How to make a vision board
time to decide your vibe & mood for 2026
Against popular belief, I don’t believe in planning too far into the future. I don’t love the whole “five-year plan” thing—it makes me clam up and hems me in. Sure, I like planning a bit. Looking at the year ahead is enough for me. I like reflecting back at this time of year, and I like dreaming about the not-too-distant future. I saw an Instagram Reel the other day with someone selling a course on very specific, colour-coded 10-year planning tools. Ten years!!
I’d rather move in the right direction (vibes wise) and see what unfolds. Vision boarding helps me stay aligned with who I want to be, the people I want around me, and how I want to feel each day—shaping my year one step at a time. I’m more of a “let’s see what happens” person, letting life unfold, while still having a clear sense of how I want to feel and knowing my yeses and nos.
I know specific planning tools are enjoyable for some people, but they don’t work for me. For example, when I start a book project, I have no idea how long it will take to finish—so how could I possibly plan around that?
I love to journal and do my Morning Pages, but it’s more about tapping into how I want to feel that day (or letting go of things), rather than focusing too much on specific plans. There’s an old proverb along the lines of, “When we make a plan, God laughs.” Even if we planned every detail, things always happen beyond our control.
Sure, I like a spreadsheet for certain work projects, or a big trip abroad—but planning decades ahead? It kind of gives me the ick. Nothing I’ve ever “planned” when it comes to big life things has actually happened. You can’t plan to meet the love of your life on a specific afternoon, or plan to never catch a winter cold, or plan to finish writing a book on December 31st, 2027 at 3:01 p.m. We know this. But we can keep ourselves on track by reminding ourselves of that bigger, more general goal. We can have an overarching feeling we’re working towards.
We can open ourselves to joy, give ourselves space to dream, and be honest with ourselves. We can be aware of our decisions and choices, and mindful of how we want to feel. We can stay internally aligned with the overall feeling we wish to nurture.
This creates flexibility, allows for fun, and lets plans change. We don’t need to follow exact steps to still move toward our dream life. Things can look very different to how you ‘planned’… and you can still be ON TRACK! This is why I love vision boarding. (Instead of ‘planning’ you are vibe-ing.)
I went to dinner with two old friends the other night, and we were talking about vision boards. One friend takes a stack of magazines and just pulls out whatever catches her eye. This helps her follow her intuition, and it often surprises her what ends up on the board. She might notice she’s chosen lots of palm trees, or paintbrushes, or cookery books. Afterwards, she makes sense of what her mood board is telling her from the images she chose. It’s a great way to wake up the subconscious, especially if you feel directionless or stuck.
And if you do know what you want? Creating a conscious vision board can help you focus on how you want your year to unfold. When you know what you’re aiming for, you can make your vision board more intentional. You need to handpick the things you want to invite more of into your life.