Creating a Vision // Mood Board
Dear friends,
Last year around this time, I was popping into my local Starbucks once a week to plan my first ever Vision Board Workshop. It was truly one of the highlights of my limited in-person experiences in 2020. Had I known I would never see a group of women like that for the rest of the year, I probably would have made it a weekend-long workshop! Looking back at my vision board, most of the images and ideas I displayed on there surprisingly came to life in the past several months alhumdulillah. So, was it the power of a vision board (VB) coupled with du’as and consistency? I think the exercise had something .. or a lot of things to do with making most of the visions come to life. I’m going to share with you a few (not all as some are more personal) of the the things I included in mine and how they turned out, and I hope it inspires you to make one as well!
Some ingredients of an awesome vision board:
Select images that speak to you and make you feel alive. Ideally, the images should show the action of doing whatever it is you hope to do or start doing. For example, a vision related to running can be a cropped image of someone running instead of just a running track. Seeing the image “in action” can make it more accessible. The other key is to visualize yourself going through the steps involved in reaching that goal whenever you see the image (e.g.: imagining yourself putting on your running shoes, going out the door, breathing in the fresh morning air, etc.). I love using Unsplash for this. To make a digital one, you could also use Canva or Google Slides.
Pepper in reminders and quotes you love and need: Focus on bringing in words that give you the boost you need when you need it most. Usually by the time we are 30, we have certain patterns in place with how we do things and also how we behave. Pick out quotes that address your most common pain points. For me for example, I included quotes about being present, enjoying the smaller pleasures, and having courage.
Include a picture of yourself: You’ll feel connected to the vision board pictures a lot more if you include a small picture of yourself somewhere on your board. It will start resembling more of a reflection of who you are becoming inshaAllah.
Put it in a place where you will see it: Consider putting it in a workspace area, closet, or a hall where you walk by regularly. Sticking it into a drawer will not have the intended benefits lol.
Even if few, or none of the items on your board actually happen, this process has benefit simply in the act of doing it. Consider carving out 1-2 hours of time, light a candle, and start searching for images on Unsplash in a place you feel calm and cozy. Tie each of your visions with a specific du’a that you make consistently and with Allah’s help, you can hope to see progress in several areas!
You can either print them out and start making your board. Or, you can make a fabulous digital vision board on a simple powerpoint slide, a canva layout, or a google document.
Here are some of the items I had on my last vision board and how they actually turned out:
A lot more Nature in my weekly routine: This was a 10/10. I was out in nature every week in every weather we’ve had so far and I’m glad I found a group of nature-loving moms to see on a weekly basis. Seeing the images of nature on my VB repeatedly reminded me how it makes me feel when I’m in the forest and I made it into a habit to go on certain days with my daughter.
Homeschooling: As I shared before on here, I fell in love with some of the Waldorf philosophies this past year that are congruent with Islamic ones. This was the first year I started my homeschooling journey using Alasna Institutes’ Qura’n Homeschooling curriculum with my daughter because it was one of my top three priorities on my vision board.
Qur’an Journaling: This is a process I love so much but I tend to get stuck because I want to make it as excellent as possible. I hope to make this a priority this year again.
Hajj: This was one I’m sure many Muslims were praying and hoping for but we can continue praying and living our lives in preparation for when Allah (swa) calls us at his chosen time.
Expanding my business here on Momentora: Did I grow the way I wanted to? Not quite. But I’m so happy about the ways I did grow. I learned how to make simple videos, designing printables, and I’ve been dabbling with podcasting as well. I’ve learned to be flexible with my work here as it feels like a bonus that I even get to have this little space on the web alhumdulillah.
Reading more books: I finally got to read some classic books and I can’t wait to read more. I loved reading Jane Eyre and I’m going down the Jane Austen rabbit hole now :) Since the library remained open, we would go weekly to check out books and I managed to get through several I always had on my list. I also learned about Bookoutlet and you don’t want to know how many books are in my cart right now haha.
Speaking and writing from my heart: This one is a work in progress. I tend to take a long time for processing my thoughts and emotions and as much as I loved writing heartfelt posts on my old blog, I’ve struggled to bring out that side of me and I hope to work on that more this year inshaAllah. To push me further, I joined a membership for creative moms who want to write more and it’s been awesome exploring their creative library and resources over on Exhale.
I hope this inspires you to create your own!
Till next time,
Asma
