When change is on the horizon, it’s common to overthink, worry and question everything. The brain takes over: you create pros and cons lists and the agony of the decision can take over your whole life. Luckily, you’ve got another way to work through this situation. It may seem silly, even trivial or new-agey, but creating a vision board can provide clarity, attract your ideal career and save your sanity.

A vision-what?

A vision board is a visual representation of what you want to manifest. At the most basic level, creating a vision board can help you see what you’re thinking. It puts visuals to complicated thought processes where words may fail. Oftentimes, the images you choose don’t necessarily make sense, but when put together, they create a representation of your true self.

On a deeper level, vision boards help you attract what you want in life. Think of it like asking the universe for what you want. If you don’t know what you want to create or manifest, the universe won’t know, either. The key in manifesting is to know what you want and articulate it. Many of us have a hard time articulating our deepest desires in words, so creating a visual image helps.

This process taps into a deep, unconscious part of yourself that knows your ideal career. This part is free from cultural desires or what you think you want or are taught to want. You might be surprised to see the career you want isn’t about money or prestige or that you’re interested in a different industry.

Vision boards are useful for many life changes, from finding a mate to buying a house, and can be used for general life purposes, like career or vacation goals. There aren’t any rules except to find a bunch of words, images and visual representations of what you want and put them on a board. Size and your artistic ability don’t matter.

Remember that the brain wants to create whatever it’s told. If you constantly tell yourself you’re a failure or don’t deserve a good job, you’ll never achieve what you truly want. What you put on your board needs to transcend these self-defeating thoughts to focus on the positive potential in yourself. Whatever you believe, you become.

Create a vision board in five simple steps

Creating a vision board is simple:

1. Collect your supplies

Find every old magazine in the house that can be cut up, pull out the scissors and glue and have a dedicated piece of cardboard or poster board to use. You could even use cork board and push-pins. Be as creative or simplistic as you’d like.

2. Set aside time to work on your vision board

Sit down with your supplies, maybe some nice music, a glass of wine and no distractions. Either do this by yourself, with your partner or have some friends over for a vision board party.

3. Close your eyes and center yourself before you open the magazines

This could be as simple as taking a few slow breaths or as complex as a full ritual and meditation session. Don’t try to do anything new, but do what feels appropriate. If you’re trying to find a job or attract your ideal career, repeat “ideal career” or “find a job” to yourself a couple times. By doing this, you set the intention of what you’re doing and remind yourself of your goal.

4. Open the magazines and cut out anything that resonates with you or inspires you

This is big: don’t try to create something or think too much. If you flip a page and an image speaks to you, cut it out. If you see a keyword and it creates some thought or reaction, cut it out. Flip pages and cut and lose yourself in this process. Let go of the desire to analyze or figure anything out. By refraining from thinking about it, you’ll be able to access deeper areas of yourself.

5. Put the images and words onto your board

Either find a creative way to arrange them or just slap them on.

What to do with your completed vision board?

When your board is complete, hang it somewhere you’ll see it. Look at your board often, think about it, study the images and keep the intention or goal in mind. Take some time in the morning or before bed to reflect on your deepest dreams, goals or desires. Use all your senses to imagine the end result, like what it feels like to sit in your new office or the happiness you feel when helping people.

This may not be a quick process, but by keeping your vision board in a noticeable place, you’ll constantly be sending messages out into the universe that you’re serious about creating this change and you’re ready for that goal to manifest into reality. If you’re truly committed to manifesting this change, the universe will respond. (Click here to tweet this thought.) Stay focused, but be patient. You can create your own reality and attract your dream job.

Amber Erickson Gabbey, MA, is a freelance writer, holistic health expert and yoga instructor. She blogs at Mindfully Written with the goal of inspiring and empowering others toward health.

