What Is a Retirement Vision Board? How to Create Yours

Retirement is a time in our lives when we finally have the chance to enjoy the fruits of our labor and pursue the things that truly matter to us. It's a time to travel, learn new things, spend time with loved ones, and simply indulge in the pleasures of life. However, creating a fulfilling retirement requires planning and visualization. That's where a retirement vision board comes in. A retirement vision board is a visual representation of your retirement goals and aspirations. It can help you clarify your vision, stay motivated, and ultimately make your retirement dreams a reality. In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of creating a retirement vision board and provide step-by-step instructions on how to create your own. Whether you're just starting to plan for retirement or you're already retired, a retirement vision board can be a powerful tool to help you create the retirement of your dreams.

Why Should You Make a Retirement Vision Board?

A vision board plays a critical role in major life changes. And retirement, being one of them, it pays to have one. So, on that note, here are the benefits of a retirement vision board:

  • Enhances happiness - Accomplishing something evokes great feelings. A vision board makes it easier to track your goals and look back at those things as you accomplish them.
  • Promotes creativity -  Creativity is a great thing. It exercises the mind and relieves stress.
  • Tracks progress in life -  The vision board represents things you want to achieve and those you haven't. It will help keep track of how far you have come in attaining the ultimate goal.
  • Provides motivation - It's easy to get lost on the way and lose focus on your goals. With the help of this board, you'll remain more motivated.
  • Promotes positivity - The idea behind it is creating a channel of positivity. As a result, you'll be frequently reminded about things to look forward to.
  • Brings clarity - A vision board eliminates doubts when taking the next important steps in life.

Creating Your Retirement Vision Board

Before we get into details on making a retirement vision board, it's important to note this. Creating a vision board isn't only for older adults who are retiring. In fact, individuals as young as 20 years can benefit from creating their vision boards. The sooner you decide what you want to in life, the higher the probability of attaining it. At the same time, it's never too late! Here's how you can start your retirement vision board today! 

Picture it, Believe in Yourself, and Achieve

As a warm-up, picture the top athletes in the world. How do you think they win in various competitions? One component of their success is visualization. They picture themselves winning the medal before the competition and focus on that as motivation. According to experts, the same technique can apply in other real-life scenarios – including a successful retirement.

Creating a retirement vision board with purpose is all it takes to achieve your ultimate goal. It will help you attain focus and garner the courage to turn your dreams into reality.

Preparing for your Vision Board

Before starting this project, note down potential retirement needs, wants, and goals. During this step, don't worry about picking images from the web. Instead, just write down everything important to you!

Think about big goals such as finding a retirement city, international travel, etc. But also spare room for the smaller goals like joining book clubs or watching your favorite series.

Further, you can break it down into experiences you've always wanted to achieve. It could be a road trip or giving back to society through donations and volunteering. In the end, your vision board should shine a light on the lifestyle you want to achieve during retirement.

How to Create Your Retirement Vision Board

How would you prefer to create your retirement vision board? Online, on software or apps like Instagram and Pinterest, or using a physical board with the help of art supplies? If you prefer a physical vision board, you'll need the following items:

  • Corkboard or poster
  • Printed images (cut from magazine or print from the internet)
  • Scotch tape or pins
  • Scissors

Once you've collected all the items, it's time to start. Set the corkboard or poster on a flat surface. And then begin laying the printed images on the poster/ corkboard like a puzzle. As you continue creating the vision board, consider the following points for inspiration:

  • Motivation is Key

    Don't rush in choosing the images. Ensure each image you use connects with you deeply.

  • Use Images that Evoke Emotion

    Do the images you choose inspire any emotion in you? For this vision board to work, the images must evoke certain feelings and values you want to experience.

  • Be Thankful

    We all have something to be grateful for in life. It could be good health, your love life, job, pets, or family. And one of the features of a great vision board is expressing your gratefulness for these things. They will serve as a reminder that you should appreciate the good things that happen to you.

  • Write a Vision Statement

    Your vision board might have tons of goals to achieve. However, a vision statement that sums it all up will make it perfect.

  • Go Big

    While we may have many retirement goals to achieve, some may seem farfetched. But this shouldn't scare you. If it's a goal you want to achieve, go for it. With that said, include all the images that represent the bigger picture of your ultimate dream.

  • Consider What's Next

    Now that your vision board is complete, it's time for the next step. And that's hanging the vision board in a strategic place. It should be a visible spot where you can easily see the board.

    And even if the vision board is complete, leave room for updates. There's a chance you've left out something important, or your priorities will change in time. As such, schedule a revision every year to see if there're goals that need changing.

Get Started

Finally, you have your retirement vision board ready and hanging on your wall. What's next? To achieve the projected goals, start with acting on them. And to avoid getting overwhelmed, you can handle each goal at a time until you attain the ultimate objective.

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