12 Celebrities Who Swear by Vision Boards (And How They Made Them Work)

1. Jim Carrey's Famous $10 Million Check

This is perhaps the most famous visualization story in Hollywood. In the late 1980s, broke and struggling, Jim Carrey drove his old Toyota up into the Hollywood Hills, looked out over Los Angeles, and visualized directors wanting to work with him.

Then he did something remarkable: he wrote himself a check for $10 million for "Acting Services Rendered," dated it Thanksgiving 1995, and kept it in his wallet. In 1994, just before that date, he learned he'd be paid $10 million for Dumb and Dumber.

Watch Jim Carrey tell this story on Oprah's show.

2. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah is the queen of intentional living. She has spoken extensively about keeping vision boards and visualizing her goals. Famously, she had a picture of Barack Obama on her vision board before he even announced his Presidential candidacy.

"Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe." — Oprah Winfrey

3. Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey's transformation from being homeless, living in his car, to becoming a billionaire media mogul is incredible. He openly credits visualization and goal-writing as key to his success.

"If you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand." — Steve Harvey

Watch Steve Harvey's powerful speech on visualization.

4. Beyoncé

Queen Bey keeps a photo of an Academy Award near her treadmill so she sees it every day while she trains. She has spoken about using visualization to prepare for performances and achieve her goals.

5. Katy Perry

At just 9 years old, Katy Perry created a vision board with a photo of Selena holding a Grammy Award. She later became one of the most nominated artists in Grammy history with 13 nominations.

6. John Assaraf (The Secret)

Featured in the documentary The Secret, entrepreneur John Assaraf tells an incredible story: he created a vision board with a picture of his dream home. Five years later, he realized he was living in THAT EXACT HOUSE — the same one from the magazine cutout.

Watch John Assaraf tell this story.

7. Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen has discussed using visualization before every major milestone in her career, including hosting the Oscars and launching her talk show.

8. Conor McGregor

The UFC champion is famous for his "law of attraction" beliefs. Before becoming champion, he visualized holding the belt and speaking at press conferences as a winner.

"If you can see it here, and you have the courage enough to speak it, it will happen." — Conor McGregor

🧠 The Common Thread

None of these celebrities just "wished" for success. They each created a tangible visual anchorthat kept their goal in front of them daily. This programmed their Reticular Activating System (RAS) to spot opportunities aligned with their vision.

Learn more about the science behind visualization.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Did Jim Carrey's vision board work?

Yes. Jim Carrey visualized receiving $10 million for acting services and wrote himself a check. Years later, he received exactly that amount for his role in Dumb and Dumber.

Do successful people use vision boards?

Many do, including Oprah Winfrey, Steve Harvey, Beyoncé, and Olympic athletes like Michael Phelps. They use visualization to program their mindset for high performance.

12 Celebrities Who Manifested Their Success With Vision Boards