Envision 2025: How To Make Your 2025 Vision Board

Image courtesy of me.

It could be my subconscious urge to purge my room of old magazines or a drive for productivity. Most likely, it was the impulse to create something artistic. Regardless, TikTok inspired me to make a vision board.

Image courtesy of Sofia Coppola, 2013.

In December, thousands of people flip through sections of fashion, beauty, health, travel, and more magazines to find words or images that speak to our aspirations and dreams. I joined the legion of influencers, bridal parties, sorority sisters, and others participating in this annual rite of passage. We hope that combining phrases like 'It's in the Bag' or 'Effortless Elegance' with images of a wall of hydrangeas in Rhode Island or a sunrise at Mont Saint-Michel will somehow embolden us to embody that attitude—and perhaps even have the chance to visit these places.

Gif courtesy of Wix.

While art therapy positively impacts one's mental health, what proof is there that creating vision boards leads to goal actualization? Are vision boards worth the time and effort? These questions swirl as I stare at the collage on my sock drawer. 

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The Science Behind A Vision Board

If you create a vision board, you're in good company. Forbes Magazine reported that " A TD Bank survey found that one in five successful entrepreneurs use vision boards when starting their business and about 76% reported that their progress so far has aligned with their vision... 82% of these small business owners found that they have accomplished over half of their business goals since they began (Travers,2024)." You might wonder: What happens to you while you create a vision board? Two major things occur: Researchers found that vision boards set a foundation for confidence through strengthening people's "ability to effectively execute actions necessary to attain desired outcomes and prompt them to seek out supportive resources" (Waalkes, et. al, 2019). In addition to boosting confidence, creating a vision board has a positive correlation with self-concordance. Self Concordance is "to the alignment between one's goals and intrinsic motivations, values and interests, leads to experiencing more positive emotions. (Knippenberg and Wang, 2021). Consequently, the magic behind vision boards stems from what happens in your brain when you find the words or pictures that speak to you. 

Gif courtesy of Wix.

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How To Create A Vision Board

I started to think about my vision board the day after Thanksgiving. 

Recipe for a Vision Board 

1. 2-3 magazines (the more specialized, the better. If you are interested in travel or sports, find an old magazine that reflects your interests).

2. A pair of scissors

3. Magpage (you don't need a lot, so buy the smallest size)

4. Poster board (I recommend a small to medium size. If a larger size, you would need more magazines)

Image courtesy of Istagam account @TAKEURVITAMINEM.

I begin to scour the bookshelf for old magazines. Typically, I find two or three magazines. I start creating a vision board by reading every article and advertisement. Once I read from cover to cover, I channel my inner Grey's Anatomy surgical intern and cut out the pictures or words that stood out to me. When I create a vision board, I feel like Indiana Jones when he's uncovering treasures. It can be overwhelming to accomplish this project in one day. So, I like to break it up. I find the clippings in one day and then create the collage on the second day.

Image courtesy of Media from Wix.

It doesn't matter how you create a vision board. A vision will help you envision a happy, healthy 2025. I hope this upcoming year will be a fantastic year.

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Citations

Travers, M. (2024): A Psychologist Explains The Power Of ‘Vision Boarding’ For Success https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2024/03/29/a-psychologist-explains-the-power-of-vision-boarding-for-success/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Waalkes, P. L., Gonzalez, L. M., & Brunson, C. N. (2019). Vision Boards and Adolescent Career Counseling: A Culturally Responsive Approach. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 14(2), 205–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2019.1602092

Fan, X. L., van Knippenberg, D., & Wang, X. H. (Frank). (2021). Vision–value match: leader communication of visions, follower values, meaningfulness, and creativity. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 31(4), 550–566. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.2013202

Coppola, S. (Director). (2013). The Bling Ring [Film]. A24; American Zoetrope.