written by Tara Bone, contributing writer

As a child, every January 1st my heart sank when my mother pulled out her little blue planner. That planner meant one thing: goal setting time. She’d read last year’s family and individual goals and then we’d stare at each other, not allowed to leave the room until we set new goals.

I’m grateful to my mom who taught and encouraged us to set goals, but, if you’re like me, goal setting isn’t easy. New Year’s resolutions can be overwhelming and honestly, discouraging. To put a new spin on goal setting, in 2019 our family plans to create a Family Vision Board. I’m sharing this in print, so we have to do it — no excuses!

There are many online resources and books about creating vision boards. After some online research and discussions with friends who’ve had successful vision boards, here’s what I learned:

What is a vision board? A tool that helps you define goals and support them with inspirational images and quotes that motivate and keep you focused as you work to reach your goals.

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED:

• A board. This can be as simple as a long roll of paper, poster board, cork board, magnet board, or a framed posterboard. Keep in mind that a vision board needs to be displayed in a place where every family member can look at it every day.

• Magazines, paper to draw on, or the capability to find and print images and quotes online.

• Glue, scissors, magnets: tools to attach images.

THE PROCESS:

1. Before gathering the entire family, the parent(s) should determine core family goals before kids give their input.

2. Gather supplies and the entire family; remember the thoughts of each family member are valued. Talk without cell phones, televisions, or other distractions. Time spent together is valuable.

3. Define goals with the following discussion points:

Big ideas: Family service projects, daily habits, home improvement projects, and attributes to develop.

Dreams: Places to travel, things to save for, games to play, new food to try, new experiences to have, books to read, and skills to learn.

Themes: Favorite scriptures, mottos, or quotes.

4. Find images and inspirational quotes that effectively symbolize goals. Cut them out of magazines, find them online, or draw them. Make sure this is intentional; don’t just slap on any picture. Will the image or quote inspire and motivate all year?

5. At this point, each family member can create an individual vision board using the same approach. This can be a valuable opportunity to find out what your child really enjoys, so when life gets busy during the year you both can look at their board and choose activities that are in harmony with their core goals.

6. Hang them up! Look at your vision board every day and celebrate success. Kelly Pietrangeli, author and self-proclaimed “mama motivator,” uses a long roll of paper for her Family Vision Board and adds the individual boards on the same paper roll. She hangs it all up in the garage where it’s seen every day.

Tips:

• Add to vision boards during the year.

• Don’t get discouraged if a goal isn’t met; put it on next year and keep working toward it.

• Have fun! There’s no right way, make it as unique as your family.

There you have it! We wish you all the best as you develop your Family Vision Board together and create a new, beautiful way to visualize your family goals for 2019. Happy planning!