference between reality and imagination. The good news is that you can use this bit of neuroscience to your advantage. If you use it the right way, your vision board becomes a type of neural programming tool that you can use to create the future life that you desire.

Thinking of positive dreams and goals is easy enough, but the vision board ideas below will help to increase the efficient use and outcome of this visualization tool. My last board worked so well that I had to do an update at 6 months. When I updated my board, I developed a new process for taking vision boarding to the next level. The steps below will get you started with the basics and on route to creating your reality.

Rule number one: dream big. Use the vision board ideas below to start your brainstorming process and quicken the impacts of transformation with visualization.

• What is a Vision Board?
• Gathering Your Vision Board Materials
• Setting Your Intention and Goals
• Personalizing and Finalizing Your Vision Board
• Displaying and Using Your Vision Board
• Maintaining and Updating Your Vision Board
• Vision Board Ideas, Inspiration, and the Collective
• Conclusion
• Resources
• Layered Vision Boarding eBook

What is a Vision Board?

A vision board (like any visual ad) can be used as a neural programming tool.

When using focused imaging on your vision board, you can invoke emotions and states of being like clarity, motivation, and joy. The two neuroscientists below are good resources for more details and information on the neuropathy of visualization. You can also check out my previous article on neuroscience and trauma recovery.

Dr. Tara Smart, a neuroscientist, is one example of someone who uses vision boarding to achieve success.

Dr. Joe Dispenza is another consciousness pioneer who advocates for visualization (positive imaging) practices in their success and their audiences.

Gathering Your Vision Board Essentials

Vision boarding started to gain popularity in the 1980s. At that time, vision board ideas were images torn out of magazines, stashed away somewhere, and saved for the day you took the time to place them all on a piece of cardboard. This method still exists, but you can also use technology to create a digital vision board.

Physical Vision Board (my fav) Essentials

• Vision Board Images: Gather images from magazines, books, or print from the internet
  • Free: Google (obvi)
  • Pinterest
  • Canva
  • Paid: Deposit Photos and Canva Pro
    • (for a vision board, you will not need the pro version, but if you’re a business owner or content creator, it’s worth the grab)
  • Quotes and Words: Start noting the quotes that you come across that are your favorite.
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick or packaging tape (on my last vision board, my glue stick ran out, so I just finished up with clear packing tape)

From what I can tell, vision boards started in the 1980s, at the same time that positive imaging and visualization were beginning to gain popularity. Vision boards were physical objects created by crafting a board full of pictures.

Currently, there are many digital options for creating vision boards, but I believe there is something powerful to the psyche for creating physical and tangible images. I think there is an impact on the belief in imagination and physical creation outside of a digital world that isn’t well understood yet. I can see benefits for digital platforms in terms of their immediate access and the level of dynamics available. Still, for this post, the focus is on a physical vision board. Some of these ideas translate well to the digital realm; let us know in the comments how this might have worked for you.

The Bells and Whistles Add Your Style

• Personal Items:
  • Stickers
  • Family Photos
  • Drawings
  • Broken jewelry
• Craft Items:
  • There are limitless craft items available these days:
    • Fancy tape
    • Themed stickers
    • Fancy scissors for cutting zig-zags and swirls
    • Hole punches with hearts and themed shapes

Where to get materials

• Sourcing materials creatively and affordably
  • Poster boards
    • Vision board on a budget – that’s where I started too
      • Tear up an old cardboard box and cut it to your desired size.
        • This is an excellent option to get the size you want.
        • It employs the reduce, reuse, and recycle principles.
        • You might already have a box and save time and money on a trip to the store.
      • You can grab poster boards from Walgreens or CVS. Both of these stores have the essentials. Walgreens was more popular where I lived, so that’s where I got mine.
      • You can even cut a shape you want with either poster board type instead of the traditional rectangular shape.
  • Glue Stick
    • You can order your items ahead of time and pick them up in-store.
    • Wherever you get your glue, do not get liquid glue; this bubbles up and crumples the paper and does not work well toward an overall pleasing aesthetic. The goal is something pleasant to look at.
  • Personal and Family Photos
    • You can print your vision board images yourself.
    • Or print photos at Walgreens for a polished and clean professional look.
      • If you plan ahead of time, you might be able to hit a photo sale window as well!
      • You can upload photos from Facebook, Google Drive, and Instagram
      • Printed photos can also be available for same-day pick-up
      • Or you can get your printed photos delivered to you
  • Magazines aren’t available online, so it might be best to order items, pick them up, and cruise through the magazine section to grab additional photos and quotes.

