The neuroscience behind action boards / vision boards and goal-setting — and how to use them at a career crossroads.

Do action boards actually work, or are they just arts and crafts with ambition? In this bonus episode, investigative wellness journalist Rebecca Newman draws on the research of neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart, author of The Source, to explain what's really going on in our brains when we make an action board — and why they might be exactly the tool you need in your wobbly middle.

Then theory meets practice as Patsy and Rebecca head to the craft room, where scissors and glue meet cork board, to make their own. It turns out a vision board isn't about magical thinking — it's a daily point of orientation, keeping you facing forward.

Summary

This episode takes a dive into the science of goal-setting through the lens of vision boards. Rebecca Newman, a journalist who has written for the Financial Times, The Guardian, and GQ, unpacks the neuroscience research of Dr Tara Swart to show why visual goal-setting can sharpen your sight line through the wobbly middle. Far from being a fluffy exercise, action boards work by keeping your goals front and centre — something you live with every day. Patsy and Rebecca then roll up their sleeves and make their own boards.

Key Topics

- The neuroscience behind actions boards — what happens in your brain when you visualise your goals

- Dr Tara Swart's research in The Source on selective attention and goal prioritisation

- How action boards differ from wish lists — making goals tangible and visible

- Using action boards as a practical tool for navigating a career crossroads in midlife

- The power of keeping your goals front and centre as a daily point of orientation

- Why getting hands-on with scissors and glue can unlock clarity you weren't expecting

Links

- The Source by Dr Tara Swart: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16913/9781785042003

- The Wobbly Middle on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wobbly-middle/id1767850643

- The Wobbly Middle on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YhwsBch8Q9vAOUBBfusIv

- Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep22-rebecca-newman

- Find out more about The Wobbly Middle: https://thewobblymiddle.substack.com/about?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=ep22-rebecca-newman

If You Enjoyed This Episode

You might also love our Q&A with Patsy Day and Susannah de Jager, where they opened the mailbag to tackle listeners' questions about navigating the midlife career odyssey. If the vision board episode got you thinking about what's next, the Q&A offers practical encouragement for when you're ready to take the next step.

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