Few people seem to make New Year’s resolutions these days. They seem outdated and hard-to-keep. Why say your resolution is to visit the gym daily only to disappoint yourself a few months later when your gym clothes become your lounge pajamas?

How About a Fun Exercise Instead?

It’s becoming increasingly popular to create something called a vision board. This has become an annual ritual for me ever since learning about the idea from Shakti Gawain’s book, Creative Visualization. There she teaches how to use your imagination to create what you want in your life.

A vision board is a creative process that’s accessible for everyone – even those who think they’re not creative.

Each New Year’s Day, I like to create a vision board of what I’d like to experience in the upcoming year. I will have already selected an attractive picture frame to place it in – smallish, so it sits on my desk year-round where I can see it daily – as well as a piece of cardboard that fits inside. This is what I create my ‘vision’ on.

Purpose of a Vision Board

A vision board is meant to help you define your dreams in pictures and words as a way to anchor them. The idea is to focus on images of what you’d like to experience in 2023. It’s meant to clarify your desires and help you visualize them in action. Your board becomes a visual reminder.

My New Year Vision Board Recipe

Assemble all ingredients ahead of time:

• Attractive picture frame
• Heavy duty paper or cardboard
• Scissors
• Glue stick or rubber cement
• Paint box, gold felt pen, or other decorative items
• Collect images from as many sources as you like: an assortment of paper products, including your favourite magazines, postcards, old picture books with interesting drawings or travel brochures of places you’d like to visit.

Note: You can ask a Public Library, recycling depot, hair salon or Doctor’s office for their old magazines.

How to Mix the Recipe

Begin with some quiet time to reflect or meditate on what you’d like to experience in the upcoming year. Connect with your heart’s desire. Get clear about your one big goal for the year.

Light a candle. Put on some soft music. Ask yourself to imagine what you’d like to experience in 2023. Close your eyes and dream about this for a few minutes.

Then, open your eyes and rummage through the paper products you’ve assembled. Cut out all of the words and images that represent what you think you’d like to experience during the upcoming year. Look for words and images that delight or excite you.

Invoke some emotion and get excited about the year ahead.

See if you experience any unexpected surprises or have any epiphanies during this exercise.

Once you’ve gathered all of your words and images, edit them down to what you really want – if you could only experience one thing in 2023, what would it be? This will give you focus and intention. I like to zero in on a single word or phrase. For example: Travel, Creativity, Fun, or Exciting New Adventures.

Now you are ready to arrange your words and images on the cardboard that will fit into your picture frame. Play with your cutouts first to assemble the most pleasing arrangement. Decide if you prefer vertical or horizontal. You might want to include a smiling photo of yourself in the mix.

Your Vision for 2023

When you are ready, glue your chosen pieces down. Then, place your finished picture frame in a place where you’ll see it daily as a reminder to take steps to make your dream into reality.

You are now ready to ring in the New Year with excitement. Enjoy!

A Family Activity

It might also be fun to do this exercise with your family or grandchildren. Get them to create their own vision boards or compile a group one for an upcoming family vacation. It can be interesting to see what each person would most like to do while on vacation. Planning is a fun part of the journey.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your New Year’s resolution? Will you create a vision board for 2023? Please share your thoughts below.