Why You Should Lead, Not Throw, a Vision Board Party

Crafting a vision for your year through vision boards stretches your faith and imagination to envision a future beyond your own capacity. I threw my first vision board party in 2019 and one of the biggest realizations I had was that you can’t just throw a vision board party. You have to lead it. If you want to give your guests a meaningful experience, you need to lead them into the experience.

As the host and leader of the vision board party, start by reminding your guests of a few important reasons we create vision boards in the first place:

• Vision boards are a physical representation to help keep your goals top of mind, so that you’re always looking for ways to move closer to them, consciously and/or subconsciously

• Vision boards activate and program your brain to recognize what you need to achieve your goals and help you visualize your life on a daily basis

• Vision boards are a great motivation to help you create the life you want; you may find yourself making bolder choices or taking more risks because having the board near you regularly visually reminds you of the rewards you’re after

You can mention some of these benefits in your invitation, while still keeping your personal tone of voice. Here’s the invite verbiage I used:

It’s time to bust out those old magazines, connect with your inner artist and set some intentions for 2019 with a vision board!

Creating a vision board is an exercise in thinking beyond what you believe is possible. This tool allows you to open yourself up to the opportunities to make those thoughts and dreams actually happen over time. Having a vision brings clarity to your dreams and helps you stay focused when you get sidetracked or stressed. It reminds you of what really matters in your life…and it works!

Please bring:

- a poster board, cork board or framed canvas ($1 store is a great place for this!)

- a stack of old magazines

- scissors

- markers or paint

- glue, tape, thumbtacks or pins

- scrapbooking tools like stickers and pre-made cutouts or jagged-edged scissors

- a photo of yourself (optional for the center of your board)

- snacks* for the group to munch on while they envision their futures

*I provided wine, but guests brought other drinks, too!

Depending on how hardcore your guests want to get, you may want them to come already prepared with the dreams/goals they want to visualize in the following areas of their lives:

You can also welcome people to “feel it out” as they see images and quotes that speak to them while diving through magazines. Not everyone will want to have it all planned out beforehand. Since I’m the type who likes to plan and think about all areas of my life on a regular basis (not just for the new year), I simply like to be inspired by what pops up in the moment for my vision board. It brings out a more creative side to the exercise.

While everyone is cutting and chatting, you’ll find that many will be in the planning mindset or perhaps might be talking through current life challenges. Be mindful of the dialogue in the room and be sure to include those who don’t know everyone or who may need a little extra push to get started. You’ll notice some people will get everything done super fast while others may lag a little.

My 2019 Vision Board Party — serious business!

The party can be broken down into 4 time periods:

1. Welcome (restating the purpose of the party), snacking, mingling, introductions (if needed), instructions for the evening

2. Cutting magazine images, words

3. Arranging your board, gluing everything on

4. Presenting your board to the group (be sure to let your guests know this is happening)

Call out when it’s time start arranging the boards to get everyone on the same schedule. Then, when it’s time to present, you as the host can go first to model how to showcase your board. Your openness and authenticity will set the tone for the remainder of the share time.

Things to keep in mind while presenting your board:

• Why you’ve set the goals you have visualized

• How these images and words symbolize the experiences and feelings you want for your ideal future

• Where you plan to keep your vision board so that it’s a daily reminder

Hosting a vision board party means you’re providing a place for your guests to do this activity. Leading the party means you’re guiding them through an important exercise to help them reach their goals and achieve their dreams. Be intentional about how you lead and your guests will be forever grateful to you. Have fun!

This was my 2019 vision board — everything came to pass in one way or another!