Vision Board - An Intuitive To-Do List

As part of getting centered and paying attention to my true desires this month, I asked Carol Moss, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Life Coach and chanteuse, to lead a vision board workshop for a few friends and me.

Carol's sample vision board contained themes
of healing,  balance and water.

According to Carol, a vision board is a creative do-to list that includes emotion and pictures, making it more dimensional and compelling than a handwritten list of goals.  The act of seeking out images helps to clarify what you want.

"A vision board is an effective tool for tapping into the subconscious," says Carol. "It can be used for a specific purpose - like to plan a garden or clarify a relationship, or you can proceed with an open mind and simply let a theme emerge."

People are often surprised and delighted to find that things they put on their boards later manifest in real life.  You can call it the law of attraction or just getting specific, but many people, including Carol, have seen concrete results. I find that very exciting!

So, this Sunday afternoon,  a few open-minded girlfriends and I sat around my dining room table armed with scissors, glue sticks, poster board and a mimosa or two. To help us create an intention for the exercise, Carol read a poem by Mary Oliver and led us in a short meditation. Then we eagerly began flipping through stacks of old magazines. 

Carol urged us to cut or tear out pictures that attracted us or made us feel good, without getting too analytical about the reasons why. She also told us there's no right way to create our boards and not to worry about what the other women were doing - it wasn't a competition.

After about 45 minutes of flipping and ripping, we retreated to separate corners to put our boards together. It got quiet. As I placed items on my board, I looked for connections between the pictures I'd chosen.

My vision board was jam-packed. I'm greedy.

"If I put the clock by the eggs, do you think that symbolizes anything?" I wondered aloud. Hmm.

Once we finished, Carol invited us to show our boards to the group and talk a bit about what they meant. You can see my finished product, above. It looked nothing like anyone else's; they were all unique. 

I didn't have a specific purpose or topic in mind, so my board is jam-packed with many themes. I guess I'm greedy. Here's my top line analysis its meaning.

• I yearn to spend time in green, fertile, primal places. I've actually had a dream about the vine-covered stone cottage in the middle of the board.
• I long for juicy, bright, uplifting experiences and surroundings.
• It's time to write a book!
• I want to hit the road (maybe a bike trip with my man?)
• I want to be strong, active, and sexy. 
• I desire to connect with an audience, I want to stand out.
• Basically, I just want to be Beyonce.

"It says I Did It," said Carol, pointing to the upper right corner. "What is it, what did you do?"

"I don't know yet," I answered, "But it was really good, because I'm in the spotlight and everyone is applauding."

Maybe I'll have to do a separate board about the "IT" on my own.

Anyway, it's too soon to tell if any of these things pictured will manifest in my life, but trust me, I'll be looking for them. Regardless, the whole experience of creating a board with my friends was fulfilling, fun, and helped us get to know one another better.

Have you ever used a vision board to clarify your goals and desires? Would you give it a try? Please share your thoughts and experiences here. I'm envisioning a lively discussion.