Vision boards can be powerful. Goals are important and can be clarifying. Resolutions can feel energizing in the moment. I’m not opposed to any of them. But I’ve noticed something important over the years, both in my own life and in working with others.
When vision isn’t connected to meaning, it doesn’t last.
Most people don’t struggle because they don’t know what they want. They struggle because they haven’t taken the time to understand why they want it.
Without that understanding, vision is fragile. It requires constant reinforcement. It starts to feel like pressure instead of possibility.
You might find yourself revisiting the same goals year after year, tweaking them slightly, hoping this time will be different. And if you’re honest, there may be a sense of discouragement that creeps in when the excitement wears off and you can’t see the path forward.
What I’ve learned is that vision gains power when it’s rooted in truth rather than an expectation that hard work and will power should do the trick.
When someone connects with the deeper reason behind their desire, with why it matters, the vision becomes personal in a new way. It’s no longer about who they think they should be or what they believe would make life look successful. It’s about how they actually want to live and feel in their own body and day-to-day experience.
That kind of vision has wings. It carries presence. It becomes a soul-sparked engine of inspiration, creativity and motivation. It doesn’t need to be forced, because it feels true.
When you become deeply related, in your bones, to the desire you want to bring to life, and you know why having it matters to you, you’ve not only planted the seed, but nurtured deep roots.
Vision boards and goals can be wonderful tools, but they work best when they’re expressions of an inner clarity that already exists.
Without that clarity, they can easily turn into reminders of what hasn’t happened yet, instead of invitations into what’s unfolding.
Ask your Soul, “What’s the desire you’d have me express?”, and answer the question, “Why does it matter to me now?”
