Ep 88 The Real Reason Your Vision Board Isn’t Working

In this mind-blowing and motivating episode of The ARTwork of YOU, host Lori Gouhin challenges the traditional vision board and invites you to create something far more powerful - an action board.

While vision boards offer glossy goals and dreamy aesthetics, Lori walks us through the often-ignored truth: most people don’t have a clarity problem, they have a traction problem. 

What’s missing isn’t vision, it’s movement.

This episode lifts the curtain between wanting and doing, offering tangible ways to bridge the gap between your dream life and your daily choices. With relatable stories and a nudge of tough love, Lori inspires you to take responsibility for the goals you keep dreaming about.

"Your goals aren’t waiting for perfect timing. They’re waiting for action." ~ Lori Gouhin

Episode Highlights:

➤ The hidden problem with most vision boards
 ➤ What an action board is and why you need one
 ➤ How to transform vague dreams into specific, doable steps
 ➤ Why posting the offer or writing for an hour matters more than dreaming big
 ➤ How traction, not just inspiration, builds your future
 ➤ The power of pairing your vision with personal responsibility
 ➤ Journal prompt: What action would move you closer to your vision today?

This episode is your call to stop waiting for motivation and start building the life that’s been staring at you from your dream board.

Are you ready to stop just imagining and start creating?

Apply now to work with Lori one-on-one: https://www.TheARTworkofYOU.com

Thank you for sharing your time with me and remember to show up in your life like the masterpiece you are because YOU are the ARTwork!!!

Please subscribe and leave a 5 Star Review.

Have a fabulous day!

Thank you for sharing your time with me and remember to show up in your life like the masterpiece you are because YOU are the ARTwork!!!

Please subscribe and leave a 5 Star Review.

Have a fabulous day!

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Transcript

Lori Gouhin: [00:00:00] Hello my friends. I am so glad that you are here with me today because I have been thinking a lot about the gap between dreaming and doing, and I wanna ask you a question, something you probably haven't thought of before, especially if you're big into vision boards and that's not what's on your vision board.

But instead, do have an action board, and if so, what is on it? Because we [00:01:00] are so used to cutting out glossy images from magazines and stuff of the life that we want, but we rarely stop to ask, what are the actual actions that would get me there to those things that I have placed on my vision board? And maybe more importantly, do I even like those actions?

Am I willing to do them or do I just want that outcome? And as you know, most vision boards, they're filled with end results, right? Things like the dream home, the million dollar business, maybe the vacation that you haven't taken yet. Peaceful mornings, beach walks, a really neatly organized pantry, a happy marriage.

 They're usually filled with things that we want to have or feel, but not often the actual steps that will lead us to getting there. And that's fine Vision boards, I mean, they're meant to inspire you. That's, one of their purposes and they give you something to aim at. But I've started [00:02:00] to notice how easy it is to create a board that reflects your future lifestyle without really reflecting your present choices.

 I've seen vision boards that definitely look like a luxury magazine spread. I. But when I ask the person what they're doing this week to move toward that vision board or toward that life that they have on there, what I usually get back is maybe a shrug or a long list of excuses or a plan that they haven't started yet.

And so again. Vision boards often focus on the after on the end result, but most people are skipping the beginning and the middle, which are the decisions, the behaviors, and the habits that actually create that after.  So the board ends up being kind of like a collage of hopes instead of a call to action, I would say.

And if you're not careful, it can become a comfortable way to avoid doing. Work or building the life that you actually say that you [00:03:00] want. And what I think most people are missing is the bridge, right? That bridge between what they want and how they plan to get it. The things we often want have very grounded and very doable starting points, but we don't put those things on display on the vision board because they're not necessarily something that we wanna look at.

in other words, no one is printing out a picture of, send the email I've been avoiding and then pasting that on their dream board. That's the actual work, that's the path. So while your vision board might speak to your desires, your action board is going to speak to the decisions that you need to make, and it shows the energy that you're willing to bring and the risks that you're willing to take and the consistency that you're willing to show up with.

Most people aren't lacking vision, they're lacking traction, right? And I'm not saying that to be harsh. I'm saying that because I've seen it. The dream is usually [00:04:00] pretty clear. The follow through, not so much. That's where it gets uncertain. And an action board works because it brings your attention back to what you can control, not the timeline, not who says yes, not how many likes or sales or whatever applause you get, but your own willingness to move.

