7 Tips for Creating a Useful Vision Board That Actually Works This Year

As nice as it would be, simply changing your thinking and believing that you deserve it is not enough to make all your wildest dreams come to fruition. Because the truth is, dreams don’t work unless you do. But while things won’t just magically fall into your lap, there are some practices that can help you manifest everything you want. Case in point? A vision board.

Make no mistake: Vision boards are not some buzzy pop culture trend—they have weight and validity to them. Which is why I decided to tap someone who’s been using vision boards in their manifestation practice since the 00’s: clairvoyant, intuitive, and energy healer Janet Rae Orth.

Regardless of what you want to manifest—whether it’s a new job, partner, or home upgrade—Orth’s 7 tips on how to create a useful vision board that actually works can help make it happen. Keep scrolling to learn more.

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7 Tips for Creating a Useful Vision Board That Actually Works:

1. Use your vision board as a tool for manifestation

“A vision board is a tool to gain clarity and set your intention for what you want to create,” Orth explained simply. For this reason, she suggests using your vision board as a tool in your manifestation practice; that way, you can gain clarity on the details and get the full picture of what you want.

So, take some time to think about what it really is that you want to manifest; let yourself get intentional with your thoughts and hone in on what it is you really want to create. Remember: It’s your life, so make sure you’re focusing on your dreams and desires.

2. Develop a clear mental image

While knowing exactly what you want is a great place to start, it’s not enough—developing a clear mental image is key. “Mental images are a very important aspect of what we manifest. And how we manifest,” Orth said. “We must see it first.”

To develop a clear mental image of what you want to manifest, Orth encourages you to pay attention to your thoughts and think positively as you develop your vision board, which is when you’ll naturally be developing a clear mental image of your goal anyway.

3. Be specific

Additionally, it’s also important to be specific about what you want to manifest. After all, details matter. To put it simply, Orth used the example of someone who’s redesigning their kitchen. Chances are, this person already knows what they want—what the lighting will look like, how much storage there will be, whether it’ll have an island, and so on.

In essence, this person doesn’t just want a new kitchen—they want to a new kitchen in a certain style, whatever that may be. But these details matter, and being specific is key.

“If you aren’t clear on the details, you won’t be happy with the result,” Orth explained. “So a vision board is an excellent tool for us to gain clarity on the specifics, to get the right details, and the right feeling in the image of what we are creating.”

4. Release limiting beliefs

They say that what you think is what you manifest, and Orth agrees with that sentiment. She explained that while encountering limiting subconscious beliefs about yourself and your goals while creating a vision board is normal, self-doubt serves no one. Which is why she implores you to release any negative or limiting beliefs that might be holding you back once and for all.

“As we work on creating the image of what we want on our vision board, all those unconscious ‘nos’ come to the surface, so we can release them,” she said. “Sometimes we have thoughts blocking us that we aren’t even aware of. When we become conscious, we can release them and then they won’t control us.”

5. Focus on the positive

Let’s be real: We all can be a little negative sometimes; it’s part of being human. However, Orth cautions against letting a negative mindset take over your life. “We all know negative people who manifest exactly what they think and feel,” Orth told me. Regardless of the subject, coming from a place of this can’t or won’t happen will be seriously detrimental to manifesting what’s on your vision board.

Instead, Orth encourages you to focus on the positive. “A vision board is an opportunity to focus on the positive aspect of what we want to create. What we think – we manifest. Whether we are conscious of it or not. So a vision board helps us be very conscious,” she explained.

6. Hang your vision board where you won’t see it

Contrary to what pop culture might have you believe, Orth cautions against hanging your vision board in a place where you’ll see it every single day. “It is important to let it go, so the universe can bring it back to you,” she told me. “If we put it over our desk, or someplace where we will see it every day, we are holding onto it. And it will stay in that place, it won’t come into the physical this way. I suggest people hang their vision boards in their closet behind their clothes.”

Furthermore, Orth also encourages you to take note of when you make your vision board; for a lot of people, this tends to be around their birthday or the new year. Regardless of the timing, she suggests to then come back to your vision board one year later to look at it again. “When you truly let it go like this, you will be surprised what comes back to you,” she said.

7. Pretend and believe that it will happen

It’s not enough to just walk the walk—you have to talk the talk, too. Which is why Orth urges you to act like you already have what’s on your vision board. For example, if your goal is to move within the next few years, you can explore where you live while you still can or clean out your closets and get rid of what you won’t be taking with you. Similarly, if you’re manifesting a new job, update your resume or get a new business suit for interviews.

When it comes down to it, mindset is everything. “Let go of any scarcity thinking or fear that says it won’t happen. Pretend and believe it will happen. And be happy,” she said. “Live in the energy and belief of having what you desire, knowing it will come to you.”