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Yoga can help these worries and job-hunting related stressors in more ways than one. It’s a great way to break away from the job hunting boards to refresh your mind and body. And, it provides some powerful lessons along the way:

1. Flexibility is key

While you don’t have to be flexible to do yoga, it helps. The more you practice, the more flexible you become.

Job seeking is similar. Being flexible in your search and related activities will help you see open doors where you may not be looking. Sticking to a rigid job seeking routine takes impressive determination, but it could also be limiting your potential.

The universe works in strange ways. That person you didn’t stop to talk to because you had a routine to follow could’ve been a door you chose not to walk through. These proverbial doors can be anywhere.

Be open to the possibilities, be flexible in your day and remain curious about where opportunities may be hiding. Consider applying for jobs outside of your field, brainstorm how you could create your own dream job, take your search beyond the traditional job boards (Twitter, anyone?) and get out there and network.

2. Embrace the journey

This may be the hardest of all. We’re always focused on the end goal. Looking for a job is time consuming, tedious and frustrating. Embracing the journey seems impossible, but at least entertain the idea of enjoying each step of the process.

Can you find any benefits to being unemployed? Or if you hate your job and are looking for a new one, maybe there’s a reason to hold on for a bit longer. Stay open to finding the message or important life lesson in the job hunting experience.

Think about what you’ve applied for, the people you’ve met and what you can see yourself doing next. Take it one day at a time. One application after the other. Take each rejection or milestone as they come.

One potentially disastrous outcome of letting desperation rule your search for employment is that you could end up in the wrong job. Attempting to embrace the journey will allow you to stay focused on letting the process unfold as it will and taking the opportunity that is right for you.

3. Breathe through the difficult periods

In a challenging yoga pose, as in much of life, we forget to breathe. Yes, breathing is an involuntary action, but in yoga, the goal is to do it consciously.

The poses become easier if you anchor your breathing. If you get into a tight pose, breathe into your low belly or into the spot of discomfort. Where your attention goes, your energy will follow.

In stressful situations, such as job seeking, remembering to breathe into the discomfort can help you relax, feel better and reduce tension-related illnesses (such as tension headaches).

If job seeking gets to be too much, go for a walk or do something you enjoy to clear your head and reconnect with your mission. Sometimes taking a moment to breathe is all that’s needed.

4. Have faith in your abilities

Sometimes yoga students need an experienced teacher to guide them into more challenging poses. They may think they can’t do it, but with some guidance and faith in themselves, crazy things are possible.

We often don’t give ourselves enough credit in our abilities. It’s not easy to suddenly believe you’re awesome (p.s. you are!), but luckily, you can fake it to start. The human brain doesn’t distinguish between a real smile and a fake smile. Similarly, just telling yourself how awesome you are can make you believe it.

Take a little time each day, or throughout the day, to remind yourself of your awesomeness. Take stock of what you’re capable of, what you have to offer employers and what obstacles you’ve overcome to get to this place. And beyond just believing in yourself, practice applying for jobs and interviewing with confidence.

5. Beware of your mind playing tricks on you

We all think the mind is so great and powerful, and it is! We have the ability to learn and create and do all these wonderful things—but the mind is not always an ally.

It tries to tell us we’re not good enough, pretty enough, young enough or smart enough. Applying for jobs with that mentality is destructive.

For whatever job or career you aspire to, take steps every day to get there and notice what your mind is doing. Just being aware of destructive thoughts or habits is enough (you don’t have to try to ignore them or actively change them). Recognize them as your mind trying to hold you back. As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

The hardest part of yoga is dealing with the mind. It’s as if the mind’s job is to distract us from our goals and lead us off our path. Notice when your mind is playing these tricks on you and don’t give in.

Repeat after me: “I am enough, I have enough, I do enough. I will find a job I love.” And breathe.

Amber Erickson Gabbey, MA, is a freelance writer, holistic health expert and yoga instructor. She blogs at Mindfully Written with the goal of inspiring and empowering others to be their healthiest selves.

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