Even when it's imperfect and even when no one's watching, it's a different kind of motivation. You're not just dreaming about what you want, but you're documenting what it's going to take. and to me that shifts the energy completely. So what does it actually look like? Well. The action board doesn't need to be pretty, I'll just tell you that it just needs to be real.

Think things like sticky notes or index cards, or maybe just a whiteboard where you write things out. What matters is, is that it gets your energy moving towards the things on your vision board. So for example, your vision board might say something or have photos that demonstrate that you want a home that feels elegant and [00:05:00] designed with intention, right?

So on your action board, that might mean finally buying your first piece of original art, or maybe it means getting rid of clutter 

Or maybe donating anything in your home that doesn't match your desired aesthetic, the one that you're aiming for, or maybe you want a publish book or a sold out offer, or a studio full of creativity. So what's on your action board for that? Maybe it's showing up to write for an hour when you don't feel like it, or maybe it's posting the offer even when you have no engagement.

Or maybe it's dedicating just a corner of your home and then going to Michael's or Hobby Lobby to get supplies.

Maybe your vision board also includes something like a thriving and a connected marriage, and you have photos of those cute couples, right? They're cooking together, walking hand in hand, having real conversations. And so your action board for that will look less romantic, [00:06:00] but it'll have things like.

Initiating hard conversations that I've been putting off or turning off your phone during dinner or leaving a random love note on your partner's pillow. Listening instead of reacting, maybe giving at least one authentic compliment or word of gratitude to your partner daily. Those are the kind of actions that will build a strong.

Marriage. And again, it's one thing to say something like, oh, I wanna be healthier. And it's another thing to write down things like, I will walk for 20 minutes before checking my phone, or I will prep lunch so that I don't grab something that I'll later regret. Because now it's not just a dream or an idea, it becomes a plan.

Because your momentum, I'm telling you, it's not going to come from inspiration. It's going to come from doing the next right thing, even the small and sometimes boring things. So don't just stop at the vision I. [00:07:00] And to be clear, I'm definitely not saying get rid of your vision board.

I want you to keep it, I want you to look at it. I want it to inspire you, but don't forget about what comes before those end results. And I recommend putting them side by side. Literally create your vision board and then right next to it. Build your action board and let them kind of speak to each other.

The vision board says, this is what I want, and the action board says, this is how I'm going to get it. But also I want you to remember that it doesn't have to be perfect. The action board does not have to be perfect and not even necessarily correct for results to come. But it's a step in the right direction and it gets you moving and doing things in that direction of your dreams and your goals that are on that vision board.

And if you've been stuck in the planning phase, and if you feel like you're always thinking about what you want or looking at what you want, but you're not getting any results, maybe it's because your action board doesn't even exist yet. [00:08:00] And when the action board lives next to the vision board, literally in your space, you don't forget what's required because it's staring back at you.

And you don't just stay inspired, you stay responsible. It's a way of saying to yourself, I'm not here just to imagine. I am here to create. So here's another question I wanna ask you. If you followed through on everything that's on your action board for the next 90 days, 

Would you actually be closer to the life that's on your vision board? Because if the answer is yes. Then it's time to stop overthinking and start doing. And if the answer is no, then maybe it's not a motivation problem that you have. Maybe it's time to rework your vision board or to get honest about what you're actually willing to do.

Either way, the awareness gives you your power back and you might wanna think about a new rule going forward. And I would say that that [00:09:00] is. Don't put something on your vision board unless you're also willing to create at least one action that supports it. One choice, one step. One, move. Again, because if you're not willing to do anything to move towards your vision, ask yourself, does it even belong on my vision board, or is it just there to look good or it's, it's something I thought I wanted, but I actually don't because it's easy to make a beautiful board.

Filled with all the after shots, right? 

But your future doesn't need another collage. It needs movement. Your goals aren't waiting for perfect timing. They're waiting for action. Consistent, quiet, often uncomfortable action. So don't just vision board a life you're not building. If you're going to dream and believe me, I want you to, I hope you do, but also then become the person who does something about it, and if you need help, I can help you.

This is what I [00:10:00] do with my coaching clients. We figure out what you actually want, what's in the way, and what to do next. So if you're tired of pinning your dream, for those of you who use Pinterest and not living it, then reach out to me. Let's talk about what it would look like to work together.