I know the words ‘vision board’ can make people roll their eyes. I’ve heard people say it’s a waste of time, and are sceptical about the value or the impact.
I take a ‘what’s the worst that could happen’ attitude and sat down to create one.
I actually got into collaging and using visuals for serious topics when I was studying for the MSc and used a book called ‘The Creative Entrepreneur: A DIY Visual Guidebook for Making Business Ideas Real’ by Lisa Sonora Beam to write a visual business plan. In it she uses a mandala or flower-shaped template to visualise and balance four essential business pathways to find your unique sweet spot. Definitely worth a read/do.
Back to vision boarding, not in a ‘manifest your dream life’ way. In a clear-your-head, roll your sleeves up and tap into your unconscious mind as well as your logical one kind of way.
So, I sat down on Friday having spent a small fortune on magazines and stim for the board, and 2 hours later I hadn’t pritt-sticked a single thing down.
Why? Because I was working through a series of questions that I’d gathered from various places and I was absorbed in exploring them more. So I’m sharing some of the most useful questions to ask as this new year unfolds, whether you get around to your vision board or not.
- What would a ‘boringly successful’ 2026 look like? The ‘stop seeking the next big thing’ question – this one was really poky and interesting to me. I’m constantly coming up with and sometimes trying to implement by new ideas, courses and content. But what if I could rely on what I already have (like 80,000 words of my book, online courses or the million other tabs I have open?)
- The (creative) ambition question. When you look back on 2026 what will have been your ‘great work’? Not the busy work, or the meh work but the hell yes I did that kind of work? I’ve used this question several times including to launch the Now Go Create podcast and my e-learning to propel me forward out of the weeds.
- Think about your creative nirvana for the next 6–12 months – what do you want to be making, leading, changing, or pushing?
- I’ve had this question living in my head rent free for a while. What do you regret not doing in 2025? What will you regret NOT doing in 2026? Not just outcomes but how you want to feel. This one really swirled around in my head and made me think about professional regrets spanning over around 5 years. If it keeps coming up then my unconscious mind is definitely trying to tell me something.
- What’s your big hairy ambitious goal (BHAG) for 2026? We set ambitious goals for our businesses, our brands, our clients. What’s your personal BHAG? Something that inspires, stretches and scares you a little bit in equal measure.
If you do want to create a vision board, some easy and obvious instructions.
Grab:
- A big piece of stiff board (A3 or larger if you can)
- Magazines, postcards, screenshots, photos
- Scissors and glue (3M spray mount if you were an AE in the 90’s IYKYK or are feeling fancy)
- Cut out anything that resonates – images, textures, phrases, words – without overthinking it too much. Let pattern and instinct lead.
- I like a fancy candle and bit of mood music too. Whatever floats your boat.
There is science behind vision boarding. It works because it takes you beyond purely rational planning and into visual sense-making. But here’s the important and blindingly obvious caveat: a vision board won’t do the work for you. But it will keep your goals visible, and visibility changes behaviour.
It’s a hands-on, creative thing to do with your team or group and can be a great way to get you all focussed on the same thing.
I hope that 2026 brings you everything you dream of professionally and personally. If I can help you bring your creative plans to life individually or for your organisation with strategy, creative and pitch training then give me a shout claire@nowgocreate.co.uk