The Vision Board is a tool made popular a decade ago by the book and documentary, The Secret, created to help attract more of what you want through the curation of inspirational images. It's based on the law of attraction, a theory, if you will, that insists like attracts like. In this article we propose taking the vision out of the board and replacing it with reminders. After all, if you really want something, you need to get things done and be reminded to stay on track.

But I don't need to be reminded about my goals, I hear you say. Maybe not always, but when you're feeling lazy, overwhelmed or like you're lacking direction or purpose, the Reminder Board is there as your guide.

The key difference between a standard Vision Board and a Reminder Board is the actionable items. Inspirational images, words or quotes that reflect your goals are still an integral part of the board, but apportion only a third of the board to these. With the remaining two-thirds of the board, divide them up into a long-term section that we'll call 'strategy', and the other into a short-term section we'll call 'tasks'.

make things happen and increase the likelihood of achieving your goals

In Strategy, list things that take more time or are overarching projects. For example, if one of your goals is to be a writer, you might include create a popular blog, get a summer internship at a magazine or write for the school paper. If a goal is to run marathons, it might be to reduce body fat or partake in a smaller scale run.

The Tasks section should be flexible and dynamic as it keeps actionable items that should be done in the immediate or near future - anywhere up to two weeks is useful. Use Post-Its or page flags for ease. If a goal was to be a writer and get a degree, the strategy might be a course, and here in tasks would be an essay or broken down further into research for one part of an essay.

Today, everywhere from Kmart to mid-market stationers sell boards and accessories to help you create your Reminder Board, but it need not be a costly mission. Magazines, a printer, pins, magnets or washi tape are sufficient accessories. A regular pinboard or whiteboard will do, or, if you're adept at graphic design, create a digital version and update it at the beginning or end of each day. Set it as the background on your most used devices.

Keeping your Reminder Board with you at all times needn't be limited to graphic designers though. Take a photo of your Reminder Board regularly and use it as your tablet or mobile wallpaper. Being inspired and reminded of why you're doing what you're doing, what you should be doing and how far into the journey you are may or may not attract your desires, but it will help make things happen and increase the likelihood of achieving your goals through the proven theory of doing.