Vision boards - a big buzz word around the end of a year, or start of a new one. The emphasis is on putting together a visual image of what you want the next 365 days to look like, or in this year’s case 366. There’s vision board planning parties where you cut out images or words from magazines, or virtually pull images to put on a blank canva document. I’ve done them many times. I’m not knocking vision boards. Quite the opposite actually. I think they can be great for planning, getting clear on your goals and aspirations, setting your intentions and focusing on the things you want to manifest.

But the problem I have with the whole idea around vision boards is that once you complete it, there’s really no talk about the “next step”. It sits on your desk, or hung up in your office which is great - maybe it’ll spark some creativity or motivation one day… or maybe it won’t. You can’t rely on this one activity to all of a sudden propel you into achieving these goals.

So what should you do after you create that vision board? What do those next steps look like to help you achieve your goals and dreams? Here’s 5 steps to turn your vision board into a reality.

Start by picking one thing to focus on 

While you may have 10+ goals, dreams or desires on your vision board, start with ONE. Not the “easiest” one either. I want you to pick the one thing that is going to have the BIGGEST impact on your life. Typically when you focus on ONE thing, the ripple effect spills over into other areas of your life. Therefore, you want to focus on the thing that will make the biggest difference and put all of your time, energy and attention there until you reach that goal.

For example, one of my big goals personally this year is to lose 30-40 lbs. I want to feel confident, fit into my clothes again, fuel my body right to have more energy - all of which will help me alongside my other goals/dreams for this year: have a healthy pregnancy, serve my clients as my “best” self, save money (as we won’t be eating out as much). The “by-product” or ripple effect of focusing on that one big goal is huge!

Write out actionable steps to reach that goal

A goal without a plan is just a dream. We’re all heard that before. The difference between goals and dreams is simple - goals have action steps. You can dream to have a life of freedom and flexibility where you don’t have to worry about money, you live in a big 5-bedroom house with a huge fenced in backyard and maybe you own a vacation home at the beach. You’ve retired your husband from his corporate job and you spend time traveling while working your business you created that fulfills you. THAT is a dream.

But how do you get there? You have goals - to make a million dollars/year -- how do you do that? You start small. You make the first 50k, 100k, 500k, etc. You manage your time. You outsource. You hire a coach. You raise your rates. You create a budget. You grow your network. You do all the actionable things to achieve those goals to live that dream life you want to live. Take time to write out actionable steps to reach your goals you have set. Get organized and then take action.

Own Your Everyday 

You and only you are in charge of your day. How you take action, your mindset, what you prioritize and accomplish, what you focus on. It’s all up to you. You have everything inside you to accomplish those big scary goals of yours. You just have to own your day, every day. If you haven’t read the book Own Your Everyday by Jordan Lee Dooley yet - run and go buy it now. She talks about how to find your purpose, how to drown out the noise and what to do to own YOUR journey and every day. Owning your every day will help you get one step closer to those dreams.

Enlist support and accountability 

Tell others your dreams. Share that vision board. Find a tribe who will lift you up when things get tough, who will cheer you on, help you brainstorm, let you vent and ultimately support you in your journey. Share your goals publicly for accountability. Granted no one can force you to do what you said you were going to do, but I find that a little public accountability helps me to stay true to what I said I was going to do. 

Celebrate your wins 

So often we get caught up in the hustle and achievement cycle that we go from one thing to the next without celebrating our wins. Before you move on to the next goal, celebrate your victories big or small. This celebration will remind you what you worked towards. You’re one step closer to that vision you created at the beginning of the year (or end of the year depending on when you made your vision board). Every step along the way is worthy of celebration. You’re out here taking action while others stay stuck behind the facade of fear and what if’s. 

Ultimately, take action. If you want to reach your goals and live out those dreams you have on your vision board you have to take action. Follow these 5 steps and I promise you that by the end of this year your vision will start to take shape and come to life.

Katelyn Hamilton is an Online Business Manager and Get Your Sh!t Together Strategist. She helps busy entrepreneurs organize, strategize and prioritize their business to go from overwhelmed to out-in-front.

After spending 6 years in the corporate world working with multimillion dollar companies, top-rated chefs and celebrities, she launched her own business to find more flexibility and freedom. She matched her corporate salary in just one year of starting her business.

Katelyn is also a wife, stepmom, dog mama of three furry friends, fitness lover, sports fanatic (Go Dawgs) and dreams of living at the beach.

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