What Makes a Vision Board Transformational vs. Decorative

Your vision board looks gorgeous. It's Instagram-worthy. You spent hours on it. But has it actually changed your life?

Most vision boards are decorative - pretty collections of aspirational images that make you feel hopeful but don't create real change. A vision board transformational process is completely different.

In this episode, I'm explaining:

• The key difference between decorative and transformational vision boards
• Why making a pretty board and hoping it works doesn't create transformation
• What you need to do BEFORE making your vision board
• What you need to do AFTER making your vision board (this is where the real work happens)

If you've made vision boards in the past that didn't work, this episode will show you exactly what was missing.

→ Get the 5-Minute Vision Board Fix HERE

Want a vision board that actually transforms your life?

The Vision Lab teaches you the complete Manifest SHE Method, including how to use vision boards for real identity transformation through clarity work, belief work, nervous system regulation, and embodiment.

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Transcript

Why Most Boards Don’t Work

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to Manifest She. This is where we talk all things vision boards and manifestation because you deserve to live your dream life without exhausting yourself trying to get there. And I want to get really into the idea of making a vision board that's transformational versus one that's decorative. So that's what we're going to be talking about today. That's what we're going to dive into because most vision boards are decorative. They are pretty, they are Instagram worthy, they are Pinterest done out, decked out. And they look amazing hanging on your wall or sitting on your desk, but they are not transformational. And I know that can sting a little because we spend hours putting together the perfect vision board, making it really feel good, look good, pouring our creativity into that. And I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but what I do want to tell you with a whole lot of love is that if your vision board hasn't changed your life, it is simply because, yes, you were creative with it, but it was more of a crafting project than anything that was transformational. And so I want to break down the difference between the two because once you understand this, you'll know why past vision boards did not work and then what you need to do to make your next one transformational. I want to start with definitions, and this is absolutely the teacher in me because I think a lot of people don't even realize that there is a difference. So a decorative vision board is exactly what it sounds like. It is a board that has beautiful pictures, it represents the experiences you want to enjoy, it's hopeful, it makes you feel good, you can add glitter to this, you may put stickers on it, you know, you may even put backing on your pictures, all of the things for my crafting ladies out there, you know what I'm talking about. But for a decorative vision board, that's where it stops. They're very passive. You'll make it and hang it up, or you may not even hang it up. You may throw it in your closet, you might look at it sometimes, you may feel inspired by it every now and then, but it can also make you feel a little sad because that's not the life you're living. But mostly it just exists as a pretty thing, and that's where it starts and stops. Now, a transformational vision board, on the other hand, is very active. It's not something that you look at, it's something you work with, it's a tool, it's a part of the process, and that's the process that changes your life. A transformational vision board doesn't just represent what you want, it helps you to become a person who lives that life, and that's the key difference. Because decoration is about wanting and transformation is about becoming. The reason why that decorative board is not changing anything is because it's just collecting those images of things that would be nice to have, like that house and the dream vacation, the loving relationship, the financial freedom, whatever it is. And you put it on your board and you say, Oh, I'm manifesting this now. And that's that's not your fault. Because that's what we see so much online from all of the great gurus out there is just look at it, smile at it. That is it. Do it on the full moon portal or do it on this, such and such Aquarius and this, whatever. I'm not an astrology girly, as far as like I'm not an expert in that. And I'm not saying any of that is wrong. But what I'm saying is you have to go beyond just that. Vision boards aren't a magic cardboard wishing well. There's a gap between where you are right in this moment and where you want to be. And every time you look at that board, your subconscious mind, you know, the 95% that's responsible for the majority of how you experience life. That mind is saying, okay, yeah, that's nice, but that's not me. That's not my life. That's not who I am. And that's what's playing on. So in your conscious mind, you have all these hopes and dreams. Subconscious mind is like, hell no, that's not us. So you have like this gap of what I want and who your 95% thinks you are, and you haven't addressed any of the beliefs in your subconscious mind that are keeping you in your current reality. And so the decoration board is just gonna sit there and it's gonna feel like a separation from you, a life for someone else, not you, a fantasy, a hope, a wish. And that's the opposite of what your vision board's supposed to do for you. Because the transformational one isn't just about the image, though the image does matter, but it's about what you do before you make it and what you do after it. Because the process doesn't start with picking out a picture, it starts with clarity, knowing what you actually want. And I say this all the time, and I feel like I have to continue to say it in as many ways as possible, but not what you think you should want. Not what your bestie says, oh girl, just do that. Not what your mama raised you saying, baby, if you do XYZ, your life is gonna be safe and secure, and it won't be stressful. Or it's not shrinking down and saying, Well, I really want a house on the beach, but I'm gonna be practical. If it's near a beach town and I can just drive an hour to the beach, that'll be okay. Girl, that ain't what you want. You want to wake up and hear the waves. I'm speaking about myself right now, because I will have a beach house one day when I figure out where I want it. Okay, so but I'm not gonna shrink it down because then you're trying to get something that doesn't even resonate with you. So you gotta be clear. And watch your clear, then you're gonna start having