Why A Summer Vision Board Is The Perfect Way To Set Yourself Up For Success

Spring may be the season known for new beginnings, but summer is deserving of the title of the season meant for celebrating life to the fullest! Complete with sweet lemonade, juicy watermelon, sunny days by the pool, and bright, colorful wardrobe staples, summer is undoubtedly the most vibrant and vivacious of the seasons. While there are already trends like self-love summer and hot girl summer, the best approach for your sunny days of summer is to embrace yourself in the manner which feels most authentic to you. Dive into designing your life while you have fun in the sun!

One way to shape your summer by maximizing the things that make you happy is to create a vision board for yourself. You might opt to create a vision board for your summer plans, or ramp up for autumn by using the slower-paced months of summer to determine where you want to go with your life, career, relationships, financial goals, and so much more. If you find yourself seeking shade from the heat for a few minutes or waiting out an evening thunderstorm known to occur during summer months, you can capitalize on the moment by envisioning the things you want to accomplish, where you want to go with your life, and simply romanticizing your life. In the age of eras, take this as your sign to enter your visionary era by creating a board of goals and dreams for yourself this summer.

Vision boards are as unique as the person making them, so the vision board you make will be individually tailored to your inspirations and manifestations. A vision board doesn't have to follow specific protocols, nor are there stringent rules about what you can and cannot put on your vision board. It's completely up to you, which is what makes the creative process of putting it together so magical. According to Psychology Today, vision boards are typically visual collages of photographs, magazine pages, quotes, letters, and mementos from sentimental experiences, like concert tickets. However, your vision board can look however you want it to look because it's a manifestation of your dreams, goals, and hopes for your life.

When beginning your vision board, there are a few tips for how to achieve the best experience and accomplishment of the goals you manifest through your visionary artwork. Before you start, take some time to think about the core values in your life and which values you want to have as your foundation in the future. Consider what brings meaning into your life, what drives you in your endeavors, and why you want to accomplish the things you do. Once you have an idea of your foundational values and driving factors, look for visual representations that inspire you with the same energy. For instance, you may spend time flipping through magazines while lounging by the pool in search of images, words, and quotations that speak to you.

Alongside your vision board, and throughout your journey of putting it together this summer, spend time incorporating manifestation techniques to enhance the positive energy as you aspire to achieve the goals, values, and lifestyle you craft on your vision board. Berkeley Well-Being Institute recommends manifestation techniques and approaches backed by scientific evidence, like adopting a growth mindset and committing to maintaining an optimistic attitude. Manifestation as a term is used frequently, but it isn't often defined clearly and tangibly. Quite simply, the definition of the word is the process of an idea becoming reality through an active process of creation which involves the utilization of emotions, thoughts, and values. The easiest way to initiate manifestation is to intentionally frame your thoughts so that you view the positive aspects of your reality instead of allowing negative experiences to consume your headspace. 

Through your vision board, use the warmth of summer sunshine to add images, words, and other items that make you feel joyful, excited, and appreciative of your life and all of the places you'll go in the future. Having a regular gratitude practice can help with the process of creating positive thought patterns, so consider including representations of the people, opportunities, and experiences for which you're appreciative in your life on your vision board. Mindfulness can also be an exceptionally effective tool in cultivating gratitude, positive thought patterns, and a growth mindset.

As adults, summer break is no longer a reality for most people, but that doesn't mean that you can't embrace the benefits of summer fun and the utilization of a vision board to guide you on a positive trajectory in your life. When your vision board is complete, you may choose to hang it on your wall at home or bring it into your office for visual inspiration throughout the workday, or you might opt for a vision board for home and a second vision board for work. Again, it's all about what works best for you. As you curate your board, think about the wellness practices you'd like to incorporate into your life.

Craving Health shares that summer is a season that inspires healthy habits, such as spending more time in the fresh air outside, wearing sunscreen, drinking lots of water throughout the day, and cultivating a positive outlook. Since summer is filled with sunny days and fun activities, and is generally a vibrant time of the year, it's the perfect time to introduce new habits and mindful frameworks into your daily routine. As you create your vision board, use the healthy habits of summer to include visual reminders of the routines you wish to develop for the benefit of both your physical and mental health. The boost of energy summer provides makes the sunnier, warmer months of the year the ideal time to create your vision board and establish wellness intentions.

On a whimsical note, summer is the quintessential time of year to romanticize your life. According to The Everygirl, the creation of a vision board should be an artistic work that encourages you to lean into the beauty, joy, and enthusiasm within the layers of your life. Take the time to explore new places this summer, such as a small town that has the aesthetic of being the backdrop to a romantic comedy film, or venture out into your local community to visit museums, farmers' markets, and cultural centers you haven't yet explored. As you put your vision board together, include images that represent the adventures you wish to take both this summer and in the future as the temperatures cool and the leaves begin to change colors as autumn approaches. As you go about your vision board journey, add postcards from the places which have been the grounds of your summer adventures, and don't forget to mail a postcard to a friend in a bespoke gesture of gratitude and appreciation for the people in your life.

Moving towards the practical side of creating a vision board this summer, you may choose to use poster board and physical images for a tangible daily reminder of your goals, or opt for a virtual vision board to save space and which can be kept on your desktop or other devices which you keep on you throughout the day. However you create your vision board, make it yours.