Can a Dream Board Work For You?

We’ve all heard of pin boards, dream boards, inspiration boards. They can be used for a variety of goals, from losing weight, getting that job or your dream home. Plenty of big names have attested to this as part of their own success, so why can’t us “commoners” use it too? But herein lies the real question. Does it even work to begin with?  

A dream board is a compilation of thoughts, ideas, words and images used to remind you of what you want to achieve. It puts it all in one sacred place where you can see it every day to push you through and motivate you to attain those goals. Many also associate this with the law of attraction, which basically states that if you put positive thoughts out into the universe, positive results will return to you.  If you did not realize your goal, it is from your lack of putting out positive thoughts and energies into the universe.  

But does it work? Well, yes and no. Filling a board up with thin models will not make you thin, nor filling a board up with mansions get you one. While positive thinking and dreaming can be inspirational, it will ultimately take a process and hard work to make it come to fruition. You cannot simply rely on the law of attraction and pictures. According to Neil Farber PhD on Psychology Today, “The universe may have other plans. We don’t know if there are other, greater plans behind the curtain. Thus, not achieving our goals may actually be beneficial for us. The outcome, while apparently negative, may be a blessing in disguise. Rather than blaming yourself, you would be better off finding the silver lining, looking for lessons learned, and realizing how the apparent failure can be beneficial.”

That being said, a dream board can still be useful if used correctly. Turn that dream board into an action board. Get rid of the blaming and focus on motivation and present minded thinking. As Mark Twain once said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started”. Focus less on the material and more on the actions to get you to your goal. You can still make this a visual board, but instead of material thoughts, put into visualization feelings. Before putting your board together, think about these questions: 

-What do I value? 

-How do I want to feel? 

-What do I want to achieve? 

 

Be realistic and map the process of how you're going to achieve your goals. Include daily   affirmations to inspire you and keep negative thoughts at a minimum. Your board should be a constant reminder of what you’re working towards, make sure to put it somewhere you can see it every day like your bathroom mirror, or maybe somewhere a little more private like your bedroom. Once you see it at all times, be intentional about reading it at all times and remind yourself why you did this to begin with.  

 

Here are some helpful 8 key principles to use for your board: 

And here are some products to help crystallize your vision board