Envisioning the future: How vision boards can support goal achievement

The road to accomplishing our goals, overcoming our fears, or discovering ourselves is not a clear cut journey. Yet there are moments, perhaps visual reminders, that are quiet, beautiful nudges amid the whirlwind of university life. Seeing something that ignites passion within you can be a powerful catalyst for change. If you’ve ever delved into the world of self-help or goal-setting, vision boards have become popular as a way to map future goals or provide a visual source of motivation at a glance. Can Pinterest produce vision boards of the same motivational impact? Are vision boards an effective means of helping yourself along the way to achieving a goal? Whether you’re looking for motivation to get you hitting PAC more often or to build a future you can get excited about, let’s dive into how you can use vision boards to reach your goals this year.

A picture is worth a thousand words: The psychological impact of vision boards

Have you ever looked at a photo and felt every sense activate as you imagined what it would be like to be there? Perhaps it showed the ocean, the orange glow of a sunset reflecting off the water, and a sandy shore that looked soft enough to relax on. You could almost smell the ocean air and hear the waves crashing. Visualization is a technique that we use daily — not only to daydream and envision tropical getaways, but also to set goals and envision our ability to achieve them. 

Neural pathways play a major role in determining why sight is a major component of human motivation. 30 per cent of the brain’s cortex is solely dedicated to visual processing, in contrast to 3 per cent for hearing and 8 per cent towards touch. While the cortex processes an image, the limbic system,which processes emotions, responds to emotions evoked by an image. In the context of vision boards, a glance at images tied to personal goals activates the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making and planning. The brain then actively begins to consider methods to reach those goals. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to build and reorganize neural connections, can occur as a result of the activation of multiple brain areas. 

Vision boards can also trigger a dopamine response. Goal visualisation, such as envisioning crossing the finish line at your first 5K, can release dopamine, often considered the “motivation molecule,” further encouraging goal-directed behaviour. 

Pinterest vs. physical vision boards: A look at using the social media site for vision boards

Pinterest is a social media site originally geared toward creative users but has grown by appealing to a broad audience with the wide scope of content and interests it hosts. The idea of “pinning” meaningful photos, quotes, or content to save as sources of inspiration or personal appreciation defines the site. Users can organize their “pins” into boards. In September 2024, the site introduced a “collage” feature, enabling users to compile several images onto a blank canvas to create collages. Although Pinterest can offer an efficient way of creating digital vision boards, the full psychological benefit of a physical vision board may be reduced, especially if you don’t visit your digital board often. 

Avean Ayati Ghaffari, a fourth-year psychology student, has used Pinterest to envision a future wedding. She started using Pinterest around the sixth grade, later only using it for Halloween costume ideas in high school. Now, she’s found inspiration for future engagement rings, bride dresses, bridesmaids dresses, and wedding decor. For this purpose, she “would definitely recommend it to a friend, because it allowed [her] to visualize what colours and styles work well together.” 

Ayati Ghaffari admits she’s never used Pinterest for professional or academic goals, adding, “I benefit from reading about my goals and how to get there, so unfortunately a beautiful array of images does not inspire me.” Despite preferring a less visually-oriented approach to goal achievement, she conceded, “I completely understand why someone would benefit from this, as students are exposed to countless info dumps throughout their degree. Having an artistic and aesthetic source of motivation would be a great tool for many.”

Natasha Cardinal, a fourth-year psychology student, has crafted physical vision boards on and off since high school. She feels that vision boards help her stay focused on her goals as they provide her with a tangible visual representation of what she hopes to achieve. “I find that this helps me stay motivated and inspired when I am struggling to keep up with the work that it takes to get where I want to be,” Cardinal said. “Usually my vision boards are related to academic success, fitness goals, or lifestyle goals. More recently I have been using them to achieve health and workout goals.”  Although she hasn’t used Pinterest to make a vision board for she enjoys handcrafting it, she imagines it can be a tool for those who don’t have the time or interest in creating one physically. “The upside there is that the vision board is always with you through your phone. I have also heard of people saving a photo of their board as their wallpaper for more visibility and inspiration.”

How to make a physical vision board

If you’re ready to design your first physical vision board, consider these key points to help design a visual roadmap that will motivate you on your way to achieving your most important goals.

• Gather your supplies

The first step is to ensure you have the artistic supplies you need. Consider investing in a cork board if you’d like to change your vision board often without needing to repurchase a new canvas. Other helpful supplies can include coloured paper, stickers, decorative tape, and markers.

• Decide on one (or a few) focus areas

To keep yourself focused, it is best to focus on a limited number of goals or focus areas. As you become more experienced with vision boarding, you may become more comfortable in developing visual inspiration for several goals at once, but to keep things simple your first time, start with one focus goal. Whether it’s in the realm of athletics, career, studies, love, or travel, pick one key goal in one area and select images and visuals that are directly tied to that goal. Google and Pinterest can be great tools for finding images that align with what you’re pursuing.

• Display

Once you have compiled your images, affirmations, and related creative visual components, assemble them onto your canvas. Then display your vision board somewhere you will see regularly — whether that’s on your nightstand, living room, or fridge — to reap the benefits of visualisation and daily motivation.

Like all self-help tools, a vision board is one resource you may tap into if you’re seeking a novel or unique way to motivate yourself to persevere and achieve your goals. Whether you’re an avid crafter who finds calm in artistic expression or someone who prefers a digital approach, using visual inspiration can be surprisingly beneficial, as research suggests. The visions we hold in our minds may not always be clear at the start, but through creative expression or digital compilations, you can begin to see your goals take shape. On rough days, your vision can be the roadmap that reminds you to persevere through any challenge.