“Where there is no vision, the people perish….” —Proverbs 29:18

I recently posted on the timeline of my Facebook page some thoughts on the Tarot card drawn as a source of inspiration for that day. The card was the 3 of Wands, and one of its messages is about having a vision for the future.

Vision is defined as “the faculty or state of being able to see.” Vision can be limited to your eyes and physical sight, but it is also more than that. Vision is a faculty of our imagination, and in that sense, is a picture or idea you have in your mind of yourself, your business, or anything this is going to happen. A vision helps you pursue your dreams and achieve your goals. A vision is an idea of the future; one that can open your mind to life’s endless possibilities.

In sharing about the 3 of Wands, I mentioned that the suit of Wands can typically represent issues pertaining to business, enterprise, and endeavors. In the world of business, most, if not all, organizations and companies have what is known as a vision statement. A vision statement is sometimes called a picture of a company in the future but it’s so much more than that. The vision statement is the inspiration, the framework for all of that organization’s strategic planning. It is a target in which a leader focuses on resources and energy. The continual presence of a vision helps to motivate against forces of resistance: failure, emotional hardships (negative feedback) and real hardships (issues in the company). Unlike its counterpart, the mission statement, the vision statement represents the company and the people within the organization; it is somewhat personal. And just as a company can have a vision statement, so can each of us.

As a coach, I encourage my clients to have a vision for their lives. No matter what change the person wants to create in his or her life, I always have him or her share with me what life looks like once the change has taken place. That becomes the vision. Personal vision statements serve as a permanent reminder of the direction you would like your life to take, and as a guide to work toward.

A Creative Process for Your Vision: The Vision Board

One way to have a permanent reminder of your vision is to create a vision board. A vision board is a visual (the faculty of sight) representation of a life that you have already envisioned for yourself (the word envision means “to picture to oneself”). The tip I want to provide for you, in this space and time, is to create your own vision board.

A vision board is both fun and easy to make. First, you will need a large sheet of poster board. Then, find images of the things you have envisioned for your life. Find images online, in books and magazines that you can cut out and paste or glue on your vision board. Also create words, phrases and affirmations to go with those images.

Sharing My Vision (Board)

I am going to be sharing what I have had on my own vision board, which I have hanging in my home office as I write this. On my board, I have pictures of myself wearing my cap and gown when I graduated with my Associate of Arts. Surrounding that image, I have the words “Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology,” “Graduating with a Master of Arts in Psychology” and “a career in psychology.” My vision here was to become a college graduate with diplomas in psychology, a subject that would deepen my ability to do the work I so love doing.

In another area of the board, I have an image of myself conducting a session. Words I have around that include “office space” and “a reading room.” I also have an affirmation: “My business is continually growing, thriving, and prospering.” My vision here was to have the space to be able to have clients come to me, rather than commuting to see all my clients (I was living in a one-bedroom apartment, and the space outfitted to be a dining room was instead my home office.).

In another, I photocopied money in various denominations. I created a sign that had the word “DEBT” on it with a red circle and slash over it, as well as another sign that had dollar signs on it. An affirmation I pasted to that was: “Money comes to me freely and easily at all times;” another was “I love money, money loves me, and I am a money magnet.” The vision here was having more financial independence; at that time, I had five credit cards, all carrying a balance of various amounts.

In yet another, I focused on what I wanted out of my Work. An image I have has “Work-Life Balance” along with an affirmation that reads, “The job I have is one that brings passion, purpose, and meaning to my life,” as well as, “I am excited to go to work everyday!”

Once your board is complete, hang it up in an area where you will see it constantly. Since it is a vision board, it requires you to actually look at it, as it is the life you are “setting your sights on.” Making it and not displaying it or storing it away is telling yourself that you don’t value the vision you want for your life. For me, I made it a work of art: I framed it and hung it up in my living room, a room where I would see it on a daily basis.

The vision board gets you to hold yourself responsible and accountable for the steps you need to take to make the changes necessary for the life you have now envisioned for yourself. It a visual way of reminding yourself, “This is why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

How My Vision Came to Pass

For me, I moved from an apartment to my first home. The home is a three-bedroom townhouse; one of the rooms became my home office, and another became a room in which I conduct my client consultations.

With my financial situation, I moved up the ladder with the company I was working with before I left to grow and develop my own business. That move allowed me the finances to get my first home, as well as pay off four of the five credit cards I had balances on (and I did that in one year). The move to the house and the removal of (bad) debt enabled me to make the transition from my corporate job to being a self-employed entrepreneur.

With my education, in the span of four years, I earned my Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees (both in psychology—and I even managed a minor in Human Resource Management with my BA!).

I share this with you as a testimony to the power of the vision board. As I write this, the vision board now hangs on a wall adjacent to the wall that has my degrees and certifications in my home office—a space where I see it daily, every time I set foot in that room. Almost of all the things I envisioned, and put on my board, for my life have come to pass (I have one left: the completion and publication of my first book). I had the vision, set the intention, and then took the necessary action steps to achieve those goals. My board was my visual “this is why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

But don’t just take my word for the power of the vision board. I invite you to create your own. Flex your creative and imaginative muscles. Also remember, though, that making a vision board is not a substitute for taking any action; rather, it sets the stage for life to present the opportunities to you for the life you are envisioning. It is your visual road map of the destinations you want to reach in your life. You still have to prepare for the road trip, and then get on the highway.

So…what’s your vision?

Your partner in envisioning your best life,

James