7 steps to create a financial vision board

Make you money dreams and goals visible

As the new year gets underway, how about a new approach to achieving your financial goals and dreams? A vision board could be the perfect thing for you.

A vision board, or a dream map, is simply a collection of pictures and words showing what you want to achieve. You paste the images on a poster and put it up where you can look at it often. This reminds you of what you want to accomplish, and inspires and motivates you to keep making decisions that support your goals and objectives.

A money vision board works in the same way. The only difference is that you focus specifically on your financial dreams and goals.

Why a vision board?

Remember the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words? That’s the main reason to do a vision board. Pictures evoke emotions, and often when you cannot find the words to express what you feel, a picture can do the job.

Achieving a big goal requires motivation and inspiration, and you are more likely to succeed when you can picture that goal. A picture of a young woman graduating from university, is far more powerful than writing down, “Save for my children’s education”.

Also, it is easier to keep your goals top of mind when you see them often. When your vision board is stuck up on a wall or inside your cupboard door, you will see it at least once a day and be reminded of the dream you are realising.

How to create a vision board

1. Gather your supplies. If at all possible, create a physical vision board – one where you paste pictures and words onto a poster or large piece of paper. The act of physically cutting and pasting helps to get your creative juices flowing. You will need paper, scissors, glue and some old magazines. If you don’t have magazines, you can also search online for pictures and quotes and print them out.

2. Get into the right mindset. Making a vision board is a creative activity, so it’s best to get yourself into a creative mood. You are not drawing up a spreadsheet with numbers and percentages; instead, you are going to step into your dreams and get excited about what you want the future to look like. Most importantly, make a deal with yourself to let your imagination run wild.

3. Page through your magazines or images online and select anything you like or that your feel “speaks” to you. There doesn’t have to be a reason for it – if you like the image, tear it out or print it out.

4. Once you’ve gone through all your magazines (or online sites), go through the pictures and words again and select your favourites.

5. Choose an image or quote to put in the centre of your board and then start pasting the rest of your selection around it. The important thing is to not think too much – allow your intuition to take over. A vision board is about dreaming beyond the realities of everyday life.

6. When your board is done, spend some time looking at and thinking about every image, word or phrase. Feel the emotions it awakens in you and connect with them. You can also talk to your partner or a friend through your vision board.

7. Put your vision board up in a place where it can remind you of your dreams and goals.

What next?

Spend a few minutes in front of your vision board every day, connecting with the inspiring emotions you felt when you created it.

Keep your money vision board in mind when you think about and plan your finances, let it guide you when you draw up your budget and when you decide on what to spend your money.

For instance, if you have a picture of a family boarding a plane on your vision board, then saving for a holiday with your family should clearly be a priority for you. A picture of a person laughing without a care in the world reminds you to take steps to bring your debt under control so that you can stop worrying about it.

With your vision board to guide you, you can adopt a new approach to money and financial health this year.