Vision boards have become a huge thing as people go into the new year. Big or small, posting pictures or just words, it’s a visual interpretation of your goals for yourself at the beginning of the year. The idea has become so big that people now even host full on events for attendees to make a Vision Board of their own (and eat and drink, of course)!

I’ve been creating a vision board for myself regularly since 2014. Each year, I go out and get a poster board, take all of my magazines I still have left from the year, and get to work on creating a beautiful, New Year masterpiece (this year was one of my favorites by far!). It always has my goals for the year, along with positive words or phrases to motivate me. I truly stand by them, but there is one small issue with them.

The problem often with vision boards is that it’s basically another major to-do list that not enough people truly put the work in on. A pretty, colorful, creative list, but a list none the less. A list of goals that means nothing unless you truly are prepared to execute. The same way that you make your New Year resolutions with good intentions, determined to get this job or lose that stubborn weight finally, you go into creating a vision board ready to take on the new year. So you think. But then, the next New Year rolls around, and you realize that you haven’t gotten as far as you think you would have or should have. I struggled with that, too.

So in this year, because I’m so fired up on momentum from last year, I was determined to do things a bit differently with my vision board to make a better impact. So here’s five ways you can make the most out of your board this year, especially for those of you who are getting started on them this month:

Stick to three-five major goals and put them on your board. 

Review the goals you have for yourself this year, but pick three to five of the most important. It can be making time for your relationship or family.  It can be growing and promoting your brand in a better way. It can be focusing on your health. It can be traveling more. Whatever your goals are, keep the list small. This will give you better focus instead of trying to make 50 other big things happen in one year. You’re only one person!

Create a side list of the steps you plan to take to reach these goals.

This is the most important part of the vision that’s often skipped. You’ve got to have a clear cut action plan on how you’re actually going to make these goals happen! What are you going to do differently from last year to get to where you want to be? Let’s take the big one: losing weight. You want to get ready for summer? Cool. What’s your nutrition going to look like? Are you using an app of some sort or a notebook to count the calories in your food? How often are you going to go the gym, and what specific workout regimen are you going to undertake each time? Are you challenging yourself, or are you just playing around? Dreams without a plan to execute remain dreams!

Take it EVERYWHERE.

My vision board is posted up in my room, but it’s also the background on my laptop, my phone, even my computer screens at my 9-5! So even when I’m not home, I have my vision board with me at all times, and I’m reminded of my goals and affirmations for myself. Putting your vision board as your background on your tablet, phone, or whatever, helps to keep you accountable as you go throughout your day.

Take moments to look at it every day, and review where you are. 

Each day, take a good, long look at your board, and review where you are in getting there. Personally, I look at mine each morning before I start my day and remind myself what I need to do for the day, and every night before bed so I can evaluate what I did or didn’t do that day. I also love reading my affirmations to give me more confidence in who I am. This definitely helps to review (and maybe even reassess) what actions you need to continue to take to move forward so that you can actually hit your goals this year.

Make time to actually celebrate knocking off tasks on your action plan and hitting mini goals.

Give yourself credit when you manage to handle some of your action items, or hit even some of your mini goals on the way to the big ones! Reward yourself how you see fit based on the goal you managed to achieve (maybe not food if you lose a pound or two, though!). It could be a small reward like a glass of wine and watching a show on Netflix, or something big like tickets to go see your favorite artist or a trip somewhere. Just remember to give yourself a pat on the back every now and then!

Do you have a vision board already for the year, or do you plan to work on one? What are some goals you plan on reaching in the New Year?

The post How to Make the Most Out of Your Vision Board This Year appeared first on Imperfectly B.