There are so many stories about how “magical” vision boards are for people. And I’m a firm believer in them, but there is nothing “magical” about them. They are tools to help you meet your goals. Don’t believe these 3 vision board myths!

I Can Create It and Forget It

I’m sure we’ve all read or heard stories about people who created a vision board when they were young and then put it away and forgot about it. One day in the distant future, they pull it out and realize that something they put on their vision board came true as if by magic.

The one I read was someone who put a picture of a very specific house they wanted to buy on their vision board. They did this while still in school and twenty years later, pulled out the board to realize they just bought the very same house that was on their vision board. Doesn’t this show how magical vision boards can be?

No. There is nothing magical going on there. It might sound like it. But here’s the thing, this person may have forgotten that they created a vision board, but never forgot the goal of wanting to buy that specific house. And 20 years later, after working hard and saving the money…they were able to buy it when it did come on the market.

That’s not magic. That’s meeting a goal. I know, it sounds much harder and we’d like to believe in magic but that’s not how this works.

It Needs to be Set Up in a Specific Pattern to Work

So not true. Set it up in a way that makes sense to you. Use any pattern or design you like. If you prefer affirmations, then you can make a list. If you prefer visuals, then use pictures.

Read Want to Know Your Vision Board Style. You’ll find a quiz to help you determine the best vision board style for you. Not everyone wants to look at pictures.

Vision Boards Don’t Work

UGH! I hate this myth. Actually, it’s a lie. Don’t believe it. Vision boards work but only if you realize that you have to work too.

You’re not magically going to be a doctor, a writer, or a world traveler without putting in the work to get there. A vision board isn’t a replacement for medical school or writing 50 drafts to get the story right.

A vision board helps you to visualize your goals and reminds you to stay on track. When I was 13 my very first vision board was a picture of a coat that I cut out of a sales flyer and stuck in my mirror. Looking at it each day reminded me to save money for the coat instead of spending money on candy or chips.

Many athletes do the same thing. When they were kids they cut out pictures of their favorite athletes, hung them on the wall, and imagined they would be as great someday. But it goes nowhere if all they do is use their imagination. Instead, they have to train and practice, and then train and practice some more. Over and over until they become an elite athlete.

In order to work, a good vision board is a reminder of your goals and the steps you need to get there. These are not fantasies that you’ll never get to, these are the goals, yearly or life, that you want to work towards. The vision board helps keep those goals in mind so you can recognize opportunities as they come up, remind you to sign up for that class or remind you to run that extra lap, make that next call, etc.

A vision board is another tool in your toolbelt for success.