What’s on your vision board?

I made a vision board… and realised I’ve been off course

Yesterday I did something I hadn’t done for years – I made a vision board.

Not that I don’t believe in them (there is scientific evidence why they work) but I’m just not a visual person. Whenever I’ve done them in the past, I went through the motions without feeling inspired.

You sometimes hear of people who have ‘manifested’ the exact house, job, or even partner they had previously put on their boards. Of course, this type of thing has never happened to me. Not that I’ve never received what I wished for, I have. But it just wasn’t pinned on a board.

That said, I have free time on my hands now and, with no leads on my next job (that’s another story), I figured I’d have nothing to lose by setting up a vision for the future, even a vague one.

I picked up a cute template on Canva, which I filled with images of things I currently enjoy doing, or might enjoy in the future. I tried not to overthink it this time and, rather than aim for a precise vision, I focused on how the images made me feel (more like a mood board).

In the ‘friendship’ section instead of photos of my friends, I added an image of women chatting around a campfire at some nature retreat. I am not planning to go on a retreat, but the image evoked intimacy, community and a sense of growing together.

In other areas, I added indoor plants, libraries, rolling hills and a notebook with a cup of coffee. I added a yoga studio and sunny holiday destinations. I added a cosy kitchen, a light-filled living room, and a family sharing a meal in a lovely garden.

So far, so normal.

When it came to filling in the ‘work’ part, nothing came to mind, so I left it out for now.

When it was all done, I loved the overall effect. It was calm and peaceful, full of light, pastel colours and natural elements, and images that spoke of a slow and connected life. It definitely felt like the right direction.

But at the same time, I felt a bit sick, as I realised how little of this vision is part of my life currently.

As much as I love all those things, I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve not made time for them at all… no wonder I’ve been feeling so depleted.

For as far as I can remember, I’ve loved working hard on projects I was passionate about. But I have also increasingly struggled with frequent, sometimes debilitating anxiety. Although I wanted to do well, or maybe because of it, I have found it harder to switch off work.

As a result, work (and work -related anxiety) has slowly taken over my life and, more often than not, I’ve been living in fight-or-flight mode.

At home, there is no curated cosy interior. Our flat could do with redecorating, or at least a good tidy. I have been meaning to change the furniture for ages, the plants aren’t watered enough, and there are still boxes from our last move stacked in a corner of the living room. It seems I was always too busy, or too tired to care.

I missed the point that a cramped physical space doesn’t support mental health, it might even make it worse.  It turns out there’s only so long you can be surrounded by things you don’t like, before you start disliking yourself.

My closets and bookshelves are also full of things I no longer need or enjoy, which I have been keeping ‘just in case’ (a silent reminder that I don’t trust the future that much). None of these items would fit on the vision board.

Because our flat wasn’t sorted, I’ve avoided inviting friends around, which is something I otherwise really like to do. This is another thing that I’ve missed out on.

This realisation comes with sadness and a bit of relief, because once you know where you’ve been stuck, it is easier to move in a new direction. It’s hard to move forwards if you don’t know where you’re stuck.

Ultimately, even as I realise work has taken too much space for me to feel calm and balanced, I am still disturbed that it isn’t on the board. While I’m glad to make room for everything else, it’s still a huge unknown to hold space for.

But I know we can’t force things that don’t want to happen, and maybe it’s a sign that I need to prioritise other areas for now.

For now, I may not overhaul my entire life (or even my wardrobe) in a day, but I can start taking small steps in the right direction. While I work out the next chapter, I’ll be tidying up, giving old stuff away, and meeting up with good friends.

What about you, what’s on your vision board? And what’s the next step to bring it to life?