Vision boards are a powerful tool for entrepreneurs. Creating a vision board for your business is not about hocus pocus and wishing for dreams to come true. As a business owner, imagery helps you achieve your goals by bringing your dream and business plan alive and literally showing you the big picture. In addition to serving as a fact-based source of continual inspiration and motivation, vision boards can play an important part in your strategic planning process.
Vision boards bring together a collection of images and affirmations that inspire you and bring your dream and business plan alive. They serve as a continual reminder of your “why” and act as a steady source of inspiration and motivation. Looking at these images creates the connection to your goal while creating positive emotions. The motivating factors make you more likely to achieve your goals, giving you the results you want, which in turn keeps you moving toward your financial goals. Powerful.
Consider your board as part of your business planning strategy – the pictorial version of your plan.
Literally, everyone can benefit from a vision board, and especially those with a goal. A visionary has the ability to envision, right? Well that’s you.
Successful student entrepreneurs use vision boards, captured as a physical or digital collection of thoughts and ideas.
VISION BOARD SURVEY DATA
A study of small business owners by TD Bank found the following:
- 20% of small business owners used a vision board or something similar when starting their business.
- 76% of those utilizing vision boards said their business grew as they had envisioned when they got started.
- 82% of those who used a vision board at startup reported they have accomplished more than half of the goals they included on the board.
- Nearly 66% believe visualizing goals helps them map out and develop their business plans.
Generations growing up with imagery to describe their lives through social media particularly embrace visualization in goal setting.
Specifically when surveying millennials:
- 60% used a vision board when establishing their business.
- 89% used one when developing their business plan.
“I believe that visualization is one of the most powerful means of achieving personal goals.”
~ Harvey Mackay, New York Times Bestselling Author
THE SCIENCE BEHIND VISUALIZATION
Visualizing how your business starts out and develops in the future jumpstarts your business planning process.
- In addition to acting as the beautiful burst of inspiration and giving you the motivation to take that next step and follow through, vision boards can literally boost your strategic effectiveness.
- Your vision board aligns with your purpose – perhaps even a higher purpose. In addition to motivating you to follow through today, use it to inspire confident goals and strategic next steps for your business.
As a business owner, you do not have time to waste and have no need to do something for the sake of being busy. Create your vision board with a purpose in mind – to increase your effectiveness.
Vision boards are not simply feel-good collages or rooted in emotion. They are also not cheugy, as the science around visualization makes them more relevant than ever.
- Vision boards stimulate and activate a system in our brain called the reticular activating system – also known as RAS.
Dig into this for more specifics, but for our purposes, just know:
- Your personal RAS is your brain’s way of filtering out unnecessary information and allowing you to receive just the important stuff. Your vision board contains literal pictures or reminders of this “important stuff.”
Additionally, consider how we process imagery and how much. It’s generally accepted, though continually debated (!!) that about 65% of us are visual learners. Vision boards offer a HUGE benefit to whoever actually IS a visual learner because:
- 100% of us process more images per day than written text. It’s actually a 90/10 ratio. Not kidding!
Let this sink in: As humans, we actually process an average of 90% imagery vs. written text, so visualization does impact everyone in a big way.
When it comes to your business plan and your goals, visualization is key to learning, retaining, and maintaining your buy-in.
Why is this important?
- Our brains can process images 60,000 times FASTER than they process written text.
Allow your creative spirit to shine, and create your board!
YOUR PERSONAL VISION BOARD HELPS MAXIMIZE YOUR SKILLSET TOO
Your vision board keeps your eye focused on the prize – you never lose sight of your end goal!
In addition to increasing inspiration and motivation, vision boards boost your:
- Creative thinking
- Strategic thinking
- Whiteboarding
- Goal setting
- Goal readjustment
- Troubleshooting
- Problem-solving
VISION BOARDS WORK DESPITE THE NAYSAYERS
Ignore the naysayers. Ignore those who think you live in dreamland.
Elon Musk once said, “Most people will panic to find a charger before their phone dies, but won’t panic to find a plan before their dream dies.
Sounds crazy. Sounds sad. It’s all part of hitting the ‘easy button.’
Don’t let that be you.
HOW TO CREATE A VISION BOARD
There is no perfect way.
- Timing: It may take 5 minutes or 50 or time spread across 5 days. Whatever. It’s FINE.
- Your vision: Consider your vision for your business, your skills, your happiness, and for your entire life. Whatever “it” is and whatever is most useful for your purpose.
- Is it all business? It may be all about your business. It may blend your business and desire to create balance; after all, you are working live, not living to work, right?
- Is it technical? Maybe. It might include family photos or your pets or the pet you plan to have one day.
- Not feeling inspired? If you cannot build one, borrow one. There are plenty online. It doesn’t make it less personal. If it speaks to you, Use It.
- The elements: Select pictures, words, and items that are physical, digital, or paper – whatever you want
- How to capture them: You can cut out your elements as pictures, print them, color, sketch – whatever’s best.
Consider your why. Is it all about business and your focus? Create a business vision board by considering where you want to go – literally with your business or maybe as you work toward a life you want to create, filled with dream vacations.
OR… don’t focus on that at all. What is your issue? Entrepreneurs typically work too much? Maybe you would be more creative if you took better care of yourself or made yourself relax. Remember…the vision board imprints important things on your brain. Your health counts as an important thing!
The examples I provided here were made on Canva.
I read about someone literally writing out a check in their name with a LARGE sum on it… Clever! Use that as inspiration, motivation to create an affirmation – or while manifesting.
Nothing needs to match or be any certain way – it’s your tool, your vision.
ENTREPRENEURS FIND VISION BOARDS EASY TO USE
- Keep it within eyesight or easy reach
- On a wall
- In your planner
- On your phone
- As your computer background
- Make clicking on it, or saying an affirmation while looking at it, part of your weekly planning session
Mine is about creating a life I love. It’s soothing colors. I preferred to cut out and print pictures and add to it as I find new inspirational people & places.
I like the physical aspect and the fact that I can reach out and touch it. I have a space on a wall. Not everyone has the space for that, though – or would even want that, which is totally okay. It’s YOUR board.
Let your dream, your reality, and your creativity inspire your board. If you don’t see a picture or a word – write it, type it, or whatever works for you. It’s your board.
Remember – on a professional basis, positivity and talent are two different things, but leveling up leads to both bettering yourself and your skills.
Negativity and anger breed negativity and anger, so get rid of it. Flip that switch to positivity and allow your positivity to breed positivity – NOT toxic positivity either – we’re talking actual positivity. You have much to celebrate. Recognize it!!! 💯❤️
We know confidence grows when you visualize your success. Wouldn’t it be great to be twice as confident?!
Today: go be that better half!! Visualize yourself taking steps and meeting your goals.
Today: Go clap for Yourself! You got this.
0 Comments