NOT a vision board…really.
The new year is underway, and you may have big dreams, goals, and visions already taking shape. Perhaps you’ve even created a vision board—or have one in progress. Capturing images of what motivates and inspires us, or reflects what we long for, can be a helpful practice as we move toward the lives we hope to live.
This week, I invite you to consider a different kind of vision board for 2026.
Instead of envisioning the things you want to experience, achieve, or purchase, take some time to envision the person you want to become this year. Who is the version of you that feels most aligned and whole? What character traits do you want to be known for?
Imagine it’s the end of December 2026. If we surveyed your closest friends and family, how might they describe you? More importantly—what would you hope they would say?
So often, we focus on the things we want to have rather than the person we are becoming. And yet, it’s possible that the things you long to receive or achieve may only come after you become the kind of person who is ready to receive them.
If your hope is a promotion at work, a meaningful family vacation, or finally writing that book—ask yourself: who is the person who does those things? Imagine the thing you’re longing for has already happened. You did it. How has that experience shaped you? Has it grown your character? What skills, habits, or inner traits does that future version of you need to have—or practice?
Perhaps your goals this year are more relational. Maybe you want to respond more calmly with your kids, find the life partner you’ve been hoping for, or continue healing from grief and loss.
Picture yourself one year from now, having made real movement in those areas. What is it like when you’re in the thick of parenting? How are you responding differently? Or now that you’re in a committed, loving partnership—how have you changed to become someone who can sustain a healthy, life-long relationship? Or if you’ve weathered the waves of grief and found yourself standing again in moments of sunlight—what does that feel like in your body, your spirit, your everyday life?
You cannot change others. But you can change yourself.
One day, one habit, one thought, one choice at a time.
My prayer for you this week is not that you’ll feel overwhelmed by all that lies ahead, but that you’ll feel hopeful about what is possible within you. You are more than a human who is here to accomplish things. You are a beloved child of God, growing, learning, and healing—step by step. And you are not alone.
With you on the journey,
Kimberly
Journaling Prompt:
Set aside a few quiet minutes this week and reflect on these questions:
Who is the person I am becoming this year? What qualities, habits, or ways of being feel most important to cultivate right now? What is one small, compassionate step I can take today toward becoming that person?
P.S. If there is someone you admire and hope to become more like, consider reading biographies or autobiographies of people who embody the qualities you long to grow in.
