How To Be a Visionary

We’re now a week into 2011, and this is a good time to see how you’re doing on those New Year’s resolutions.  Go on. I’ll wait. …

If you realized you haven’t flossed, exercised, or worked on your book project since Monday (What? Of course, I’m not talking about myself.) don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re not alone. Edward told me the other day that the resolution nerds, as he calls them, that decided to try to be as insane dedicated as he is and go to the gym at 5 a.m. have already fallen off the wagon.

One way to keep yourself encouraged is by creating a vision board. I know, I know, you’re thinking this sounds way too Oprah-y for you, but vision boards can be quite inspiring and putting one together can even be fun.

A vision board is essentially a collage of images and words that symbolize your goals, that represent the life you dream of one day living. Though I’ve known about vision boards for a while I didn’t create my first one until last week. The musings of social web strategist and yogini Gwen Bell motivated me and I decided to suck it up, accept that I am Oprah-y (especially in January), and just make the freaking board.

Here’s how to create your own:

1. Grab a stack of old magazines, scissors, a glue stick, markers, colored paper or index cards, and a large piece of posterboard. You’ll probably want to have your list of goals nearby. I also recommend having good snacks and good music on hand. While I created my vision board I listened to a mixtape of songs by awesome women like Ani DiFranco, Tori Amos, Imogen Heap, and Liz Phair.   

2. Gwen Bell recommends that you give yourself only one hour to flip through the magazines, cutting out any images that speak to you. I spent two hours on this process, but I would say that Bell’s recommendation is best since I only used about half of my clippings on my board. (Make sure you don’t get caught up in reading the articles, something that was obviously a challenge for a word nerd like me. If an article intrigues you just cut it out and stick it in a folder to read later.) 

3. After this you’ll need a break. I took advantage of the unseasonably warm day and went for a short stroll outside to get some air.

4. Now it’s time to assemble your board. Gwen Bell says you shouldn’t be afraid to glue on images that don’t make sense. But I can be a bit of a perfectionist so I wasn’t able to be all willy-nilly with my Elmer’s. I arranged and rearranged the images until I was satisfied with the collage and then I pasted down the pictures. I wrote favorite quotes and scriptures on index cards and added them to the board too.

5. Find a place to display your board. Mine is on my bedroom wall next to my snarky Anne Taintor calendar and very bad art work.  


I must say, I love my board. Images like this encourage me to refrain from negative self-talk about my body.

(The hot naked lady is plus-size model Jennie Runk, who told Glamour, “My curves make me feel sexy.” That’s something I want to be able to say one day. Right now they make me feel more hefty than sexy.)


This portion of my board represents my dreams of one day traveling more with my husband.

This corner boasts the logos of publications I hope to write for one day.

And this section of my board reminds me that regardless of my circumstances and whether I accomplish all my goals or none, I can live a happy life if I simply choose to be joyful.