I recently had the pleasure of meeting with and learning about a fantastic local Seattle company called ReUsies. ReUsies developed reusable lunch bags to replace the plastic ones that most people use to pack their lunches in.
The core of their mission is to do right by their children and leave a better place for future generations by caring for our environment now. Their vision is to see ReUsies as a viable alternative to plastic bags and have them be available at large stores for easy purchase.
With all of the day to day stresses that running a successful company brings—monitoring manufacturing, finances, employees, website maintenance, sales, blogging, customer service, and the rest, I was curious how the founders of ReUsies worked to stay true to their vision.
The answer: Vision board. On the wall, right next to the bulletin board with all of the important business tasks and numbers is a bulletin board with words and images that embody the future ReUsies and its founders want to see. The board they have created includes companies that they want to see ReUsies in, goals for income, personal time, family time, and on a larger scale, a world that uses less plastic bags.
Important to note is that it is always evolving as pieces of their vision become reality. (They have already taken down companies from the board such as chinaberry.com and amazon.com because they have already successfully placed their products there!)
The physical display of the vision board helps keep their vision top of mind and even if it isn’t constantly at the forefront, it helps keep the subconscious working toward elements on the board. According to them, it also offers a pick-me-up when things are feeling down and keeps the focus on what is important even when the business world and other stressors swirl.
Try out a vision board in your own life or business, it can provide you with a foundation and a purpose to always go back to when times get tough or your motivation wavers. For a great guide on crafting a vision board, check out Nicole Donnelly’s book, Ride Like a Penguin or read our upcoming chapter post on vision boarding.