Everyone has dreams, hopes, goals and paths that they want to pursue over a lifetime, and there are many ways to keep these ideals alive in daily life. Some people pray about them, others journal, and still others may wish on birthday candles. Another method, known as vision boarding, is a simple yet powerful self-coaching activity that can be done at home to create and track current or future goals and keep them in focus.

The first stage of the vision boarding process is to identify what we want in life. This can include feelings, experiences, states of being and values that are most cherished, desired and important. Setting intentions is the key initial ingredient to the process of vision boarding, and these intentions can be stated out loud, written down or meditated upon.

Vision boarding can be done solo or with family members and friends for a powerful shared experience. Add some music to the process, light candles or sip a delicious beverage to add to the fun and sensory delight of the practice while following these steps:

1. Grab a collection of diverse magazines, along with some scissors, glue and a surface on which to apply collected images. This can be a large poster board, a cardboard box (to create a vision box, a nice twist on the exercise), or even a piece of furniture (in which case, a product called Modge- Podge should be applied over the images after they have been glued onto the furniture item).

2. Peruse the magazines, considering the images. Which ones best capture desired feelings, relationships, jobs and other cherished dreams? Are there words, slogans or headlines that relate to your plans? Begin to tear out the most appealing images and words without overanalyzing them. Stay present in this process, letting go of thoughts about the finished product.

3. Begin to think about the role of these images on the vision board. How can they help to maintain clarity and focus? Do these images and words tell the story of your dreams, hopes, goals and desired paths? How can they best be cut, shaped, laid out or juxtaposed to create an act of beauty and power that will visually tell the best story? Once satisfied, glue the images in place.

4. The final phase is to share your vision board, if desired, and set it in a place where it can be regularly seen. Some people like to consciously meditate on their vision board each day, others have chosen to write about it from time to time and some visit it and take it in as a means to connect with their vision for life.

Vision boards are a creative way to get clear about dreams and desires, say them out loud and explore the Law of Attraction in life. While prayers, journal lists and birthday wishes are not always answered, it’s always a good idea to state intentions, deliberately interact with dreams, hopes and goals, and believe in possibility.

Leigh Doherty, MA, GCEC, is an Achievement Coach and co-founder of Designed Alliance, a coaching partnership in the Boston area that works with clients locally, nationally and internationally. For more information, visit DesignedAlliance.com, email [email protected] or call 617-764- 5268.