Got Vision?

Sneak Peak: Need help with vision in your life? Solution: Vision board.

Happy 2024! I’ve been MIA a bit because 2023 was a rough year for me (plus I got sick when the year started). I’m glad 2023 is gone! I finally had some time to sit down and create a vision board. Now, before you jump me, I’m not talking about those “manifestation” boards. Those boards, in my opinion, give you a false sense of security. You glue pictures of owning three cars and say, “I’m going to manifest it.” Okay, what happens when those three cars don’t come? Exactly. Only God can give you true security, not some “manifestation” “spiritual” nonsense.  I believe God’s timeline and sovereign will always outdo ours. So, let’s stop “manifesting” for ourselves and end up disappointed (and mad at God)!

Why Vision Board?

I created my vision board for a few reasons:

1.     I love arts and crafts.

2.     I needed to see in my life where God wanted to move me.

3.     I wanted to reflect on lessons from 2023.

If you’re feeling stuck, I recommend making one. My vision board comes in multiple parts, so I’ll guide you on how to do it. First, you need to diss people who will say you are worshiping your board (yes, people will say this). Sometimes, you need to write down vision, stay in sync with God, and spread His testimony for you to others.

Let me cite the King James Version of the Bible. I know, how dare I?! I feel like this version of Habakkuk 2:2 conveys what I’m saying:

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it (Habakkuk 2:2).

What do I need?

How do you start? You can run to Dollar Tree, Target, Walmart, and pick up whatever you want from the arts and crafts section. Stickers? Yes. Ribbons? Go ahead! I used a poster board that cost 99 cents. I know some people use cork boards to reuse it. You can grab magazines. I didn’t. I ordered a vision board book from Amazon that caters to Black women. I feel magazines don’t represent me as a (Black) woman or my culture. If you like magazines, then do it. Here is a list of suggested items to grab. Remember to stay under your budget!

Supplies needed:

·      A poster board (cork board is also okay)

·      Stickers

·      Markers

·      Glitter

·      Ribbons

·      Foam stickers

·      Alphabet stickers

·      Stencils

·      Color pencils

·      Crayons

·      Magazines (or a vision board book from Amazon)

·      Scissors

·      Glue sticks

How to Make Your Board

Your Theme

I started my board in the center with a theme I am carrying for 2024. Mine was #comebackqueen.

My theme for 2024: #comebackqueen

For those who follow me, y’all know 2023 was one of the worst years of my life. I went through two breakups. I was laid-off work. I lived on unemployment checks. I had to take work, making $13 an hour when I was used to making $50 an hour. I lost my savings. I lost my stocks. I had friends pass away. This isn’t to make you feel bad for me, but to explain why I picked my theme. I mourned in 2023. My adversity is my motivation to come back to Christ, rebuild myself as the queen I am, and use my story as testimony for others. So, what is your theme? Yours may be #happiness. #security. #abetterme. This is your theme.

Your Goals and Subgoals

I outlined my goals based on areas I needed to improve on and/or I saw God growing me in these areas. Mine are: coins (money), faith, love, travel, career, and health. Yours may be similar to mine or different. Below each goal, I pasted pictures that represented what God has shown me in 2023 to carry to 2024. For example, one of my main goals is “coins”.

Coins is one of my goals for 2024.

I want to steward what God has given to me financially in 2024. I made stewardship as my subgoal to complete. In 2023, I was blowing my money excessively on worldly possessions, not saving wisely, and fell into the trap of overspending (make more money = spend more money). I wasn’t honoring Him with my finances. Now, I am more focused on managing what God has provided for me. Remember, it’s God’s money—you’re just managing it.

When your board is complete, I recommend hanging it somewhere visible. I have a work station in my apartment, so I put it on the wall near my office space. You may put it in your bedroom or closet (if you go there daily).

My vision board is located next to my work station/office.

Take Action!

Seeing the board isn’t enough, you need to take action! Now you need to put into action. Why?

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:14-17).

You need to have faith God will do what He says in your life, but you have to put it in action also. Delayed obedience is disobedience. For example, if you are in a season where you want to make friendships with women, you can’t sit at home and expect God to deliver friends to you. No, you have to pray God will give you wisdom for you to discern the right people. Then, you need to leave your house. Join MeetUp. Network. Be the first one to ask a friend for a “friend date”. Meet these new acquaintances, use discernment, spend time with them, and see if these are the right people God wants for you in your life.

I used to be a Scrum Master, so I have a little bit of project management in my DNA. Our life is project management. God gives you free will (decisions and actions) to make choices to manage your life to lead to His will for you. My solution to putting things into action is a Kanban board.

I love Kanban boards because I can make it mine. I can create categories, subgoals, track what’s in progress, at risk, what’s completed, or what’s blocked by another dependency (you can’t complete something until something else is completed). It gives a sense of accomplishment. Trello has a free account you can use.

If Kanban boards aren’t your thing, there’s other tools you can use for free such as a to-do list, calendars, a weekly planner, monthly planner, or reminders in your phone. I also have a planner for weekly tasks and my monthly calendar for appointments, events, trips, etc.

So, I ask you…got vision? I encourage you in 2024 to have vision in your life. What are your goals for this year? What are other tools you use? Let me know in the comments. Keep things pure, true, and Biblical, and have an amazing year!

FYI: I provided links as resources. I don’t get paid for them. They're not sponsoring me.