How to create vision boards for the life you want

12/28/2021

If you have only a vague idea of what you want your life to look like, make vision boards to help you create a map to lead you there!

Closeup of hand holding compass with white flowers in the background

I have had monthly goals for a year now that I have documented in my accountability posts, and while I will keep doing this, I also thought about the smaller, harder-to-track things I want in my life. While vision boards are usually a collage of pictures, you can make one with words too!

The inspiration came from the end-of-year compilations that started popping up on TikTok, with flashes of dancing in the kitchen, journaling by candlelight, watering plants at sunrise, laughing with friends, walking in the forest, reading on the beach. So I started thinking about what flashes I would like to look back on next year!

While I do most of these things already every now and then, by putting it in writing I make them more concrete and achievable -- instead of being a vague idea, I now have a map of what's important to me in my every-day life. Knowing that these are things that I want my life to consist of makes me look at them differently! While social media can be really detrimental to our mental health and life satisfaction, I find that using the positive aspects of it (like inspirational self-care videos) encourages me to do the same.

How to create vision boards for the life you want!

Make your own vision boards

I got the idea of what I call "therapy-dancing" from a girl who, in an effort to beat her depression, started posting a clip of her dancing every day. While I don't film myself doing it, I'm using the same principle and just imagining myself making a highlight reel with corresponding music motivates me to do it. By pretending it needs to be Instagram-worthy, I put the little bit of extra effort in to light a candle, go to the park to walk in the changing leaves, and dressing up for my WFH job.

To join me, put together a few vision boards for your life! Try to see what about certain videos or pictures draws you in -- is it self-care? Traveling? Personal growth? Hygge? Fitness? Crafting?

I made a few categories so I can draw from them for inspiration whether it's sprucing up a Tuesday, improving my physical health, or planning something exciting to look forward to!.I named them somewhat cheekily since this is the impression you get from social media. ;)

Decide what categories would mean the most to you -- maybe A year of hiking, Adventurous date nights, Exploring new food cultures, or My mental health journey? It can be as vague or specialized as you want, as long at it's important to you and how you want your life to be! By checking in every now and then how close your actual life is to your vision boards, you can make adjustments and keep yourself on track with how you spend your days.

My romanticized daily life

Listening to upbeat music while getting ready in the morning
Lighting a candle while doing my skincare routine
Doing a crossword puzzle together after dinner
Reading in our library with a vinyl record playing
Cuddling with the dogs in bed
Working on a needlepoint or sewing project
Sitting by our live-edge bar in the morning, drinking my morning tonic while reading a self-improvement book
Puttering around my vegetable garden in the summer
Sipping warm almond milk with honey, turmeric, and cinnamon before bed