Do you see the vision?

By Erin Newton

For the year 2025, I had a vision board—15 goals, 12 months. And I guess I accomplished 14 of them. How? Reflection. But more than that, one thing that kept me strong throughout the year was setting a vision board as my phone’s home screen.  Not my lockscreen, that’s reserved for a photo of my guardian angel. I don’t remember the last time I changed it, and I don’t think I will anytime soon. But my home screen is more flexible.

Currently, I replaced my vision board photos with photos of me working towards my goals and until I make this year’s one, that’s my wallpaper. I call it my ‘Reality Board’.

All this to say, as humans, visual reminders are very helpful. After a while, they become normal and fade into the background, so we must have reminders to remember the visual reminders or just some change. Change is one of the ultimate reminders. When we get to accustomed to a set up or a habit, change jolts us awake back to the conscious zone of thinking rather than autopilot.

Each month at the start of the month, I did a monthly reflection consisting of the following:

• My month in five words
• How my month was on a scale of 1 to 10 (and briefly why)
• Highlight of the month
• Lowlight of the month
• What events happened (I noted these down to remember all the important events or milestones or just meet ups with friends that happened)
• Goals for the coming month based on my 15 major goals on the vision board

And just like that, things were put into motion. Not every month was perfect. The year was far from perfect. But the monthly check-ins were what allowed me to refocus. If I completely forgot about my goals one month, the reflection would help me make the next month better.

And the vision board was the glue that always reminded me of the goals I was working towards.

Vision boards are fun to make and aesthetic to have. But beyond that, sometimes just looking at them triggers thoughts and motivates us. Though not all the time, it is what we need. We have to go further and pray about our goals.

Father, are these goals aligned to Your will? Show me what it is You want of me? Where are you taking me? Lead the way.

My vision board has helped me to keep focus and refocus on these 15 goals constantly. At times, it excited me and at others it just kept me remembering that the days add up and 365 days are both short and long at the same time but if I let them pass me by, then there would just be no time at all.

I’m encouraging you if you don’t have one already—go make a vision board now! What are you waiting for?