For many of us, the act of creating a vision board has long been a cherished ritual—a visual manifestation of dreams, ambitions, and aspirations. I began making vision boards when I was 10 or 11, and every year since, I’ve found comfort in the process, so much so that for the past couple of years, I've hosted a Virtual Slumber Party so that my community can engage in this process together. This year feels different, though. I've been sitting with a lot of thoughts and have become more attuned to the complexities of social media and human behavior; I’ve started to question some of the broader implications of this tradition, which, to be clear, I think is fine as is. It's just that when I situated the practice amongst other behaviors, it became glaringly obvious to me how this tool could become useless for some.
The Shift: From Inspiration to Imitation
Social media has fundamentally altered how we engage with imagery. What once served as inspiration has increasingly become a catalyst for imitation. This shift isn’t inherently bad—after all, imitation can be a form of flattery (not to me, though) or a stepping stone to self-discovery. However, when our aspirations are built solely on mimicking the curated lives of others, we risk losing the authenticity of our own journey.
Vision boards, while deeply personal, are often tied to this mimicry. How many of us fill our boards with glossy photos of someone else’s idea of success—luxury vacations, high-rise apartments, or designer wardrobes? These images, detached from our lived experiences, sometimes represent a dream that isn’t entirely ours.
The vision board then becomes a static artifact of aspiration, more focused on what we lack than what we’re building.
Dreaming vs. Doing: The Trap of Stagnation
Another layer of critique is the space many of us occupy between dreaming and doing. Vision boards, with their focus on the future, can unintentionally contribute to this stagnation. They invite us to dream big but don’t always offer a roadmap to action. This disconnect can lead to a cycle of longing without momentum—an ongoing loop of ambition and frustration.
In contrast, what if we turned our focus from dreaming to documenting? What if we created a system that rewarded proof of life rather than aspirations unfulfilled? This is where the idea of the Living Board takes root—a way to reconcile dreaming & doing, inspiration & authenticity, ambition & gratitude.
Pinterest as a Living Archive
My personal use of Pinterest reflects this shift. Unlike the traditional use of the platform, where users pin aspirational images, I’ve begun uploading pictures from my own life. My Pinterest boards have become a mood board of me—a visual narrative of moments I’ve already lived and celebrated. This small act has been transformative, reminding me that I am the source of my own inspiration.
For 2025, I want to lean into this mindset fully. The Living Board is my reimagination of the vision board: a dynamic, evolving archive of action, anchored by a core value or phrase and filled with tangible proof of personal growth. It’s about documenting life as you live it, rather than waiting for the "perfect" moment to arrive.
The Living Board: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Start with a focus Word or Phrase
The first step in creating a Living Board is selecting a word or phrase that will guide your year. This focus word or phrase will serve as an anchor and should encapsulate your core intention—something that resonates deeply with where you are and where you want to go.
Examples might include:
Balance
Growth through Grace
Elevate
This word or phrase will serve as the foundation for all your goals and actions throughout the year.
2. Set Intentional Goals
Decide how many goals you want to focus on. There are two main approaches that I recommend, but as always, I encourage doing what makes the most sense for you:
Monthly Goals: Set one goal for each month (12 total). These are smaller, more achievable goals that help build momentum.
Quarterly Goals: Set one major goal per quarter (4 total). These are larger, more ambitious goals that require sustained effort.
Each goal should tie back to your focus word or phrase, ensuring that your actions align with your overarching intention.
3. Create Pinterest Boards for Each Goal
If you use Pinterest, create a board with a separate section for each goal. The key difference here is that you’re not pinning aspirational images. Instead, you’re filling these boards with photos or videos from your own life that reflect progress toward each goal. For example:
If your goal is to improve your fitness, upload pictures of yourself hiking, doing yoga, or a cute alo set mirror selfie at the gym.
If your goal is to nurture relationships, capture moments spent with loved ones, like dinner parties, game nights, or vacations.
4. Document the Journey, Not Just the Outcome
A Living Board thrives on documentation. Don’t wait for the final product of a goal to share your progress. Capture the messy, beautiful process along the way. These moments are the essence of a Living Board. They tell the story of growth in real time. Think of it as a gratitude practice in action. By documenting your progress, you’re acknowledging and celebrating the steps you’ve already taken, rather than focusing solely on what remains undone.
5. Reflect at Year’s End
At the end of the year, your Living Board will be a vibrant tapestry of proof—proof of life, effort, dedication, and growth. Take time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished and what it means for the year ahead.
Ask yourself:
How did my focus word anchor me and guide my decisions?
What patterns emerged in the photos and moments I captured?
How can I use this year’s Living Board to set intentions for next year?
Perhaps in December 2025, we can do this together!
Why a Living Board?
The Living Board is more than just a creative exercise—it’s a mindset shift. It challenges us to move from dreaming to doing, from mimicking to manifesting. It invites us to center our own lives as the source of inspiration, rather than chasing after someone else’s narrative. While I am not saying these sentiments are true for everyone making vision boards (it certainly wasn't for me), I think with the societal shifts as a result of social media, I wanted to push back against the behaviors I've been observing and offer an alternative option. I hope it benefits someone and if you consider engaging in the practice, do share your experience with me.
Looking Ahead: Theoretical Underpinnings
I joke and say I am a Pink Philosopher, but seriously, I am always thinking. I try my best to articulate the connections occurring in my brain. For those who want to dive deeper, consider exploring:
Self-Determination Theory (SDT): This psychological framework emphasizes autonomy, competence, and relatedness as keys to motivation. A Living Board aligns with these principles by focusing on self-directed growth and documenting competence.
Gratitude Interventions: Research shows that gratitude practices can improve mental well-being. The Living Board, as a form of visual gratitude, reinforces this idea by celebrating what you’ve already achieved.
Authenticity in the Digital Age: Scholars like Sherry Turkle explore how technology shapes identity. A Living Board counters the curated performativity of social media by centering authentic experiences.
Happy New Year! Ironically, I did something similar to this last year. I created a Google Doc with a summary of my main goal for the year and actionable steps. I included the 4 words that I wanted to guide me and how I wanted those words to show up in my year, then just included a breakdown based on different sections I wanted to focus on (fitness, sharpening my knife (aka learning), beauty, social life, etc.). On a separate doc though, I included all of my accomplishments month by month so at the end of December I was able to look back at all the things I did and accomplished. Even if it was something small. I highlighted all…
I usually use a goals list! Like things I want to accomplish for the year. But I like this, visually capturing the moments you worked for to happen and making it happen!