I was excited ASF the evening I sat down at my dining room table to create my 2025 vision board. I was doing it all from my phone after watching a motivational YouTube video. I wanted to high-step into new opportunities. I was determined to experience financial growth. I was looking forward to embracing more of my motherhood journey. Gain more stability. I wanted to bask in soft life energy.
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There were still some deep personal desires that I hoped the year would deliver. Today, as I look back on that collage of goals, pictures, and words, I can say with my whole chest that about 75% of my vision board did come true. That alone makes me proud.
My new job manifested. My credit score grew in ways
that made me feel financially safer. I graduated from Delgado Community College
with honors. I even started classes at LSU this fall. I made enough money to
sustain my household as a single mom, even on hard days. However, the truth is
also this: I did not get the car I wanted. I didn’t publish my book. I was laid
off from a WFH job I had for over 2 years. I did not travel or stamp my first
passport like I imagined. I didn’t fall in love. Still, I consider this year a
win because the things that did come to life were seeds, I planted with
intention, faith, and a whole lot of consistency.
However, while reflecting on my goal-setting process, I started asking myself: Do vision boards even work without fail? What does research say about them? Being a Sociology major had me questioning a lot of the process. According to a study published through the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, vision boards and visual goal-setting tools help people clarify goals. They also help to strengthen motivation by giving their brains something concrete to focus on (Gonzalez 2019).
There was also a Forbes report on visualization that showed that people who use vision boards or visual goal tools are almost twice as confident about achieving their goals. This was compared to those who do not. Another data point from SCORE which is a nonprofit business organization, revealed that 82% of small business owners who created vision boards when launching their businesses ended up achieving more than half of the goals on their boards.
It takes understanding that visualization
also activates neural pathways. These are pathways that mirror real physical
action. So, what does this mean? It means seeing your goals regularly can
subconsciously push you toward behaviors that align with them. But researchers
also found that visualization alone is not enough. Vision boards work best when
combined with real action. Serious planning. Honest self-assessment. These are
all things that must be aligned for your visions to manifest.
One may want to know why all the things on my board
didn’t come true? Life changed with the seasons. Priorities shifted. My energy,
health, responsibilities, and mental health did not always match the pace of my
dreams. I went through exhaustion, anemia, parenting challenges, and financial
recalibration. Many things were not my season at the time. Honestly, some goals
I wanted in January were not even aligned with the woman I was becoming by
October. That is something visions boards do not always show you. Sometimes
your growth outgrows your goals.
This year taught me that vision boards are powerful. However, they will not fix the plot. They are a guide. Not a key to an easy way out. I still believe in writing out your goals in vivid detail by journaling them. Scrapbooking pieces of your life month by month feels more effective and more attainable for some people to achieve.
A static board cannot always
capture a year that is constantly changing you. Words, though writing,
describing, reflecting can often give your spirit room to shift and breathe. Scrapbooking
gives you a chance to track the real journey. You are not just seeing what may
look like the finish line. While I love vision boards and always look forward to
making them, I am learning that the deeper truth is in writing. The daily
decisions. Accountability. Belief in yourself even when the pictures do not
fully match the outcome.
In the end, 2025 did not give me everything I asked
for, but it gave me exactly what I needed to become the woman I’m stepping into
now. My dreams did not fail. I believe that some of my dreams just need more
time, more alignment, and more faith. Honestly? I am cool with that.
References
Gonzalez, Laura. Vision Boards as a Goal-Setting
Method. University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2019.
https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/L_Gonzalez_Vision_2019.pdf.
Zimmerman, Eilene. “Survey Shows Visualizing Success
Works.” Forbes, 27 Jan. 2016,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/eilenezimmerman/2016/01/27/survey-shows-visualizing-success-works/.
SCORE. “Small Businesses Picture Their Success.” SCORE,
https://www.score.org/resource/blog-post/small-businesses-picture-their-success.
Frates, Nick. “Visualization and Goal Achievement:
Science, Psychology, and Best Practices.” Nick Frates,
https://www.nickfrates.com/blog/visualization-and-goal-achievement-science-psychology-and-best-practices.
Travers, Mark. “A Psychologist Reveals the Secret to
Making Your Vision Board Come True.” Forbes,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2025/06/09/a-psychologist-reveals-the-secret-to-making-your-vision-board-come-true/.
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