Vision boards are powerful tools for visualizing goals and aspirations. These collages of images, affirmations, and inspiring words help you "see" your desired outcomes and strengthen your resolve to turn them into reality. Why not create one to support your volunteering efforts?
“Vision boards can be created for specific purposes. The more specific, the more effective the board, since it is a tool for helping your subconscious brain recognize opportunities to move you along the path to success,” explains Marcia Layton Turner, Ph.D., author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vision Boards.
Turner emphasizes that creating a vision board can aid progress toward volunteering goals. By visualizing what success looks like, you can identify the individual elements or steps needed to achieve that vision, making your goals feel more attainable.
So, how do you create a volunteering vision board? It’s simple—and a fun, family-friendly activity suitable for all ages.
Start with basic supplies: a piece of poster board or sturdy cardboard, images from magazines or printed online, and a glue stick or adhesive to attach your images. Consider including positive, aspirational words or phrases that align with your volunteering goals.
To keep your workspace clean, place old newspapers, a drop cloth, or another protective barrier over the surface you’ll be using. This will safeguard your table or floor from glue, markers, or any other materials that might leave a mess.
Before creating your vision board, reflect on the impact you want to make through your volunteer work. Turner suggests thinking about these aspects to help guide you as you create your board. Then, use photos, illustrations, and other visual imagery to express that work.
“For example, if your efforts will be spent trying to clean up a trash-ridden park, you could feature images of green parks devoid of any trash—that’s what you’re working toward,” she says.
A vision board should focus more on images than words or numbers—the goal is to evoke emotions, triggering your subconscious mind and creativity to identify pathways your conscious mind might overlook, Turner says. However, you can still reinforce your goals with specific numbers, written objectives, or motivational text.
“Since your vision board is a tool for achieving a goal, you may want to feature specific targets prominently, such as ‘1,000 children served this year’ or ‘$10,000 raised.’ Put that primary goal in the center of the board so that it’s clear it is the ultimate objective,” she says.
Creating your vision board should be a fun and aspirational process, not an overwhelming one. Don’t feel pressured to fill every square inch of your board.
“Personally, I try to leave some white space around each image or element so that my brain can more easily decipher what I’m showing; people who layer images over each other like in a collage make it more difficult to see and react to what is being shown,” she says. Placing your central goal in the center and outlining it in yellow is “another way to train your brain to look at that image the most and to invest the most energy in achieving that desired state.”
Once your vision board is complete, place it in a prominent location where you’ll see it frequently throughout the day. This might be on a desk, a wall, a refrigerator, or even a mirror. Use it as a source of inspiration to take action.
“A vision board isn’t like telling Santa your Christmas wish—it’s not going to magically make something happen without effort on your part. You need to be attuned to and alert to unexpected opportunities or situations that could lead you toward achieving your goal,” she says. Still, this tool can help you stay focused on your aspirations—and the opportunities to realize them.
Looking for more ways to give back? Visit www.createthegood.org for ideas and inspiration.