Creating a Vision Board for the New Year: How to Create a Digital Vision Board
Creating a Vision Board for the New Year: How to Create a Digital Vision Board
I don’t see vision boards just as something cute you make by cutting out perfect images from a magazine to look at in January and then possibly never again. My vision boards are a bit more meaningful, intentional, and personal than that.
Don’t get me wrong, creating collages with your friends from magazine clippings is super fun, but I think I might be the only Zillennial left with a cabinet full of unread magazines from 2021 onward. So, that just doesn’t seem realistic or even helpful to do!
So, for 2024, I decided to transform the way I create my annual vision board and switched to a digital version! I feel like 2024 was the first time I made a vision board where the majority of the things I put on there come to fruition. I believe that’s because I created my vision board digitally, and turned it into a desktop, laptop, AND phone background.
Setting my vision board as my background on the things I look at most in my life gave me subtle and subconscious reminders to keep working toward the life I wanted to build that year. It wasn’t like I had to schedule time each month to revisit my vision board, because I was always seeing it there, in the background, every time I checked a notification on my phone or went to watch YouTube on my laptop.
Even during times I swapped out my phone background for a different image temporarily, I would still be seeing my vision board (if only for a moment) over 75 times a day. Seeing something that constantly and consistently is bound to stick with you! For me, that totally worked, which is why I am planning to create a digital vision board every year going forward, and I want to share my process so you can do it too.
Here’s my guide on how to create a vision board for the new year that will help get you the life of your dreams!
Step 1: Creating Your Pinterest Board
Like most new ideas and ventures in my life, it all begins with Pinterest…
You can scour Instagram or TikTok for the life you want, but if you want to curate a specific vision for how you want to live life in the new year, Pinterest is the way to go.
To be specific, I’m assuming you already have a Pinterest account, so log on and create a new board called “Vision Boards.” You could add a description for this board if you want, but it’s not necessary for this project.
Then, within that board, create a section for that specific year. For example, if it’s 2025, name your section, “2025 Vision Board.”
Step 2: Curate Your Pinterest Board
Now that you have your year’s vision board section created, it’s time to populate it with content that aligns with your goals for that year.
It’s important to know your goals, so you can use those terms to search for relevant images with the Pinterest search tool.
Here’s an example of what I’m doing this year, with explanations and thoughts on each section.
Goals: Get fit, become financially free, buy a house (this is a stretch but not not within reach), enjoy my 30th birthday, wear my hair more naturally, and spend more relaxing nights at home.
Note: This is a vision board, not a dream journal. Make your vision board attainable, realistic, and something you could actually work toward. It’s okay to put dream items on there, but as long as they’re somewhat within reach. I like to make my vision boards practical so it helps me focus on my goals, not shame me at the end of the year by showing me all that I couldn’t and didn’t accomplish.
Terms to Search: black woman with naturally curly hair, cozy bath night, buying a house aesthetic, 30th birthday celebration, cozy reading, home workout aesthetic, motivational quotes to reach goals, etc.
Note: This is where you should get specific to you, your goals, and your aesthetic or personality. Since I’m a WOC, I typically add specific filters to get photos of people who look like they could be me, so I’m able to visualize myself in these roles, doing these tasks, and fulfilling these goals. I always find it helpful to pin a mixture of faceless people photos, aesthetic photos, phrases, and general activities. This will give you a wider variety for when you’re creating the vision board background for your phone computer or tablet.
Once I’ve found about 20 or so images, I pin them each to my vision board section for that year and give it another glance to weed out anything that doesn’t quite fit my vibe.
Step 3: Download Your Images
The cool thing about Pinterest is that you can download images you like or pinned to your boards.
Once your board has everything you like, go ahead and start downloading the images you want to transfer onto your digital vision board. I tend to leave the phrases on Pinterest and just jot them down to type in organically when creating the digital vision board, but you could download those if you’d like.
Step 4: Create Your Digital Vision Board on Canva
There are a few programs that I’m obsessed with and Canva is definitely one of them! I have been using Canva since 2019 and the way it’s evolved and how the content I create with it has evolved is just so beautiful. It’s user-friendly, easy to understand, and it allows you to create designs that could then be shared with other people to use as templates for their own creations!
This is what I’m going to share with you now…FOR FREE. You’re welcome.
Phone Background Vision Board Canva Template: CLICK HERE
Desktop Wallpaper Vision Board Canva Template: CLICK HERE
Before you use the templates, be sure to upload all of your photos from Pinterest so you can seamlessly add those to the design template.
And if you loved the templates and want to show your appreciation you can always follow me on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram @borderlinemillennials OR even buy me some tea 😀(AKA Venmo Me).
Step 5: Set Your Background
Now that you’ve successfully created your digital vision board using my handy templates, it’s time to turn them into your screen backgrounds! Go ahead and download your design as a PNG, and be sure to save it to your device.
Then, go to your device settings to save that image as your background or wallpaper and you’re good to go!
Congratulations, you have now curated, created, and set the perfect vision board to guide you through the new year. Hope it was easy for you and that you have an incredible year ahead!
Happy New Year!
