You may remember creating a dream or vision board when you were a kid. You’d cut out words, photos, places and titles that resonated with you and glue them to a piece of paper. That project was most likely your first lesson in goal setting.
A vision board serves as a visual tool to guide your goals for the future or is a representation of your dreams and your ideal life. Whether it’s a particular goal (graduating from nursing school) or a long-term aspiration (owning a house and starting a family), no idea is too big or too small. It can be used as an overview of what you want to get out of your life in the next year or the next 10 years. A vision board normally focus on the “what” and not so much the “how”, but you can set your board up however it will benefit you!
The best part? You can do this with your kids! In fact, I encourage it. It not only is a great way for you to roadmap your own ambitions, but it is a great way to encourage your kids to be creative, get motivated and start pursuing their dreams!
Here is what you need to make your vision board:
- A corkboard or cardboard cut-out
- Magazines or old books with pictures
- Scissors (make sure they’re good quality cutting scissors)
- Permanent markers, highlighters or gel pens
- Glue or tape
Here’s how you do it:
First, start with a list of questions to ask yourself/your kids. Sometimes I find dividing the canvas up makes this project a bit easier to get started. For example:
–Do: what do you want to do? Not just a profession, but what kind of traits do you strive to possess? What do you want to do with your life?
–Love: what are you passionate about? What makes you feel happy? Who loves you and why does it make you feel loved?
–Be: what can you do to be a better person? If you can help someone, how would you do it? What does it feel like to be you?
–Go: what kinds of places do you want to travel to? What motivates you to go there? How will you make that a reality?
Try to answer them creatively and honestly (and let the kids use their unfiltered kid brains). You may want to come back to a question or area if you don’t have an answer, so leave a spot blank until you find the perfect snippet. Add to your vision board at any time & update it regularly! Also, keep it in a place that you’ll see it every day.
We all lose motivation sometimes, and kids are no different. A vision board works by helping you stay on track, remember why you started a project and reminds you where you’re going. A vision board doesn’t often have a timeline of fulfillment; it’s more of a journey than a destination.
So dream big, break out the glue stick, and make your visions a reality.
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