This guest post was written by Larry Easto who is a
best-selling business writer, and publisher of Real Estate Marketing Link

Can You Visualize the Results of Your Plans?

I am very passionate about planning.   I honestly believe that planning is a critical success factor in life, business and marketing.

However, I am not so passionate as to miss the reality that not everyone finds planning a simple straight forward process. I know many people whose problem arises at the very beginning of the process—visualizing the results that they would like to achieve.

Simplify Planning with a Vision Board

For this reason, I was delighted to learn about a tool that will simplify the vision issue for reluctant planners.  Although people have known about vision boards, and used them successfully, vision boards hit my own radar screen about a month ago.

In case you don’t know what a vision board is, it’s simply a board that contains pictures  that signify specific goals or results to be achieved.

The magic element of a vision board is that it helps you see what success looks like to you.  Instead of creating mental images of what your goals look like—and trying to remember these images—you have actual physical pictures that represent  your successes.

If for example, success for you includes a comfortable vacation residence, you would include a picture of the kind of residence that appeals to you. Similarly, if your success includes international travel, include something like a an aircraft circling the globe (I have that image on my board).  Keep adding images to the board until you have a collage that visually represents your success. And once you have achieved individual goals—replace them with new ones.

Your vision board will be a physical reminder of your goals, which will help keep you focused and motivated on achieving your desired results.

Let’s say that one of your real estate marketing goals is to list 40 properties over the coming year.  You would find a picture of the kind of properties you normally sell and then add the number ‘40’ in big bold letters to the image.

Similarly, if one of your goals is to develop an online marketing presence, add an image one computer, a linked series of linked computers or whatever other images that work for you.  Learn more about using vision boards as part of a marketing plan.  

If you don’t know about this planning tool, you might find it useful….especially if you have trouble creating a vision of what you want in life…and in business.  It will also be helpful if you can visualize the results that you would like to achieve…but find it difficult to remain focused on achieving these results.

Creating Your Vision Board

Creating a vision board is a simple 3-step process.

Step 1.  The first step is to think about what you want to achieve…in your life and in your business.

Step 2.  The next step is to imagine what your life will look like once you achieve these results.

If for example you would like to create wealth for your and your family, what will you life look like once you have created your wealth? What kind of home will you live in…what kind of car will you drive…what kind of clothes will you wear…and so on.

And if you would like to make a difference in your community…what do you imagine yourself doing? Writing checks…serving meals to hungry people…collecting food or clothing…or whatever you choose.

Step 3.  The third step is just as easy.  Gather up some old magazines with lots of pictures and graphics.   If you can’t find any old magazines, try ‘Google Images’. You can download the images you like…and then print them.   Keep in mind that most Google images are copyrighted and cannot be used on websites or print material, but “borrowing” some for your vision board shouldn’t be a problem.

Whether in hard copy or online, locate images…photographs, cartoons, graphics, etc… that represent your desired results.  Find an image of a house that looks like the kind of house you want to live in…and car you want to drive…when you are successful. Likewise you can use an image of a healthy body…or some one serving the community.

Once you have all your images together, attach them to a poster or cork board. Bingo…you have your own vision board.  Here’s more information on creating a vision board. 

How a Vision Board Helps

In practice, your vision board will do 3 things for you.

1. It will make your vision of success less abstract and more real
2. It will remind you of the results you want to achieve, which will help keep you focused
3. It will help keep you motivated to achieve the outcomes that you desire

If you follow the above link, you will also see that I am converting my ‘bulletin’ board, which is really a ’stick-it-somewhere-for-now’ board…into a vision board.  If you would like to start your own vision board…why not start now?  We can use this and subsequent postings about vision boards to keep each other up to date on how we are doing.

I’m looking forward to the process and would be interested in hearing your insights and observations.