Vision Board Ideas for Setting Your Intentions and Goals

Be specific! “I want to be happy” isn’t good enough.

“I want slow mornings where I can drop the kids off at school and grab a coffee and pastry. The lifestyle I want is one without deadlines that rush the start of my day.”

The above example drives the little details, which are very different from, say, people smiling. Why are they smiling? The details allow for more focused actions and more straightforward decision-making.

Sustainable change is not acting 50% differently the next day; it’s about the 1% changes you make daily. As a result, the 1% starts to stack up, and when you turn around in six months to a year, who you are and your life is different.

God is in the details dig in and get specific!

Everyone is different. Where they are in life and who they want to be will be unique, as will the areas of life they choose to focus on. Use the vision board ideas below to get you started.

• Identify key areas you want to change, like career, health, and school.
• Relationships are a big area for most everyone – No situationships allowed! Relationships are the personal fabric that creates our environments and environments influence what can thrive or die.
  • Partners and romantic interests
  • Family
  • Close and Best friends
  • Friend circles and support groups
    • Gym buddies
    • Running clubs
    • Craft and hobby circles
    • Music groups
    • Martial arts and boxing teams
    • Dancing for fun or competitively
    • Food and wine groups
    • Investment and business-focused friends
  • Neighbors, Towns, and companies

• How to brainstorm and refine your vision board ideas.
  • Dig into those details.
  • Creativity increased in everyone when relaxed and in a state of play.
  • Relax and put everything out there. Your board has no wrong answers or dreams, and you can delete and update it as you go.

Identifying Core Values

• There are different layout options (grid, collage, thematic sections) that will fit your personality.  The layout of your vision board will reflect the way that you think and create.
  • For example, I brainstorm with a data dump and the craziest-sounding dreams I can think of.
    • Then, sift through all the ideas and create the structure.
  • Other options are to set up categories from the get-go, family, finances, and health.
    • These would be your core values.
    • One good thought exercise for identifying core values is the Westernized practice of finding your Ikigai.
      • In this video, Elohor Eva Alordiah discusses two exercises for discovering your Ikigai.

Are you curious why I saw Westernized Ikigai? Here’s some background I came across on the Japanese concept of Ikigai by Mako.

Personalizing and Finalizing Your Vision Board

• Emotions are the powerful forms of energy that make your vision board powerful for you by adding personal touches.
  • Doodles from children or neighbors
  • Handwritten notes
  • You could ask friends to write something inspiring for you. When you are in dark times, it can be easier for others who know you to see the possibilities. Ask people around you if they don’t mind writing some encouraging comments.
    • A priest
    • A coworker
    • A friend
    • A family member
    • Text them and ask
      • What do you think my most significant strength is?
      • What are some ways that X problem could resolve mementos)?
  • Momentos
    • Do you have any old items from when you used to rock in life? Maybe you used to be a rock star athlete and talked about it all the time or to everyone you met.
    • That is all still in you.
      • Take a picture of those old metals and trophies and glue them on that board.
      • Look up an old team photo or newspaper article about beating a local rival high school team, and print it out!
      • Reflect on the aspects that created that success for you and write them down.
        • Was it structure?
        • Discipline?
        • A good Coach?
        • Friends who wanted the same thing?

Now tidy up the board, glue those loose ends, and add the final glam.

Displaying and Using Your Vision Board

You want your vision board not necessarily in a high-traffic area but in a place where you will see it often. Post-it notes go on the bathroom mirror because you see them every morning and evening. Vision boards are a bit too big, but here are some ideas on where to place them.

• Bedroom or Office wall.
• A hallway on the way back to the bedroom.
• Back of the bedroom or bathroom door!
• Mine sat on the floor and was propped up against the wall in the office for most of its life, but I walked past it and saw it every day.
  • I would even have to move it out of the way to do wall pilates.
• Gym room wall or that spare room you work out in.

Remember, the real power of the vision board is continually seeing it. This is conscious consumption. You are consuming the thoughts and emotions of your vision every time you look at the board. Strengthening the pathways in your mind for your future visions takes consistency. Find a place where you see your board every day; this feeds and strengthens the new neural pathways in the brain.

