Set the Vision; Make It Plain

We’re 19 days into the new year—2021. I never actually finished my 2020 vision board. Yes, I made goals. And by God’s grace, somehow, I accomplished most of my set out goals. But in 2020 I didn’t get to think through what I wanted for the next year and to depict that on my 2020 vision board. On my wall is my 2019 vision board; much of it still applied; some didn’t.

But this is a new year. And like the line I love from Vanilla Sky (Open Your Eyes), “every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.” It’s never too late to set the vision and make it plain. Habbakkuk 2:2.

Setting goals (short- and mid-term) as well as figuring out your broader vision or almost purpose is really important. Without that, we can find ourselves passing days and not purposely going in any direction. Now, don’t get me wrong; I’m a planner and want a say in where I’m going. But if you don’t plan, you’ll definitely still end up somewhere. And if you believe in God or something greater than you, maybe you’ll end up exactly where you want to be. But I believe that once you know your vision and your purpose, you can really work to minimize things distracting you from your vision.

According to Angela Duckworth in Grit, the idea of purpose is the idea that what we do matters to people other than ourselves. Having long-term goals is great. But extending them beyond yourself can turn those goals into purpose.

So as I’m thinking through what 2021 will be for me and how to make sure that this year doesn’t just pass me by, I’ll be thinking about more than what I want to happen to me this year to what I want to happen through me this year and into the future.

Happy vision-boarding, goal-setting, and purpose-finding.

Happy 2021!