147 - Thriving through Vision Boards with Marilyn Barker

Thanks for joining us on today’s episode of the Scale Your Small Business Podcast with Jillian Flodstrom. Joining us today is Marilyn Barker, she is a motivational speaker and educator both online and offline through her seminars and upcoming book. Coming from a place of personal hardship and growth, she understands that life can be overwhelming. She's able to offer advice and guidance from a uniquely personal space.   Marilyn has struggled with depression and anxiety as far back as she can remember. Especially when she started her own business, there were a lot of trial and error, failures, and difficult challenges. But she came out the other side with an understanding that she can now offer to the people she works with, offering tools to overcome that and take the next step.    Vision boards are a huge part of Marilyn’s process, and is something she works with her clients on. A vision board is a visual representation of your goals, your dreams, and your visions of where you want to see your life and your business. It’s a visual ‘to-do’ list, but unlike a ‘list’ it is a reminder and motivator of and towards your goals.    Your aspirations may change, so it’s worth making a vision board or updating your current one every quarter, Marilyn suggests. These boards are meant to grow with your business and benefit your life and your family.    Vision boards work–the proof is in the results. Many people Marilyn works with say the benefits are twofold–they are either motivated by what they see to where they accomplish their goal, or they realize that goal wasn’t important. It helps prioritize your business while keeping you focused on what matters.   It can look however you want, but it’s meant to be nice to look at. It can be hands-on or digital (or both!). All you need is a small posterboard (it doesn’t have to be giant at first), glue, scissors, and Google or a magazine. From there, you can digitize it with a photo and carry it with you on your phone anywhere you go. You want to be able to archive these boards to record the progress you’ve made, develop new goals, and continue achieving.    What you’re focused on is what will motivate you–what makes you think of that goal and keeps it at the forefront of your thoughts. Go beyond that and consider the action steps it will take to get to that goal, and include images that remind you of those too.    Use your planner in conjunction with your vision board. Physically block out times of your day where you’re focused on those action steps. That way your mind is freed from the constant “when will I do this” feeling and dedicates uninterrupted time where you can work towards your goal.    Key Takeaways   A vision board is a visual representation of your goals, your dreams, and your visions of where you want to see your life and your business. It’s a visual ‘to-do’ list, but unlike a ‘list’ it is a reminder and motivator of and towards your goals.    Focus on what will motivate you–what makes you think of that goal and keeps it at the forefront of your thoughts.    Your aspirations may change, so it’s worth making a vision board or updating your current one every quarter. Links   https://www.marilynbarker.com/