Thoughts are electrical impulses, and like water, electricity flows through the path of least resistance.

Consistency is achieved by 1% changes you stick to, not the 50% change you drop within a week.

Where are the two to five minutes in your day that you can take to let the inspirations of the vision boards run? Find the two minutes to meditate, journal, and reflect while working out, right before or when waking up.

• The garage, the she shed, there is room in your life for your dreams, find it.

Get Fancy with It

Fancy like that? Consider a frame. This opens up some more public display settings.

• Are you fancy but still need to be cost-efficient? That’s me, too. Here’s a highly rated 22×28” wood poster frame. For less than $15, this will dress up your vision board to fit right in with that photo display you’ve already got going.
• A bit more frame without too much cost?
• Rather have aluminum instead of plastic or wood?
• Grab some friends and save some money ($16.63/frame)
• Black is not my motif! Here’s a well-rated rusted oak?
• Doing more than one board (29.39/ frame saves $3 over buying the single frame)
• Not concerned about price, highly rated frame with over 37,000 reviews and multiple color choices
• Dark brown
• Fancy with friends options in a lovely walnut color

Displaying – Bonus Tips

• Frames with mats are a little bit pricier, but if these come in the right color, you can remove the mat.
  • The mat is a cardboard piece that helps frame and highlight specific colors in the photo.
  • You’ll want to remove this for your VISION board, as the visual piece needs to be viewable.
    • Otherwise, plan and incorporate the visual space inside the mat. This means understanding the actual display size with the mat in the frame.
• If you’re not into the framing idea, consider cutting your poster board into different shapes. You could do this from the beginning or create mini vision boards that fit specific areas of your home. This might be a fun idea if you want to place some visions around the house. Hearts, Stars, circles … whatever fits your design theme for the area you’ll be placing it.

Maintaining and Updating Your Vision Board

• Do not overthink your board and get stuck.
• You can update your board when you meet your goals faster than the year-long default time frame we all seem to settle on.
  • If the vision is outdated and does not feel like it fits where you want to take your life, update the board.
  • For me, this was at month 6.5. I started on scrap cardboard and realized that I had outgrown my board, and it was time to level up again.
    • This board worked so well that I dug in on updating my board and developed a process to go deeper and visualize more.
    • I crafted an essential guide for vision boarding to a new level. Get it here or join the Agora for more updates on tools and insights like this.

Vision Board Inspiration and the Power of the Collective

I would love to hear your vision board, visualization, or positive imaging stories. You can submit them to admin@ amuarta.com or share them in the comments below.

The power of collective visualization is real, and there is some fascinating scientific data from the days following 9-11 that I’ll pull together on the influence of collective consciousness. Would you like support with your visions in the Amuarta Agora? Let me know that I have permission to send them out to the list, and I’ll include a mantra and prayer for

Additionally, if you have a supportive church group or family setting, share your board with them.  

Conclusion

You are all set.

• Collecting your materials
• Set your specific intentions and goals
  • Define your core values and find your ikigai
• Personalize your vision
• Display your board
  • Share your vision board ideas or finished boards in the comments or on social media.

If you’re interested in other methods of creating powerful, lasting changes in your life and in a community that thinks this way, please join the Amuarta Agora. This is a place for gathering and sharing the latest science to understand how to achieve those big dreams.

If you have any additional ideas or feedback, let us know in the comments or via email at rayne@sovereignrayne.com

Please share our post if you know someone who could benefit from this!

Resources

Do you like the details? I do, too. You heard me say, and I believe it: God is in the details.

Here are the resources and references for the self-taught and self-initiates for visualizing deeper like you.

Dream big.

Dr. Joe Dispenza brings a scientific perspective into visualizing. Follow his Instagram below.

View this profile on Instagram

Dr Joe Dispenza (@drjoedispenza) • Instagram photos and videos

Dr. Tara Swart, a neuroscientist and spiritualist, speaks to neural function and human cognition. Follow her on Instagram below.

View this profile on Instagram

Doctor Tara (@drtaraswart) • Instagram photos and videos

If you’re curious about Mako’s comment on the Westernization of Ikigai, here’s the video. Give her a like and subscribe.