thoughts. If I'm very clear that I want to only work 20 hours a week, then you're gonna start hearing your subconscious mind speak to you, and you're gonna be having that awareness moment of beliefs that are running in the background and running your life that you didn't even know about. Because your subconscious is gonna be like, Well, how are you gonna pay your bills if you only work 20 hours a week? How's that gonna work? Are you gonna have to have your own business? Are you looking for a job? Like, and you're gonna start hearing all these doubts, and those doubts are really the beliefs that are running the show. And so you have to identify those first before you ever start picking out a picture. Because if you skip that and you jump straight to your picture, you're going back to that decorative because there's that separation. Well, now I know what's running in the background. Now I know what this part of me is doing and what this part of me wants. And so now I have to reframe that. Now I have to change that belief because beliefs drive my outcome. And then you can go into making that board. Okay, I know what I need to believe so that I can have what I want. I have to change this belief, or I have to put this belief inside of me and really work towards it. Great. Now you have your board, now it's together. We go through this process in detail inside of the vision lab. And then you make your board. Wonderful. Great, it's wonderful. I have it right now. It's gonna start working for me because I did those things, Shannon, that you said I was forgetting. Okay, but that's not where it ends. So you have your clarity, you find what's getting in the way, you reframe it, you make your board, but well, now what do I do? Now you have to embody it through your thoughts, emotions, and actions because you can't just stare at it. Staring at stuff doesn't do anything. We stare at stuff all day long. What does that change in your life? Nothing. So it's not just about looking, it's about embodiment. And that's not faking it, that's not pretending to be someone you're not, that's just choosing to have thoughts, emotions, and actions that line up with what you're trying to bring forth, with what you put on your vision board. That's that's what it is. It's that simple. It's not hard. A lot of people think it's hard or it's exhausting because you see so much about living your best delusional life, and you're, you know, that girl, and you're waking up at 5 a.m. and you're totally pushing through your day being this woman that you want to be, but you're not yet. Y'all, that's exhausting work. You can keep that up for maybe 30 days if you're lucky. That's not this work. Belief work is quieter, it's not as loud, it's not forceful. It's building a belief. I want you to think about all the beliefs that you have in your life, no matter what they are. They weren't forced upon you. It wasn't something you had to go through 24 hours a day. It was in the moments when it mattered. And so we work on that a lot in the vision lab as well, because that's the important part. Because you deserve to have not only what you want and you put it on your vision board and you can see it and you can feel it, and you're going through life, knowing that it's coming to you, and you're building those beliefs. But you deserve to do it in a way where it's not adding a shit ton of stuff to your plate. I've said this over and over again. If you're new, maybe this is the first time you're hearing it. But when I truly delved into this work and became committed to this work, to mindset to change my life, I had seven minutes a day. And the reason why I know for a fact it was seven minutes is because my favorite meditation was seven minutes long. And I would do this meditation every day for seven minutes. And my only goal at that time was just to calm my mind because I had so much stress and anxiety going on in my life that I just wanted calm. And in that seven minutes of intentionally just being instead of doing, my whole life began to unfold in all these other ways and better ways, but it was seven minutes. So I'm not sitting here telling you that when you're going to figure out what to put on your vision board, that that's going to take you forever. And then you have to make your board, and then you have to, you know, work with your board, and I don't even have time in my day. I'm stressed out. That's not what I'm saying. It can be simple and powerful. And that's how I teach vision boards, that's how I teach manifestation because I understand. Because where I came from, all of the stuff out there about me having two dedicated hours and trying to keep up some kind of pretending or acting like I'm someone I'm not just didn't fit my life. But this does. And you may be thinking to yourself, Well, I've made decorative boards in the past. So what can I do today to start differently? And there's a process to it. And it is more involved in the sense that you're not gonna just sit down for maybe two, three hours and make the ultimate vision board. Because vision boards are living tools, they're not one and done's. But the best place that you can get started today so that you can create the board is getting the five-minute vision board fix. Because most of the time when I am working with people, the number one thing I've noticed in all of my years of this work is that they're putting on their boards every damn thing. Like you have to plan out your whole life, and there's all these things on the board, and that's even more overwhelming. But the five-minute vision board fix is gonna take you through exactly what to put on your vision board, where to focus your energy, so that when you're embodying it with your thoughts, emotions, and actions, it's making the fastest impact, the quickest impact, and you're not trying to do it for a million different things. So you're gonna find the things that are very targeted to put on your vision board that gets you the results the fastest. The parts that really need you to work with that 95% of your mind, because there's some things that don't need work. And all of that is laid out for you in the five-minute vision board fix. So I'm gonna link that in the show notes for you. As we conclude today, I just want you to know that your vision board can be creative and sparkly, and it can be all the things. I am a creative, sparkly person. I love to do that part. That part is so much fun for me. So I'm not telling you don't do that. I'm not telling you not to decorate it. I'm saying don't let it just be decorative. Allow it to also be transformational by knowing what you want, finding the belief that's blocking what you want, reframing it and working with your vision board from there. That is how you manifest. That is how you work with your mindset. And I will chat with you next week.