There was a time when I would naively make big, lofty New Year’s resolutions, only to break them all just a few weeks into the new year. You know the kind: work out every day, eat super healthy, stop doing this and start doing that.

The first couple weeks are usually pretty great! I’m following all my rigid requirements and meeting every grandiose goal. I’m so proud of my ambition and dedication that I prematurely assume I can begin my victory lap. Unfortunately, there are still 50 more weeks until I see the finish line so my sprint at the beginning has me so drained by the end of week 3 that I collapse in exhaustion wishing I had never made those stupid resolutions in the first place.

It’s absolutely exhausting trying to manage it all that I finally call it a day and end up doing nothing at all the rest of the year. I throw in the towel and call it quits. Put a fork in me because I. Am. Done.

The taste of defeat is bitter, but now that I can eat whatever I want again, I quickly cover it up with something sweet, like double fudge chocolate brownies. Yum!

However, the past few years have been different, and there’s one word that can sum it up perfectly: vision. Instead of making a list of unreachable New Year’s resolutions, I ask God to give me a vision of what He has planned for me in the upcoming year.

Some years, the vision I’m given is one singular word. Like the year before last when I was suffering heavily from PPD and anxiety, God gave me a vision of one word and one word only: healing. And that year, you better believe it; I experienced complete healing from PPD, which allowed me to finally enjoy the gift of motherhood.

Vision. It’s powerful! And I have a feeling that this year is no different.

This year, my women’s community at church challenged us all to create a personal vision board for the new year.

Before we were given the assignment, one of the leaders spoke about the importance of vision in our walks with God. She reminded us that whatever dreams, aspirations, and desires we have for our lives are all a part of the vision He has given each of us individually. These visions are not to be pursued apart from our relationship with God; instead what we’ll often find is our visions are clearer and our motivation is stronger when we have Christ at the center of our lives.

First, we were told to take the next couple weeks to pray about it on our own and jot down any images or words that come to mind. So each of us took time to ask God what He has planned for us in the upcoming year. Anytime an image came to mind, we were told to write it down on paper. Any desires or goals we have for our families and ourselves, we wrote those down too. Any long-forgotten dreams or aspirations that God has placed on our hearts, we added those to our lists as well.

Next, we turned our lists of words into beautiful and inspiring images. We cut pictures and words from magazines, printed images and memes from the Internet, and gathered photos of our families and friends to add to our boards. Each image was to represent one of the items from our lists, and ultimately one of the visions God had given us.

Finally, we all came together to create our vision boards. We pasted all our images, words, and pictures to a small poster board in a way that would be visually appealing to us personally. As we created our boards, we shared our visions with one another so we can help cheer each other on toward our goals for the new year.

Ultimately, a vision board is whatever you make it to be. It can represent one year, five years, or ten years. It can be focused solely on your career goals, personal goals, family goals, or combine everything all together. It’s up to you!

Also, a vision board is definitely not only for the crafty girls. Take it from me, someone who is artistic in every other way except crafting things with my hands, it’s pretty low-key. All you have to know how to do is cut with scissors and paste with glue, and you’re golden!

Lastly, remember to celebrate your victories! There are no “broken resolutions” with vision boards. Vision boards are about the vision you have for your life, not lofty, unreachable New Year’s resolutions. Yes, you may need to discipline yourself to reach your goals, but remember there is always grace with God.

Meditate, pray, create, and enjoy the journey of seeing your visions turn into reality!

How to Create a Vision Board:

1. Take time to meditate on and pray about your dreams and aspirations for the upcoming year. Ask God to give you a vision for the plans He has for you.
2. Write down any images, desires, or goals that come to mind (vocational, personal, family, etc.)
3. Collect images, words, memes and pictures from magazines, Google searches, and photo books that represent your goals and visions for the new year.
4. Paste the images to a small poster board in a way that is visually appealing to you.
5. Hang up your vision board somewhere in your house or office where you will see it regularly. (If you don’t want to hang it, make sure to place it somewhere easily accessible or take a photo of it to keep on your phone so you can remind yourself regularly of your visions.)
6. Share your vision board with loved ones so they can help hold you accountable and cheer you on toward your goals and aspirations.
7. Celebrate your victories! Enjoy the journey of seeing your visions turn into reality!