Why Vision Boards Don’t Work

We’ve all heard about the power of visualization.  Maybe even tried it for a time.  But most of us have had little or no success manifesting the dreams and desires we’ve had for years!  So it leads many to believe that things like Vision Boards don’t work.

If you’ve seen “The Secret,” you may remember John Assaraf’s story about how he put a picture of his dream house on his Vision Board.  While moving around for a period of five years, his Vision Board ironically got put out of sight!  Once he moved into a house he was going to stay in for awhile, he went through some old boxes and found his Vision Board.  He was amazed to see that he moved into – not a house like his dream house but – the EXACT house that was on his Vision Board.
 
I found this a bit hard to believe until I heard John explain that the picture of his dream house was an aerial view.  So when he saw it from the ground – he didn’t realize it was that exact same house.

I recently had my own “well whatdya know – Vision Boards DO work” kind of experience.

As you may know, Chris and I moved in December.  I’ve always wanted to live on the water and in Rochester there are two choices – Irondequoit Bay or Lake Ontario.  So one day about four years ago, I went out to the Bay and Lake and took pictures for my Vision Board (see TOP picture).  I thought maybe if I looked at these every day then I would eventually manifest a house on the water.

So we’d been in our new townhouse about two weeks when Chris pulls out my Vision Board and is stunned by what he saw.  This picture is the view from our townhouse (BOTTOM picture).  We were not even conscious when we decided to buy this townhouse that the view was so similar.  Yep, like John Assaraf – we had forgotten the picture on my Vision Board!!

So four years after I posted the pictures, I have achieved my vision.  Okay – so it wasn’t instant manifestation.  But certain things had to happen along the way for my vision to take place. There are things I did right (and things I could have done better) that led to the eventual manifestation of my goal.

Here’s my take on it:

1) Be very specific about what you want.  I was very specific – so much so that I went and took pictures of the view I eventually wanted.  

2) Focus on your vision every day.  I had my Vision Board in my bedroom where I saw it every morning and every night.  What I could have done better was paid more “conscious” attention to it.  It was in the background, peripherally, yet obviously seeped into my subconscious.  But to create speed around my goal – I could have made it more of a conscious activity.

3) Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.  Everything that has happened in the last four years, changes in my business, changes in my relationship status, have all required stepping out of my comfort zone.  What I could have done better is be less resistant to the changes.  I fought every one of them.  See #4.

4) Don’t let fear stop you.  There were times I wanted to run and hide from the changes that were taking place.  Share my business with someone, give up 100% control, be vulnerable to someone else and their mistakes?  Not something this independent gal was used to!.

5) Be willing to let go of “NOT QUITE RIGHT” in order to get “EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT”.  We looked at other townhouses that were very nice but not on the water.  As I was about to settle, we decided to look at one more neighborhood we thought we’d already been to (but hadn’t).  I walked in and from the living room saw the view above.  Chris tells me that I said “I’ll take it” before I even found out how much it was!

You can see how applicable these 5 steps are to anything you want to do.  Lose weight, get a better job, or find a great relationship.  It all starts with knowing exactly what you want.  But after that, ACTION is required. 

We find that this is where most people stop.  What are you DOING in order to make your dreams come true?