Using a Vision Board to Attract What You Desire

Do you know what your purpose is? Do you still have a burning desire to reach certain dreams or goals? Every successful person will tell you that it always starts by having a vision. Here's a great way to start.

You probably did it as a teen.

When you were a teenager, you probably created a collage of things that made you smile – bits and pieces of life - like photos from magazines, cool headlines, concert ticket stubs, a varsity letter, a picture of your ideal love interest, a piece of fabric, anything that had some significance to your life at the time.

You probably glued it all together and then put your masterpiece up on the wall. And every time you looked at it – you had a thought and a feeling. It made you happy, it made you smile, it brought back memories, it motivated you, it inspired you.

When did you stop making these boards of your hopes, dreams and memories?

The last time I did it was definitely college – before my adulting got too serious. And then I didn’t do it again until recently when I learned about the power of these boards.

A direct connection to your subconscious mind.

A vision board is a direct connection to your subconscious mind. I’m sure you have heard about the power of your subconscious mind in your life or this entrepreneurial journey. It’s important to realize how intentionally directing your subconscious mind can be the difference of whether you are successful or whether you give up before success comes.

Your subconscious mind is the bomb. So what does it do?

It does a lot of things without you knowing or consciously thinking. You breathe, your heart pumps, you react to injury – all from the subconscious part of your brain that keeps things going.

But, of course, it does so much more than that. Your subconscious mind also controls what you see, what you hear and what you observe. It even adds things are aren’t there.

It really does! I will show you how.

Your subconscious mind was developed when you were a child.

Your subconscious mind was actually trained when you were a child through your environment, your upbringing, your religion, and basically everything around you that you experienced. And now, as an adult, that subconscious is still running the show based upon all of those things.

As an example, think about some limiting beliefs you may have around money. Now think about someone who grew up always surrounded by affluence and plenty of money, family vacations, private jets, drivers, top private schools. They would not have the same beliefs about whether that kind of life was possible or that they would not be able to afford their rent.

Infinite possibilities are ACTUALLY available to every person – regardless of how you were raised. But you can see how easily you can get in your own way if you are convinced that those people have it easy and that you will never be able to have nice things because you never had them when you were young. It just doesn’t work that way.

These limiting beliefs are why you feel fear about stepping out of your comfort zone, they are why you have issues with money. They are why you feel stuck.

One of the most powerful things you can ever master.

But your subconscious mind can be trained – thank goodness! And this is one of the most powerful things you can ever master in your life.  Because what you consistently think about becomes your reality. This is what all the self-improvement books talk about. When you are able to train your mind to intentionally think about what you want in your life, with definiteness of purpose, those things start showing up.

One of the coolest things I have learned about the subconscious brain is this part called the Reticular Activating System – you don’t need to remember what it is called – that’s not the point, but you should absolutely be aware of what it does. I’m just going to call it the RAS for short.

This system is constantly working in the background of your brain. It is the screener and focuser.  There are over a billion bits of information around you every single day. This system screens out everything that it thinks is not important to you, and focuses in on things that you want to see.

Ahhh! What I could have done with this info if had only known about it years ago! It totally explains why eyewitnesses to an event will experience and perceive it differently. It is the reason that one witness can be absolutely sure the burglar was wearing a blue shirt while another witness can be absolutely sure it was green. (And neither of the witnesses is lying). I would’ve been calling more expert witnesses on the subconscious brain for sure.

The RAS, not only filters things out it thinks you have no interest in, it also fills in blanks based upon your experience.

Have you ever tried one of those tests to see if you could read a sentence that doesn’t have any vowels? You usually can read every single word! It’s because your RAS fills in those blanks with what you expect to see.

The brain is so awesome!!

An example of how the RAS filters and focuses is one I’m sure you have experienced. Kenny and I were riding bikes the other day and saw a really cool Sprinter Van. We talked about how fun it would be to roadtrip for a few months in one. For the rest of our ride, we saw Sprinter Vans everywhere! Like 12 of them! Then, after we got home and I lost interest, I stopped seeing them. You probably have experienced this in buying your own car – as soon as you started to have interest in a particular model, you started seeing that car everywhere. It’s not that those cars weren’t around before you started thinking them – they were! It’s just that they got filtered out by your RAS.

