After 25 years of practicing as a psychotherapist, I have developed a healthy respect for self-fulfilling prophecies. If we don’t believe we will achieve our goals or attain our dreams, we won’t.
I see vision boards as tools to help manifest our dreams and goals. We have been creating a family vision board since my kids were little. Kids as young as five can participate in this activity that can become a family tradition.
In today's busy world, keeping track of the goals, dreams, and aspirations of everyone in a family can be challenging. With parents working long hours, children engaged in activities, and the constant digital distractions of technology, it's easy for family members to lose sight of what truly matters to each other.
A family vision board is a visual representation of the goals, dreams, and values that each family member wants to achieve and embody. It serves as a constant reminder of what the family aspires to accomplish together and individually. The process of creating the family vision board is an opportunity to foster a sense of unity and strengthen family ties.
Family relationships often become more complicated as people age and family members no longer live in the same household. However, that’s when family relationships become even more important for well-being, as social networks tend to diminish while family caregiving needs increase. Research shows that family relationships and ties impact our well-being throughout our lives. Family vision boards are a way to strengthen family bonds and spark vital conversations between family members about what most matters in life.
Creating a family vision board involves gathering the entire family and dedicating time to discuss, reflect, and envision the desired future as a family unit. It allows each family member to express their ideas, desires, and ambitions, thus contributing to the forming a unified vision. The process of collaboration and communication brings a family close together and encourages support and understanding among members.
Step 1: Designate a space in your home for the family vision board. It can be a large cork board, a wall, or a portable board that can be easily moved. Plan to complete the board in about two hours or so.
Step 2: Gather magazines, newspapers, colored paper, markers, glue sticks, scissors, and any other materials that can be used for creating collages or vision statements. Note that some people prefer digital vision boards, which can be created on platforms like Pinterest or Canva. But I prefer the messiness of creating a vision board with glue and scissors.
Step 3: As a family, decide on categories or themes to focus on. Categories could include personal growth, education, travel, health and wellness, community involvement—whatever your family values.
Step 4: Have each family member search through the collected materials to find images, words, or phrases that resonate with their individual goals or values in each category. Encourage creativity and open-mindedness during the process of gathering materials for the board.
Step 5: it's time to bring it all together on the family vision board. Assign a specific section for each family member or collaborate on a shared space where everyone's contributions blend harmoniously. Arrange the images, words, and phrases in a way that represents the shared vision of the family, creating an inspiring and visually appealing collage.
Step 6: Place the family vision board somewhere visible and easily accessible to all family members. It can be a daily reminder of each person's goals and aspirations. Regularly scheduled family meetings can be held to discuss progress, offer support, and update the vision board as needed. You can take a photo of the vision board and use it as the background on your cell phone or digital devices as a reminder.
A variety of places use vision boards, including educational and therapeutic settings. One study notes that vision boards used in conjunction with solution-focused therapy have been especially effective for people with chronic pain. In addition, they help clients become responsible for guiding their outcome goals in therapy. In schools, vision boards become tools to help students of all ages prepare for college and careers as they visualize and state future goals. Researchers see vision boards as a creative tool for under-represented adolescents in educational settings to promote identity exploration, enhanced self-efficacy beliefs, and promote career and academic aspirations.
No matter the setting, vision boards encourage communication, empathy, and support for each other’s ambitions and goals. For family members, vision boards are an opportunity to invite collaboration as family members work together toward shared objectives. An added bonus is that children can learn the importance of setting goals and working towards them. A family vision board is something you can look back on as a family throughout the year to see whether members are being true to their values and working toward their goals.
References
Thomas, P. A., Liu, H., & Umberson, D. (2017). Family Relationships and Well-Being. Innovation in aging, 1(3), igx025. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igx025
Burton, L. & Lent, J. (2016) The Use of Vision Boards as a Therapeutic Intervention, Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 11:1, 52-65, DOI: 10.1080/15401383.2015.1092901
Conderman, G. & Young, N. (2021) Vision Boards: Students Look Into Their Futures, Kappa Delta Pi Record, 57:2, 90-94, DOI: 10.1080/00228958.2021.1890446
Benedict, B.C. (2021) Using Vision Boards to Reflect on Relevant Experiences and Envision Ideal Futures, College Teaching, 69:4, 231-232, DOI: 10.1080/87567555.2020.1850411
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