As the new year draws near, it’s essential to reflect on how far you’ve come. Take stock of what worked and what didn’t in the year. What stood in the way of achieving your goals and taking steps to do better in the coming year? A perfect way to go about this is by creating a vision board.
What is a vision board, and why is it important? A Vision Board is a collage of pictures and phrases that depict what you want to accomplish in the future. It’s a visual representation of your hopes and dreams. A money vision board on the other is specifically designed to visualise your financial goals. It’s a motivational tool for achieving your money goals.
A financial vision board is beyond jumbling, cutting or piecing inspirational images and phrases together, hoping that some magic happens. Rather, it’s an exercise that is designed to help you discover yourself, your mindset and your dreams. The collage is just a piece of the process. Being able to see what you want will inspire you to work towards it.
This article provides tips for creating your own financial vision board for 2024. But it isn’t limited to your money goals alone. Use it to create whatever vision board you want.
1.Be thankful for what you have: The first step to creating a vision board is to start from a place of gratitude. You feel more positive in the face of challenges when you’re thankful for what you have.
2. Write down your financial goals: This is the foundation of your vision board. One way to do this is by setting SMART goals (Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). For example, your financial goal may be to save N400,000 in your emergency funds by December 31st, 2024. This goal is specific, its success is measured, there is a time frame, and it should be realistic for you to achieve.
3. Make a positive affirmation for each goal to condition your mind. Put your vision board within eyesight and visualise yourself achieving this goal for at least 2 minutes a day.
4. Gather supplies: This is the fun part of the process. Surf through the net or magazines and collect pictures that represent what you want to achieve and piece them like a puzzle. Tools like Pinterest and Canva are great for your collage. For instance, if you’re looking to travel, include saving progress charts and countries you’d love to go to. If you’re looking to expand your business, get images of products, service offerings, clients and places you want your business to reach. Go big here.
5. Review your vision board daily: Take a moment to review your vision board daily. Are there things you’d like to add? Are you inspired? If you aren’t, add pictures and affirmations that align with your goals.
6. The last step is letting go. Detach yourself from the outcome. Put in the work, stay positive and trust that things will work for you. Apart from your financial goals, I recommend setting three goals across your personal, career and income. For each goal, identify your why and what it takes to achieve them. Also, go big. This isn’t a time to play small. What salary would make you super excited? How much expansion do you envision for your business?
7. Move from financial goal to reality: As you envision financial freedom, it’s important to take realistic steps in achieving these goals. With HerVest, you can save and impact invest towards your financial goals while earning competitive interest rates on the go. Download the HerVest app to get started.