That’s how the RAS works. If you have a thought and an interest in something, it will make sure you see, hear about, and experience more of that thing.

So what does any of this have to do with a vision board?

When you are intentional about what you are focusing on and what you are thinking about, your brain is designed to bring those things into your awareness. Maybe it’s an opportunity or a person you need to meet. Your subconscious brain helps make it happen because it knows what is important to you.

When you create a board that has photos of what you want in your life, and look at it often, your subconscious brain will go to work for you finding the connections between those desires and the opportunities for them in your daily life (maybe things you would not have previously seen or even been aware of).

When you can consistently visualize your goals, you are putting in place the building blocks of making those things happen.

That’s why you should have a vision board in your home right now.

Like right now.

5 Simple Steps to Make Your Own Vision Board

STEP ONE:

Get clear on your desires. Make a list of exactly what you want in every area of your life. Think about relationships, career, health, money, family, spirituality, luxuries, community, experiences and travel – basically everything that is truly important to you. Remember this is personal – this is not about what your parents or your spouse/significant other wants for you. This is your dream board. 

Imagine you could order anything you wanted for your future from the Universe just like ordering from Amazon. Get specific, don’t write down anything that is not true to yourself.

STEP TWO:

Make your board. You can do this the old-fashioned way by cutting things out and making a collage – or you can create a digital board. It doesn't matter which you choose, remember this is just for you and no one else. If you are interested in creating a digital vision board, I have a quick training that you can get HERE. I will also add a link at the end of this blog.

I personally love my digital board because I can make it my computer wallpaper so that I can see it often – even when I am not focusing on it, it is always there.

STEP THREE: 

Remember to use images and anything else you want that will bring a smile to your face and will fill your heart – think back to the ones you created as a teen – you didn’t put ANYTHING on that board unless it totally lit you up. Do the same thing here.

STEP FOUR: 

Remember that the HOW is not your job.

Our adult minds do funny things when we start to reach out in ways like this. You might find yourself looking at that image of a first-class airline seat and thinking you have no idea how you will ever be able to afford that. When a thought like this comes to mind -which it will, just be aware of it. You can even say out loud "that’s an interesting thought, but it does not matter here. I’m not in charge of the how. I’m only filling this awesome board with my what and my why. The rest is not up to me."

I’m currently reading a book by Napoleon Hill (the author of Think and Grow Rich). He was writing about prayer and giving the job of the “how” to a higher power. It totally applies here because your vision board is in many ways a prayer for the desires of your heart – and when combined with actual prayer and meditation is becomes even more powerful. Here’s what he said:

“I have learned to concentrate upon my purpose and to forget about the plan by which it is to be attained when I go to prayer. I am not suggesting that material objects may be acquired without plans. What I am saying is that the power which translates one’s thoughts or desire into realities has its source in an Infinite Intelligence which knows more about plans than the one doing the praying.”

So, leave the how of the plan to your higher power. It is not your place to say how to make your dreams happen – The universe or your higher power has an infinite number of possibilities for you.

STEP FIVE:

Put it in a place where you can see it often.

Look at each image individually before you meditate and look at it first thing in the morning and before you go to bed at night. You want your subconscious to be acutely aware of what you want so that it can start putting into place the plan to make it happen.

I love looking at my vision board all the time.  It makes me so happy knowing that these things are on their way to me. I know it is making a difference in my focus and commitment to my dreams.

I hope it will affect you in the same way!

Please reach out to me and let me know how your board turned out and how it makes your feel! You can also post about it on social media and tag me at #influencerceo. I can’t wait to see your creations!

Remember that you can download the free workshop on how to make a digital vision board at the link below:

FREE VISION BOARD WORKSHOP: https://www.ginakershaw.com/offers/iPzLQ8wG/checkout