“The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart, this you will build your life by, and this you will become.” James Allen
One great way to kickstart the coaching relationship and help your new client create a clear vision of their goals is by using a vision board. It’s a little bit different from the standard ‘Wheel of Life’ approach often used by coaches and is future focused, inspirational and a fun exercise to complete. In this blog post I’m going to cover 5 of the key benefits of using a Vision Board in your coaching practice.
Visual Representat
ion of Goals
A vision board is like a dream board that your client can create to turn their dreams and aspirations into a tangible reality. They can use images, words, and affirmations to create a collage that representswhat they want to achieve. It’s like having a personal visual roadmap that will help them stay focused and motivated.
Research has shown that creating a visual representation of goals, like a vision board, can increase motivation, improve focus, and lead to better goal achievement. One study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that people who visualize their goals are more likely to achieve them than those who don’t. So, it’s not just wishful thinking, but science-backed evidence that creating a vision board can help your clients turn their dreams into reality.
Positive Thinking
When your client creates a vision board, they’re not just setting goals, they’re also focusing on the positive. By filling their board with images and words that represent what they want to achieve, they’re reinforcing a positive and optimistic mindset.
And if you need proof that positive thinking works, just look at Jim Carrey. He once wrote himself a check for $10 million and dated it 10 years in the future. Every day, he visualized himself receiving the check. And in 1995, he landed the lead role in a movie and received a paycheck for exactly $10 million. Talk about the power of positive thinking!
Creativity and Self-Expression
When your client creates a vision board, it’s their chance to let their creativity run wild and express themselves in a unique way. They get to choose images and words that really speak to them and bring their deepest desires, values, and goals to life.
Studies have shown that getting creative and using visual techniques like drawing, painting, or collage-making can help people gain insight into their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. It’s like a window into their unconscious values and drivers. Plus, it can be a fun and therapeutic way to explore their inner selves.
Clear Communication
One of the best things about vision boards is that they can help enhance communication during coaching. When your client creates a vision board, it gives them a chance to express themselves and their aspirations in a way that goes beyond just talking about it. By using images and words that resonate with them, they can communicate their values, desires, and goals in a unique and creative way. The visual representation of their goals gives you another layer of information on what they’re aiming for and what’s important to them. You can ask questions about the board and get to know your client on a deeper level. Plus, the images they choose can often reveal more useful information than they realize!
Increased Accountability
Using a vision board can help your client feel more accountable for achieving their goals. When they create a visual reminder of what they want to achieve, it’s easier to stay focused and take action towards those goals. Plus, by sharing their vision board with you as their coach, they’re adding another layer of accountability.
The “Wheel of Life” is an approach that coaches often use when onboarding new coaching clients. It provides a measurable starting point to see where the client is currently and where they want to be. If you want to get that same numerical baseline with the Vision Board approach, you can ask your client questions like “If your Vision Board shows what a 10/10 looks like, on a scale of 1-10 where do you feel you are right now?” and “What would it take for you to move one point higher on the scale?”. These questions can give you and your client a baseline measure and help the client stay focused on taking positive and realistic action that they feel accountable for.
How should I introduce the Vision Board?
I’d recommend that you ask your client to complete a vision board before you meet for the first time and bring it with them to your initial session – they can go ‘old school’ and get out a pile of magazines, scissors and glue, or you can provide them with a digital vision board template which is just as much fun but not quite as messy! The benefit of a digital vision board is also that it’s a lot easier to share if you are coaching over Zoom. My Life Coach Onboarding Bundle includes a Vision Board canva template (and instructions for completion) that you can send to your client. Once they have completed their digital vision board they can use it as wallpaper on the lock screen for their computer, and they can also print it out and put it somewhere they will see it regularly.
Starting your coaching relationship with a vision board offers lots of benefits for you and your client. And although lots of people use Vision Boards already, it’s a little less common for them to be used in a Coaching context, so using one as part of your sessions will help you stand apart from other coaching offers. Why not give it a go and see the difference that it makes in your Coaching practice?
