Within this trite and simple aphorism lies hidden a very powerful secret. It's a secret responsible for every big fortune, each major success and all revolutionary discoveries and inventions. And here's the secret - behind every dream that turns into reality, there is a clear, focused vision.

What exactly is creative visualization?

A little understood law of success is that to attract anything into your life, you must first believe in it with absolute conviction - to the point that you can see, feel and imagine already living in that changed, new reality. Yes, even today - when your actual circumstances and surroundings might be a far cry from your dream!

Most of us are not capable of abstract imagination and vivid dreaming. It is far easier to believe firmly in something we can touch, see or smell, rather than trust in a 'reality' that exists only in our minds.

Because creative visualization is such an integral part of achieving your goals and dreams in life, constructing a vision board to give definition to your plans is a critical step along your path to success.

What do you put on a vision board?

Anything related to your dreams and goals fit in your vision board. The idea is to create a collage with representative reminders of each component of your plans for the future.

If you dream of living in a mansion, driving a sportscar, with a lifestyle that's the envy of your peers and friends, then your vision board will reflect that goal. You may have pictures of your favorite car, photos of your dream home, and samples of the fabric on your lounge or the leather of your car seat.

Or you might take a different angle and have your vision board focus on the ultimate benefits of your posessions - a lifestyle of the rich and famous. So you might have photographs showing a vacation in the Bahamas or Monte Carlo or the Swiss Alps. Or you may collect magazine clippings of luxury items like Rolex watches, Mont Blanc pens and Yves St.Laurent gowns.

But why take all this trouble? Do vision boards really work?

Best-selling author of the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' series, Mark Victor Hansen, is fond of telling the story about how he and Jack Canfield would tear off covers of TIME magazine, cut out the face of the person on it, and replace it with a photograph of themselves.

He attributes creating that vision board for helping achieve his massive success as an author, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

How does it work? First, there's the creative visualization that's involved in crafting your vision board. As you construct your vision board, you let your imagination run wild. You allow yourself to dream, placing no hurdles or limitations on the flights of fancy and fantasy your mind goes on.

That very act of imagining vast possibilities acts on your sub-conscious as a powerful motivator. Having seen, in your mind, what you want, it becomes a natural extension for the logical part of your brain to come up with practical solutions to problems that are keeping you from living that dream in reality.

Secondly, by placing your vision board where you can constantly see it and come into contact with it, you are reinforcing this cerebral stimulation. Your sub-conscious mind can no longer just ignore the ambitious dreams you are focusing your attention upon and constantly drawing attention to.

By repeatedly bringing yourself face to face with your future potential, you are challenging your mind to stretch, expand and reach out to attain that potential. And in a nutshell, that is the biggest advantage and benefit of having a vision board.

Hey, it's easy, quick and cheap to create your own vision board - so why not just try it and see if it works for you? The results just might surprise you!