Use a Vision Board to Build Your Business
As a quick internet search will show, in 1987 Jim Carrey wrote himself a check for $10 Million. It was dated Thanksgiving 1995. In the fall of 1994, he received a check for $10 Million for his role in the comedy film, Dumb and Dumber.
He says,"I would visualize things coming to me. Visualization works if you work hard. That's the thing. You can't just visualize and go eat a sandwich."
It's not just true in show business: Using A Vision Board Doubled MY Income and Can Help YOU Build Your Business!
If you look at most small business successes, they all started with a goal. And depending on the size of your goal, there can be a wide gap between that goal and what YOU define as “successfully” reaching it. So how do you bridge that gap so that your goal is attainable? This is where a vision board becomes useful.
A vision board embraces the concept that “seeing (it in your mind) is believing (it will happen)” in life and serves as a powerful catalyst making big things happen. If possible, get a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. It will (if you let it) change your life.
What I'm describing here is based on the book - but is no substitute for reading or listening to it! Here is how the process works:
Have a goal. You start with a goal that you have, whether it is big or small. It may be a short-term goal or even a long-term one. The possibilities are endless here; so be bold with your dreams! I chose a NET INCOME figure that I wanted to achieve by the end of the year. It was double what I was making!
Have an idea of what it looks like. This requires visualization which is where a vision board comes in. With a vision board, you create what your goal will look like by using words, symbols, pictures, etc. to represent your goal or the journey to get to there. This process is the moving of your goal from a mental image to something that is more tangible. In my case, I renewed my marketing program, and 'visualized - each day' potential customers reading my information and responding to it.
Believe in it. Now that you’re able to see your goal, it becomes more real and more of a possibility. You begin to believe that it is attainable and that you can have your desired result.
Get others to believe in it. When you strongly believe in something, you become passionate about it. As this passion radiates from you, it becomes contagious. Others begin to see what you see, they believe in it, they are willing to support you in achieving it, and they hold you accountable. You develop a support system and network that is committed to your success.
Develop a strategy. Figuring out how you will achieve your goal is important. Develop deliberate/measurable steps that will get you there. Maybe you need to do two things per week, have a certain level of profit each month, or have a certain number of customers each quarter. Whatever the goal is, you need to have a roadmap. Seek feedback from your network to avoid tunnel vision.
Work toward your goal. Take the steps you’ve outlined, but also be open to changes that you may need to make along the way. Be ready for detours along the way, handle them as they come up and keep forging onward until you reach SUCCESS.
I chose the Income I wanted by the end of the year.
Renewed my marketing program, & 'saw' others responding to it.
Prepared a new presentation portfolio for when I bid on a new job.
Took an account manager with me when I went to bid a job: 'This will be your job supervisor. They (not a complete unknown) will personally oversee your building."
Why Vision Boards WORK!
From the beginning of this process through its completion, your vision board serves as a daily reminder as to why you’re putting in hard work and being persistent. It is a powerful tool that helps promote behavioral change and combined with your consistent effort and support network, any goal can be achieved.
Check out Jim Carrey's story here
Have YOU considered starting a small business to earn extra money, pay off bills, or fund your retirement? Check out my home page for 4 small business opportunities you might want to consider.
