Do Vision Boards Actually Work? How to Make One That Does

I used to think vision boards were a little woo woo.

Magazines, glue sticks, a lot of talk about the universe. I understood why people liked them, but I didn't think they had much to do with real decisions or real change.

Then I made one, and I kept making them, and I changed my mind. What changed it was what the board did to my attention, day after day.

So, do vision boards actually work? They can. The ones that work usually have less to do with dreaming big and more to do with pausing long enough to get honest about what you want, then keeping that in front of you when the rest of your life is loud.

Below I'll walk through how I make mine, the mistakes I see over and over in workshops, and why the most useful boards are often the most boring ones.

How do vision boards actually work?

When I made my first board, I was still full time at Target. I was deep into personal development, and from the minute I woke up my brain was taken over by corporate stuff: meetings, numbers, people, the next thing and the thing after that.

The board gave me a pause. Sitting down to make it forced me to set an intention, and having it on the wall meant the intention didn't disappear the second work got busy.

As far as I can tell, that's how it works. A vision board doesn't do the work for you. It keeps what you said you wanted in your line of sight, so it has a chance against everything else asking for your attention.

For people whose days are full of other people's priorities, that matters more than it sounds.

A vision board doesn't do the work for you. It keeps what you said you wanted in your line of sight.

The year I put "run and done" on my board

At the end of 2018, I knew 2019 had to be the year I left Target. I didn't know how. I had no plan, no date, and no clear picture of what came next. I just knew.

So I put "run and done" on my board, lifted straight from Target's own ads back when "Target run and done" was everywhere.

Coworkers saw it and assumed it was about crushing it at Target and getting things done. I let them think that.

For me, it meant I was going to be done. Seeing it every day changed the question I kept asking myself. Before, it was one giant, paralyzing "how?" Every time I asked it, I got overwhelmed and set it back down. With the board in front of me, the question got smaller: what needs to be done to get me one step closer?

I could actually answer that one, and I answered it a lot of times that year. I left right before the pandemic hit.

Read more: Discovering Purpose: My Evolution from Retail Manager to Certified Life Coach

What should you put on a vision board?

Start with how you want to feel, before what you want to do.

This is the step most people skip, and it's why so many boards end up as a pretty to-do list. A new job, a trip, a number in the bank account. Those can belong on a board, but if that's all that's there, you've made a goal sheet with nicer fonts.

When you start with feelings, the images you pick change. Maybe you want more ease, more steadiness, or more room to breathe at the end of the day. Then you go looking for what that looks like in your life.

So much of my own board is about peace in my home and peace in my body. It's honestly pretty boring to look at, and it's exactly how I want to feel.

So much of my own board is about peace in my home and peace in my body. It's pretty boring to look at, and it's exactly how I want to feel.

Read more: Tell Me What You Really, Really Want (Hint: It's Not Advice!)

Why do people put things on their board they don't want?

This is the pattern I see most in vision board workshops. People put things on their board that they think they should want.

A promotion shows up a lot. So does a relationship status. Sometimes those are real wants. Often, when we talk about it, it turns out the person picked that image because it's what someone in their position is supposed to be going after.

The other thing I hear is worry that the board will look boring, as if someone is going to grade it.

Nobody is grading it. If what you want this year is to sleep through the night and stop dreading Sunday evenings, put that on there. A board full of shoulds will hang on your wall and do nothing, because none of it is pulling at you.

Is "dream big" good vision board advice?

I have mixed feelings about it.

Yes, dream. Let yourself want things you haven't said out loud yet. But "dream big" can get funky fast. It turns the board into a wish list that has nothing to do with your actual life, and it can make the whole thing feel like manifestation homework.

For me, the value of a vision board is the time and space it gives you. You step out of reaction mode for an hour and think about what you want your life to feel like. For people who rarely get to do that, it's a big deal, and it doesn't require every image to be enormous.

Read more: Beyond Resolutions: Intentions and the Word of the Year

How do you make a vision board?

This is roughly how I do mine.

I start with the feeling question and give it real time before touching any magazines. How do I want to feel this year, at home, at work, in my body? I write those words down.

Then I go through images and words and pull anything that matches those feelings. I don't overthink this part, and I cut out more than I'll use.

I make mine physically, with paper and scissors. Something happens when you're cutting things out and deciding what goes where. Your hands are busy, your mind slows down, and you make choices you wouldn't make scrolling on a screen. I've watched the same shift happen in rooms full of people who walked in skeptical.

Then I arrange it and leave some space. Not every inch needs to be covered.

Where should you put your vision board?

Somewhere you'll see it every day, because the daily reminder is where most of the value comes from.

Mine lives next to my desk. If yours goes in a closet, you had a nice afternoon making it, and that's about all you'll get from it.

Seeing it every day also leaves room for creative thinking about how to get there, the way "run and done" did for me. You start noticing openings you might have walked right past.

Can teams and groups make vision boards together?

Yes, and some of my favorite sessions have been exactly that.

I've facilitated vision boards for a workplace team, where each person also added an image to a shared board for the team's year, and for private groups, where the night was far more personal and reflective. The core process is the same, but what comes out of it changes with who's in the room.

If you're thinking about a session for your team or group, you can see what that looks like on my Speaking & Workshops page.

Want more like this?

I write regularly about stress, work, and the gap between what we say we want and how we're actually living. If you'd like those reflections in your inbox, sign up for the newsletter.

Interested in joining one of my public vision board workshops, in person or virtual? Get on the list and you'll hear first when the next one is scheduled.

Vision board workshop interest list

Planning a vision board session for your team or group? Let's talk about what it could look like by contacting me.

Also worth reading: New Year's Resolutions: To Do or Not To Do

Vision board FAQ

• Do vision boards really work?

  They work as a tool for focus and follow-through. Making one forces you to get clear on what you want, and seeing it daily keeps that in front of you so it can guide smaller decisions. It won't do the work for you.

• Do vision boards work for manifestation?

  That isn't how I use them. I don't think the board pulls anything toward you on its own. What it does is keep your attention on what matters to you, and attention shapes the choices you make every day.

• How long does it take for a vision board to work?

  There's no set timeline. For me, the shift started almost right away, because the daily reminder changed the questions I was asking myself. The bigger changes, like leaving Target, took most of a year of small steps.

• What should I put on my vision board?

  Start with how you want to feel, then choose images and words that match. Include goals if they matter to you, but don't let the board turn into a to-do list.

• Do digital vision boards work?

  They can, if you'll see them every day. I prefer making mine by hand, because cutting and choosing slows you down in a way scrolling doesn't.

• Where should I put my vision board?

  Somewhere you'll see it every day, like next to your desk.