Creating the Perfect Vision Board to Kickstart Your New Year
- Erika Doty
- Dec 1
- 6 min read
We've been hearing about vision boards forever. If you've never done one, you're probably wondering what the hype is all about. Probably seems like just another waste of an afternoon and craft supplies. I know, because I felt that way too. Until I created one in the most unlikely of years to achieve anything I set out to accomplish.
In January 2020 my friend and I signed up for a day-long wellness retreat hosted by an acquaintance of ours. In all honestly I was just looking for something relaxing and a full-day commitment away from my young kids. The retreat included some yoga and breathing exercises but the bulk of the event focused on setting goals and then creating a vision board to manifest them. Of course I rolled my eyes, but I was happy to be out of the house and doing something for myself. So I played along.
We walked through the steps of visualizing the year ahead and before we got the glue and scissors out I was starting to feel motivated and centered.
The board I created had different things listed like "travel to Puerto Rico" and "get a puppy" and "read more books." I also wanted to hike more and spend more quality time with my family - slow mornings, thoughtful conversations and activities. This was on January 22, 2020.
At the end of February 2020, my husband and I snuck in that trip to Puerto Rico - getting home just in time for the world to shut down. My vision board was taped up above my desk at home, but during that spring and summer I didn't spend much time (if at all) looking at it. But it was there, in the peripheral as we survived the pandemic. In July of that year we brought home a new puppy and my kids pointed out that I had pictures of dogs on that vision board. I started looking at that board again and what do you know...by the end of 2020 I actually accomplished nearly everything I visualized. My path was quite different than I had envisioned back in January. But damn...I became a Vision Board Convert right then and there. And I've made one every year since:
How To Do It
Trying to visualize your life for the next YEAR can seem extremely overwhelming. If you jump in headfirst with this you'll likely set unattainable goals, miss the mark on your actual goals, or just freeze up and quit before you've even gotten the poster board out. Take it from someone who originally didn't even want to do this...use the steps below to ease into it.
And remember: The more thought and space you give this, the better the outcome. This is for YOU. No one else.
First step: Grab a journal or notepad or even scraps of paper. This is just for you so it doesn't have to be pretty. We're going to break down your vision into these life categories (in no particular order):
Career
Finances
Health
Hobbies
Relationships
Personal Growth
You may not have specific goals/visions for all of the above listed categories, or maybe you'll discover that you do. This is just a starting point, but I encourage you to reflect on each area. For each topic, complete the following steps in your journal:
Reflect on the past year: Did things go well? Not so great? Do you want to keep this area of your life the same, make it better?
Brainstorm the year ahead: This is still big picture stuff. Think about where you'd like to be in this area of your life 12 months from now.
Big Picture Goals: Write down any and all goals you may have in each area of your life. These should be big picture stuff. Nothing is off limits. Be bold.
Example: "I want to run 500 miles in 2026."
Bite-Size Goals: Now look back at the goals you wrote down under each topic and break those down into bite-size pieces. Take your time with this - this step is clutch.
Using the example above: "I want to run 500 miles in 2026, so that means I need to set a goal of about 42 miles per month, which equates to about 10.5 miles per week. So I don't have to run every day - or every week - but if I don't, I know I have to make it up somewhere to ultimately achieve my big goal of 500 miles this year."
At this point you should be able to look back over your notes and see some clear goals and specific steps to achieving them over the course of 12 months.
Again...this is for YOU. Revamp the list if you want. Cross stuff out. Add stuff. Make changes. This has to work for you and no one else.
Now that you can look over your notes and lists and see that pictures are starting to form. You may start to see...or even feel...a certain theme for your year ahead. You may be able to summarize it into one word.
That first vision board I created was for the year I turned 40. So smack dab in the middle of my board I put the number 40. But since then, I've found it fun to come up with a single word to set the tone for my year ahead. We babbled about this practice back in 2024 and you can read more about it here.
This can be a fun exercise to do with your kids too. And to make it more appealing to the younger kids, once you pick your word, make a beaded bracelet with the word on there and wear it as a reminder.
Remember: This is for YOU. So if things change during your year and your mindset changes, that's OK. You do you! In 2025 my vision board included my Word Of The Year right in the middle: PEACE. And guess what? Sometime around August that year I took a sticky note, wrote my new Word Of The Year down and smacked it right on top! I felt reenergized right away!
The first time I put together a vision board everyone in the group was asked to bring old magazines. We had piles and piles of old magazines about travel, beauty, cooking, activities, etc. But nowadays magazines are hard to come by, and someone noticed. You can find all kids of vision board "catalogs" or "magazines" online these days. Some are specific for the year (like the middle image below for 2026) and some are more generic. You can get ones that just focus on themes like travel, inspiration, women, love. And the best part: whatever you don't cut out for this year's board, save it for next year. You never know what a new year will bring!
Here are a few great options on Amazon:
Other supplies you'll need include a poster (poster board or foam board work great) and some tape or glue. Stickers and cut-out shapes can be fun too.
That's it. Now, get busy. Get crazy. Be BOLD! I can't say it enough...THIS IS FOR YOU! Have fun!
Additional Resources For Inspiration
Need a push or two? At that wellness retreat back in 2020, the book Atomic Habits by James Clear was highly recommended and raved about throughout the event. I've never been a huge fan of self-help books, especially the "step by step, change your life!" ones. But after participating in the retreat and creating my vision board I guess I felt inspired. So I bought the book, read it and now recommend it to anyone who will listen. James Clear does such a nice job breaking things down into digestible pieces - not once did I feel overwhelmed by any of the topics covered.
Other Great Reads To Get You Started:
Mel Robbins
Mel can be quite the inspiration. Her books, Ted Talks and podcast can all be great resources if you're looking to make even the smallest changes in your life. But she also has some great downloads and worksheets available through her website that can help you start this vision board journey, or give you that daily boost to stay on track and keep those goals in front of you. Check them out here.
Tips & Tricks:
This vision board is done. Now what? I'm telling you, as a convert, just looking at this thing every day does something.
🌟Hang this board up in a place where you will see it every day.
🌟If you use a paper planner or wall calendar, write down your weekly/month goals at the top of the page as a reminder. If you're all digital, utilize your phone's wallpaper or computer desktop and post up those goals (either big picture or bite-size by week).
🌟Keep that journal and go back through it every once in a while, especially when you feel like you're getting off track. (It can be also fun to reread those notes at this time next year and see just how far you've come - you'd be surprised!)
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