Vision boards are a fun and creative way for children (and adults) to set personal goals every year.
They offer a great way for kids to get motivated and take action to reach their goals, especially in the tween years when most kids seem to start losing their motivation to engage in activities, or see the benefit in doing various tasks.
Vision boards can be a great tool to help children learn the value of setting and striving for goals, and to also help them understand that it can be fun to work towards achieving them. Vision boards can also be used to help children better understand the concepts of goal-setting and the power of positive thinking.
Having a visual reminder of the goals that they are striving for can be very encouraging for children, and it can help them stay focused on the long-term objectives. Additionally, vision boards can be used to help children keep track of their progress, and to help them stay motivated as they work towards achieving their goals.
These simple visualization boards can help them home in on their interests while developing much needed planning skills for the future.
Here are a few simple steps to creating vision board:
Vision Boards: Keep It Simple
All you need is a medium size poster board and glue, or a cork board and pins. Any type of material can be added onto the board: cutout pictures from magazines, newspapers, or simply written goals on a piece of paper, anything goes.
The important thing is to keep the vision board simple. Too much clutter can be overwhelming and distracting. Instead of focusing on an overly ambitious vision board with too many different goals, try to focus on a few achievable goals that will help you reach your larger goals. For example, rather than having a goal of becoming a millionaire, break it down into smaller goals, such as building an emergency fund or starting a business.
When setting up your vision board, it’s important to think about why you want to achieve these goals. Visualize yourself achieving them and create a positive atmosphere in which to work. Place the vision board somewhere you will see it every day, such as your bedroom or office. This will help keep you motivated and on track to achieving your goals.
Finally, don’t be afraid to make changes to the vision board. As you progress through your journey, you may find that some of your goals have changed or that you want to add new ones. This is perfectly normal and encouraged. As long as you keep your vision board simple, you can keep it up to date and continue to make progress towards your goals.
Vision Boards: Big Dreams And Small Dreams
It’s absolutely wonderful to dream big and include amazing goals on the vision board, but make sure to also include realistic and achievable goals.
Creating a vision board can be a great way to focus on both your big dreams and small dreams. It can also be a great way to stay motivated and encouraged to reach your goals. By including both big and small dreams on your vision board, you can ensure that you are consistently working towards something. Small dreams can be a great way to track your progress and celebrate small victories. This can be a great way to stay focused and motivated on the path to achieving your bigger goals. As you complete and celebrate each small dream, you’ll be reminded that you’re making progress towards your larger dreams, and that can be a great source of motivation and encouragement.
Vision Boards: Set Specific Goals
It helps to set specific goals and to think out of the box. The vision board can contain more than just ‘material’ things. It can include activities they would like to do, amount of money they need to save to purchase something they want, skills they would like to acquire or improve, places they would like to visit, ways they can give back to their community.
It’s also important to come up with a plan to actively work towards achieving the set goals.
Having a plan for achieving the set goals is essential. It is important to break down the vision board into smaller achievable goals. This can help to make the goals more achievable and make it easier to stay motivated and focused on the end goal. Additionally, it can be beneficial to set deadlines for each of the smaller goals so that they can be met in a timely manner. Furthermore, setting rewards for each milestone that is achieved can help to motivate and keep one motivated for the duration of the journey. Finally, having a support system in place to provide advice and guidance can be invaluable in helping to stay on track and working towards the vision board goals.
Vision Boards: Include Short Term Goals
Short term goals are easier to achieve and in turn can motivate children to fulfill the rest of their vision board goals.
For instance, if your child wants to receive a higher grade on their next week’s math test, then ask them to come up with a plan in order to achieve this goal (e.g. do an extra 5 minutes of math every day).
If your child wants to develop better study habits, have them create a schedule and set goals for themselves. This could include setting aside time to read and complete assignments, or even setting aside an hour each day to study for future tests. Additionally, you can encourage your child to use a planner or calendar to keep track of their progress. This way, they can easily check off the goals they have accomplished and be more motivated to meet their short-term goal.
Vision boards can also help children learn to plan and prioritize their time. By having them create a board with their goals, they can easily see which tasks take priority and which tasks can be put off for later. Additionally, it can help them to learn the importance of setting deadlines for themselves and staying on track to reach their goals. This way, they can develop the necessary skills to become more organized and successful in their daily lives.
Vision Boards: Include Long Term Goals
Long term goals require more thought in terms of action planning, but can be broken down into smaller tasks along the way.
For example, learning to type using all ten fingers can seem overwhelming at first, but this skill can be achieved gradually over time. So, practicing keyboarding 5 minutes every day, while tracking and rewarding progress weekly, can make this goal attainable by the end of the year or sooner.
Vision Boards: Personalize It
Get creative. They can personalize their board by adding things they love and things they are grateful for (e.g. family pet).
As a parent, you might also learn something new from your ever-changing child. My son added on his board: ‘Learn to do Bardownskis’. So, I asked him if Bardownski played for the Montreal Canadians. He laughed at me. Turns out Bardownski is not an NHL player, it’s a type of hockey goal, where the puck hits the hockey net cross ‘bar’, then drops ‘down’ landing in the net …the ‘ski’ part apparently just makes it sound cooler!
A vision board can also be a great way to celebrate successes, both big and small. My son loves to go to the movies, so we added a ticket stub from his last movie on his board. It’s a reminder of his success and a motivation to keep going. Plus, it’s a fun way to track his progress and accomplishments.
There are so many ways to customize a vision board to fit the individual. From adding photos of favorite people, places, and things, to writing down goals and dreams, to collecting mementos from past successes, the possibilities are endless. There’s really no wrong way to personalize a vision board, and it’s a great way for kids to express themselves and get creative.
Vision Boards: The Bigger Picture
Keep the vision board in their bedroom, in plain sight, as a reminder. When a goal gets accomplished… CELEBRATE!
If some of the goals don’t get reached by the end of the year… no worries. Learning to deal with setbacks, think positive, and notice the good intention behind any goal setting is just as important as reaching the goal!
Vision boards are a powerful tool for setting and achieving goals. They provide an easy way to stay connected to your dreams and aspirations and to keep yourself motivated to take action. They can also be a great source of inspiration and provide direction when you feel stuck or lost. Regularly reviewing and updating your vision board will help you to stay focused on your bigger picture and continue to make progress towards achieving your goals. At the same time, it is important to be mindful of your progress and celebrate when you reach each milestone. Having a vision board in plain sight is a great reminder of what you are working towards and will help to keep you accountable.
Vision boards can be a useful tool at any age. So try making one for yourself too. The outcome might surprise you.