Why Vision Boards are the Ultimate Hack for Entrepreneurs & Creatives
Vision Boards: For the Ups & Downs of Life
It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to experience doubt, crippling fear, and loss of motivation throughout their career. Any mentor worth a salt will tell new entrepreneurs that it often takes 5 years to build a successful business. Five years may seem like a long time, but believe me, they fly by. Initiating relatable short story…
The first 7 months of my full-time entrepreneurial career were surprisingly successful. Every month, my company’s revenue grew and grew. By the seventh month, my small business of 3 people (including myself) made more than I could have hoped for. The eighth month and several months following, however, were a humbling yet strengthening experience. I lost our biggest client, battled personal issues and faced rejection and disrespect from other business owners. Then, I bounced back, got offered the biggest business deal of my life, then boom – COVID ascended to plague the world and stop that deal from coming to fruition.
I am certainly not the only person who experienced ups and downs like these, especially during and after 2020, but regardless, it didn’t take long to lose my mojo. More importantly, I lost sight of why I wanted to become self-employed in the first place: I wanted the freedom to be creative in my business, be treated with respect and treat others as such, and help small businesses who often don’t get the help they need. It’s important for every business owner to never lose sight of their “why” and I strongly suggest that it not be currency-related. If it is, I advise you to dig deeper. What will financial success give you? More time? Ability to travel? Ability to move and expand your business abroad?
This is where a vision board comes into play. Whether you create one on Pinterest, Google Photos or even an album on your phone’s gallery, a vision board will allow you to visualize what you want for your business and be a constant reminder of your “why”. After the monotony of day-to-day tasks and the ebbs and flows of running a business, it can be easy to lose sight of your purpose. A vision board is an exciting and effortless way to see images and quotes that motivate you and remind you of the people you want to help.
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Vision Board Uses for the Individual
We’ll cover ways vision boards can benefit teams in the next section, but for this section, I’ll cover ways they can inspire you and even keep you on the path you’re destined to be on. If you have a project that initially seemed like a great idea, but have put off the work ever since, creating a vision board is a solution. When we have an exciting idea then start telling people about it and plan the logistics, doubt and more “important things” can keep that idea from coming to life. Taking the time to create the vision board (i.e. finding photos relating to your ideal clients or how the project can improve your life) and seeing the vision board every day, can keep the passion alive.
If you’re like me and made Pinterest boards years ago that you forgot about, now is the perfect time to see them again! I created this board titled “Keep Moving Forward” a decade ago. I recently wanted to embed a Pinterest board inside Notion*, my favorite business and life organizational app, and couldn’t help but notice the old vision board. It had motivational quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. and J.R.R. Tolkien and I couldn’t help but feel proud of my younger self. I now see the board every week; either to get my mind ready for the workday or to motivate myself when I’m not feeling confident.
Perhaps the most important use of vision boards for entrepreneurs and creatives is to inspire us to keep going. Far too many people quit before they see the results they expect to see. It’s the ones who don’t quit, pivot when they need to and trust their own abilities who become successful and fulfilled in life.
Vision Board Uses for Teams
Before introducing a new project or idea to your team, try creating a vision board first. Sharing the board with your team can help them to see your vision for the project and allow each member to get on the same page with you. Vision boards are great for any industry, but are especially helpful for media companies, writing/editing teams, magazines and other creative teams.
A vision board can also get your team inspired and excited for the project, more-so than words and to-do lists. If you use Notion* for project and team management, simply embed a Pinterest board to a page or save the link inside a to-do item. For a quick tutorial on how to embed a Pinterest vision board inside Notion, tap here or watch the video below!
For your professional, educational and personal goals, I cannot recommend vision boards enough. Yes, reaching goals require discipline over anything else, however having that creative spark (especially after life knocks you down a bit) is an incredible feeling…maybe even better than reaching the goal itself.
Disclaimer:
*The owner of this blog is a Notion Partner and earned a paid promotion on social media. The Notion links above are not commission links and are simply informational.
**The owner of this blog may earn a commission from the Boost Mobile link(s) above.
Aside from Notion and Boost Mobile, Brodie Blog has no direct affiliation with the aforementioned social networks, digital companies and/or platforms. We are simply happy customers offering our opinion.