Choosing a Word for the Year and Making It Stick with a Vision Board

It's My Year to Flourish

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As we step into 2025, I’m embracing a word that feels like an open invitation to thrive: flourish. It’s more than just a goal—it’s a mindset, a reminder to not just survive but to truly bloom. It’s about leaning into the opportunities, connections, and growth that await while nurturing what’s already in my life so it can reach its fullest potential.

For the past five years, I’ve been choosing a word and creating a vision board to start each new year. It’s become one of my favorite rituals—a grounding practice that provides clarity and direction for my goals while keeping me mindful throughout the year. But it doesn’t stop with just picking a word. The real magic happens when you make it tangible and present in your daily life. That’s where the vision board comes in.

Today, I want to guide you through choosing your word, why it matters, and how to create a vision board that reflects your dreams as if they’ve already come true.

Reflecting on 2024: Lessons and Growth

For me, 2024 was… fine. Everyone is happy and healthy, so I can’t complain. But if I’m being honest, it felt unnecessarily tedious.

I started the year with my usual optimism, but despite my best efforts, I never quite found my footing.

The Good:
Our little family of five continues to thrive in all the ways that matter. The days are often long, loud, and chaotic, but our love is unwavering. My marriage is strong and happy, and the relationships we’ve built—with each other and with our daughters—are everything I could hope for.

My friendships remain a vital source of strength. The incredible women in my life have been my anchors, my cheerleaders, and my safe space. These relationships deepened even more this year, and I’m endlessly grateful for the love and connection they bring.

Where I Struggled:
Work was a beast. Staying creative and engaged felt like an uphill battle, and by December, I was teetering dangerously close to burnout. Even though stepping back wasn’t really an option, I had to—for my own well-being.

While I finally lost the weight I’d been struggling with for years (the one goal last year I knocked out of the park), my wellness routine faltered. Burnout spilled over into every aspect of my life. My days were packed with tasks, leaving no room to rest or recover.

I’ve come to see just how deeply connected my work and wellness are, and last year, the weight of responsibility felt heavier than ever. As a two-income family, it’s essential for both of us to contribute, and with the kids growing older and life’s expenses inevitably increasing, the demands can sometimes feel overwhelming. Finding balance while staying true to myself is an ongoing journey, and I’m learning as I go.

I also found myself increasingly frustrated with just how challenging my job can be. I often joke that I have a "silly job"—I’m not delivering babies or saving lives, after all—but the constantly shifting landscape of content distribution keeps it anything but simple. Just when I figure something out and find my footing, the game changes, and I have to start over again. This constant evolution has left me feeling burned out and, at times, a bit resentful. At this stage in my career, shouldn’t something feel stable? So I’ve had to work through that and I’m not there yet. (I go into more detail about this in The Challenges of Content Creation: Navigating the Digital Landscape.)

Heading into 2025, the bottom line is clear: I’m incredibly satisfied and happy in my personal life. Professionally? Not so much.

Step 1: Choosing Your Word

The right word should feel like both a challenge and a comfort—reflecting your hopes and dreams for the year ahead. Here’s how to find yours:

1. Reflect on Last Year: What worked? What didn’t? What patterns or themes emerged?

2. Visualize the Year Ahead: Imagine it’s December 2025. What do you want to achieve? How do you want to feel?

3. Brainstorm Words: Write down everything that comes to mind—verbs, nouns, and even emotions. Narrow it down until one word resonates deeply.

For me, flourish is perfect. It captures where I am and where I want to go. After years of hard work, this is the year I want to see the seeds I’ve planted bloom.

Step 2: Building Your Vision Board

A vision board transforms your word from an idea into a vivid, daily reminder of what you’re striving for. Whether you use poster board and magazine clippings or create a digital version in Canva (my favorite), the goal is to make your dreams tangible.

The Process:

• Find Images That Feel Personal: Look for visuals representing your goals as if they’ve already come true. A great tip I heard this year: choose images from your perspective. For example, instead of a picture of a dream car, find an image of the interior—what you’ll see when driving it.

• Avoid Clichés: Choose images that evoke emotion and reflect the feeling you want to embody.

• Add Affirmations: Include phrases or sentences that align with your word.

• Arrange Thoughtfully: Group similar themes—like wellness, family, or career—and place your word prominently in the center.

• Keep It Visible: Make sure your vision board is somewhere you’ll see it daily. Mine lives as the wallpaper on my laptop and phone.

Highlights From My Board:

• A shelf full of books reminds me to not only put down my phone and get back to reading (something I love) but also to just pause, and unwind in a healthy way.

• A giant puzzle, inspired by our beach tradition of always having puzzle out in the kitchen, one now has a home in our living room. It’s cozy, comforting, and brings us together effortlessly. It reminds me to find little moments together in a very big and busy life.

• Paris - I dozen things need to work out for me to pull this off but I’ve always wanted to take each of the girls to Paris for a few days after they graduate from high school, so, fingers crossed I can fit it in this summer.

• Images of our beach town to keep “Operation Buy a Shore House” front and center. Right now we rent for a month (which is so amazing) but the ultimate goal is buy a house that keeps the family together for generations.

• Healthy lifestyle visuals to remind me of how great I felt when prioritizing wellness.

• Work-related images and affirmations that align with new processes and avenues I’m exploring. I’ve been reevaluating where I put my time and energy and am refining our systems as we go into the new year.

• A money tree— with our oldest starting college in the fall and our youngest currently in kindergarten, I feel like we’ll be paying tuition until we’re 110, so we need all the help we can get. 🤣

One key tip: Include actual numbers if you’re setting financial or work-related goals. Be specific and bold, then work backward to create a plan of attack. I have some lofty goals that I removed for privacy but they are front and center on my finished board.

Step 3: Living Your Word

Your word and vision board are just the beginning. Here’s how to stay connected to them:

• Daily Reminder: Start each morning by reflecting on your word and how you can embody it. Even today, as I dragged myself out of bed, I reminded myself: “Let’s go—we’re flourishing.” It sounds silly, but it worked.

• Monthly Check-In: Revisit your vision board regularly to celebrate progress and make adjustments. If your board is front and center, you’ll naturally check in often, but scheduling time ensures you stay on track.

• Gratitude Practice: End each day by noting how you lived your word. It’s not about perfection—off days happen—but this small habit helps shift your focus back to your goals.

Why It Matters

In our busy, distracted world, it’s easy for a year to slip by without truly pursuing what matters most. Choosing a word and anchoring it with a vision board transforms your year from reactive to purposeful. It’s a practice that helps you focus, dream, and ultimately, flourish.

If you’ve chosen your word for 2025, I’d love to hear it!

Share your word and vision board tips in the comments below, or tag me on social media so I can cheer you on.

Here’s to a year of thriving together!