Creating a Couples' Vision Board: The 4-D Approach

Vision boards, also sometimes called dream or manifestation boards, treasure maps, or life collages, are a fun and creative way for people to get clear on their goals and have a visual reminder of these goals.

Why Create a Vision Board for Couples

Vision boards are nothing new. Most entrepreneurs have been doing them for years, but doing couples’ vision boards seems to be rare.

Usually, people create vision boards at the end or beginning of the year and link them to New Year’s Resolutions. But a vision board for a couple is different than a vision board for an individual. I encourage couples to create their vision boards near their anniversary or Valentine’s Day, as those days are often more meaningful and heart-centered for the individual couple.

Couples’ vision boards can be a powerful way for couples to talk about goals and be creative together. And, they can be a healthy part of goal setting for a family – an opportunity to align your ideas about your family’s future.

There are two parts to a couple’s vision board: the creative part and the communication part. The most important part is the communication part, which starts before the creating starts and continues throughout the creative process.

The 4-DApproach: Decide, Determine, Do, & Display

You’ve heard the “Just Do It” motto – but how, exactly, do you do this?

Decide

Decide whether to create a couple or a family vision board. Talk about the differences you imagine in both. Even if you don’t have kids yet, or if they’re full grown, you may still have some family dreams.

Once you’ve decided on your overall direction, then decide on the date and time to proceed.

Ideally, you want an undisturbed and conducive place where you can spread materials out and have plenty of room to be creative. Be sure to reserve plenty of time for the process, as you don’t want to rush this.

Also, it’s valuable to decide on any ground rules. Do either of you have veto rights to anything that the other one wants to put on the board? Is there anything that is a “must” to put on your joint vision board? Do you want to pray together before you start creating? If one of you wants to go wild and be creatively messy, is that okay with the other? Will there be a time limit? Is this going to be a finished product, will you feel free to add elements throughout the coming year, or will you make changes at a chosen time, perhaps halfway through the year?

Determine

Determine the type of vision board or focus that you want to create. Are you interested in focusing on feelings, inspirations, or themes? Will you zero in on just one topic, a single word, or a Bible verse together? Or, do you focus on several topics, such as income goals, a place you’d like to move, special places you’d like to take your kids, etc.? If you plan to focus on more than one topic then it’s important to discuss how many and which topics. I suggest no more than 4 topics; for example: Romance, Travel, Money, and Home.

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If you’ve decided on a topics approach, determine if you’re going to take a “me-and-mate” approach or a “we” approach.

A “me-and-mate” approach means that you pick out a topic and you both post whatever you want in that topic. For example, let’s say you have four topics picked out. You divide your board into quadrants and you each post something inside the space for each topic.

A “we” approach means that you look though the magazines together, and both of you agree what pictures to put on the vision board.

For a visual depiction of this, check out Common Couples’ Vision Board Layout.

Do

The do part is the creative part where you cut out meaningful pictures and place them on a poster board.

Start by setting the environment. Play some music, light a candle, pray, have a cup of tea or a glass of wine (if appropriate), or meditate. Before you start creating, gather your supplies.

Supplies Needed:

• Large poster or foam board: colored or non-colored is fine. There is no wrong or right color. Some people like to use colors that are related to the topic, such as a green poster board if focusing on finances, red and pink if focusing on romance and love, or purple (hard to find) if focusing on spiritual matters.
  When I work with my clients to help them get clear on a single topic, they do 8.5 x 11” boards to keep focused. But in couples’ vision boards, you’ll want a large poster board to work with. I recommend no less than 2 x 3’. You’ll need plenty of room for input from both of you.
• Scissors (crafting scissors with different shapes can be fun, too).
• Magazines. You can cut them up neatly or tear the pages out to get a jagged, earthy look.
  Pick a wide variety of magazine types. To get a bunch of free ones, ask the local library. Your doctor’s or dentist’s offices typically have older ones that they’re willing to part with, too. Ask your friends. A lot of people would love to re-home them and get rid of clutter.
• Colorful markers or colored pencils.
• Glue stick or rubber cement. Avoid liquid glue: it wrinkles the materials. Personally, I prefer rubber cement, but only use it in a very well-ventilated room. Glue sticks will lose their adhesiveness after several months, so be prepared to touch up sections unless you enhance with double-sided tape.
• Double-sided tape for corners and heavier objects works, but in general, it’s too unforgiving. I recommend you use it only once things are placed where you want them.

Optional Items:

• Photos, maps, or other items.

• Consider accessories like paper money, glitter, ribbon, buttons, stickers, scrapbooking embellishments, mementos, and trinkets.

Let the flipping and ripping begin! Flip through magazines and rip out phrases, quotes, images, and words that inspire you. Set them aside in a pile. Don’t start gluing yet!

Now that you have a pile of potentials, go through the pile and narrow and weed them. Only the ones that truly speak to you should make the cut and go into the keeper’s pile.

Now you’re ready to arrange them on your board. Lay them out where you think they should go. They may have regions or themes, or you may have decided on randomness. At this point, you can also add pictures of you or your family, if desired.

Once you have images selected and arranged, it’s time to affix them to your poster board.

Again, only pick items that truly speak to you, motivate you, and inspire you. Do not worry about filling up the “white” space. Remember, sometimes less is more. This is where you can add in decorations and fillers like plastic coins, glitter, and plastic jewels. Make it pop!

There are no set rules to creating the most powerful vision board for you and your mate. Using a combination of words, pictures, and other meaningful items, create a vision board that inspires, reminds, and motivates you both.

Display

The last step is to display your completed vision board. Display it in a prominent place where you both can be inspired and reminded of your joint goals and wishes.

Creating a couple’s vision board can be a lot of fun, but it can have life-changing elements, too. Many of my clients report putting something on a vision board and forgetting all about it, and yet finding that the wish came true without even remembering it was on the board. Only later, when the couple looked at the board in some odd moment, did they realize they’d achieved their goal or wish.

When we prepare our minds to truly receive the blessings that we’re hoping for, we start expecting and looking for opportunities on autopilot. A lot of times, we don’t even realize that we’re taking exactly the steps we need to take to manifest our goodness. Building a vision board is just a way of aligning with your higher purpose and letting your Creator work some “magic” in your life.

Have you tried making a couple’s vision board? If not, give it a try!

Enjoy the creativity and fun!