How to Make Your Fitness Vision Board

What is a Vision Board?

A vision board is typically a poster board on which you paste or collage images that you’ve torn out from magazines or written statements that explain a vision. It’s simple.

The idea behind this is that when you surround yourself with images/ visions of who you want to become, what you want to have, where you want to be, or where you want to go, your life will match those images and those desires.,

For example, before I ever started my own fitness company and I had no idea how to build a gym, lead a team of trainers, or work with a large group of clients, I drew a picture of myself teaching people how workout (Of course, I was very buff in the picture and pointed to the dry erase board with a "where's the beach" posed bicep.)  And though it wasn't the only factor in making it happen, I had two facilities and was surrounded by great people by the 5th year marker and 4 Vision Boards later! 

My drawing was a kind of a vision board. Vision boards do the same thing as my drawing did. They add clarity to your desires, and feeling to your visions. For instance, at the time I did my drawing, I knew I wanted to own Personal Training Studios. Taking the time to draw it out, even poorly, made it indelible in my mind.

There are several methods you can use for creating your vision board. I’ve written about each one below. You can choose which one works best for you, depending on where you find yourself on this path of creating your life.  Just make sure you include your vision for your health and fitness.

Supplies you’ll need for creating a Vision Board:

- Poster board. (Office Depot sells a nice matte finish board. I always use their boards.)

- A big stack of different magazines. (You can get them at libraries, hair salons, dentist offices, etc) Make sure you find lots of different types. If you limit your options, you’ll lose interest after a while. When I facilitate my own vision board, I always make sure we have plenty of Men's Exercise, Entrepreneur, Natural Home, Yoga Journal, Money, and an assortment of nature magazines.

- Glue. Not Elmers. (It makes the pages ripple.) I like using Rubber cement or Yes! Glue. Glue sticks are ok but they don't last.

Before you begin your vision board:

Regardless of your method, take some quiet time before starting your vision board. Sit quietly and set the intent. With lots of openness, ask yourself what it is you want for yourself and your fitness goals.  Images and words will come to your head.  Take your time to let that creative mind warm up. This process makes it a deeper experience. It gives a chance for your ego to step aside just a little, so that you can more clearly create your vision.

Soft music is great to conger this experience. I like Norah Jones or some soft/smooth Jazz.

Five Steps to Creating Your Vision Board:

Step 1: Go through your magazines and tear the images that represent your vision. Don't glue yet! Just pull out images and words that strike your imagination. 

Step 2: Go through the images and begin to lay your favorites on the board. Eliminate any images that no longer feel right. This step is where your intuition comes in. As you lay the pictures on the board, you’ll get a sense how the board should be laid out. For instance, you might assign a theme to each corner of the board. Health/ Fitness, Job, Spirituality, Relationships, for instance. This is how I typically put my board together.

Step 3: Glue everything onto the board. Add writing if you want. You can write words with markers… what ever gets your vision across.

Step 4: (optional, but powerful) Leave space in the very center of the vision board for a Great photo of yourself where you look radiant and happy. Paste yourself or you and your loved one in the center of your board.

Step 5: Hang your vision board in a place where you will see it… Often!

Three Types of Vision Boards:

1 - The “I Know Exactly What I Want” Vision Board

Do this vision board if:

- You’re very clear about your intent.
- You want to change your surroundings.
- There is a specific thing you want to manifest in your life. (i.e. build a new body.)

How to create this vision board:

With your clear desire in mind, set out looking for the exact pictures which portray your vision.  Following the five steps above, create your vision board out of these images.

Melissa and I did this version...

2 – The “Open to Change” Vision Board

Do this vision board if:

- You’re not sure what exactly you want
- You’ve been in a period of depression or grief
- You have a vision of what you want, but are uncertain about it in some way.
- You know you want change but don’t know how it’s possible.

How to create this vision board:

Go through each magazine. Tear out images that excite you. Don’t ask why. Just keep going through the magazines. Then, as you go through Step 2 above, hold that same openness, but ask yourself what this picture might mean. What is it telling you about you? Does it mean you need to go on daily walks? Most likely you’ll know the answer. If you don’t, but you still like the image, then put it on your vision board anyway. It will have an answer for you soon enough. Some people have no idea what it means until change in their life comes do they understand. The Open to Change Vision Board can be a powerful guide for you. Sometimes our egos think they know what we desire, and lots of times those wants aren’t in alignment with who we really are. This goes deeper than just getting what you want. It can speak to you and teach you a little bit about yourself and your passion.

3 – The Strictly Health and Fitness “Theme” Vision Board

Do this vision board if:

- It’s your birthday or New Years Eve or some significant event that starts a new cycle like starting a new BodyBlast Program.
- If you are working with one particular area of your life like your Health and Fitness.


So... I sucked up my pride and posted this for you.  To say "I know what it's like to be STRESSED to the Max and Let Yourself take the Back Seat."

This is me when I first started BodyBlast... and now I am on the road back to a slightly smaller version of that guy.  I have this pic on my Strictly Fitness Board!  

How to create this vision board:

The only difference between this vision board and the others is that this one has clear parameters and intent. Before you begin the vision board, take a moment to hold the intent and the theme in mind. When you choose pictures, they will be in alignment with the theme health and fitness. You can do the Theme Vision Board on smaller pages, like a page in a journal or widget on your MacBook computer.

Some things to remember about vision boards:

- You can use a combination of all three types of vision boards as you create. Sometimes you might start out doing one kind, and then your intuition takes over and shifts into a whole different mode. Creativity and personalization is GOOD!

- Your vision board might change as you are making it. You might find that you have realizations or even epiphanies from making a vision board.

Make a Vision Journal

Begin journaling your experiences on a weekly basis with each topic on your board.  Make sure you ask your self- are my decisions lining up with my vision.  This is especially effective if you’re going through many transitions in your life and not just a change in your health and fitness.

To Your Success,

Stephen

P.S. I am going to let you guys hold me accountable for my actions... I will be posting update pics of my conditioning as I dive back into my program... Back into putting Me First so I can be Better for all the Awesome people around me.  Ever try pushing someone out of the water while your are in it too?  Much easier when your pulling from the boat.