How I Use Vision Boards, Ins and Outs Lists and More to Manifest my Best Year Yet
The older I get, the more college (and life) seem to absolutely fly by. I find that one way to keep myself grounded and to not let life pass me by is to romanticize life, and to make everything special and important. New Year’s is absolutely no exception. Even though you can always better yourself, try new things and grow as a person at any point in a year, this can be a great chance to really sit down and be intentional about the things you want. I have found that I feel better about it all when I don’t take life so seriously, and most importantly, keep it positive.
Personally, I’m so excited for 2026. As I’ll be finishing up my junior year here at Mizzou and beginning my senior year, my next chapter is destined to have a lot of big decisions and changes within it. The questions of what my career will actually look like and where I want to live after I graduate are becoming more and more relevant. However, I trust myself, I trust the universe and I know all things will work out in the way they should, just like they always have. The only consistent thing in our lives is that things change, and I can’t wait to see what all of the unknowns are.
Back in 2022, when I was applying to colleges, the University of Missouri wasn’t even a thought, not even an option. However, a few days before the end of the year, I decided it would be smart to apply to one in-state school, so on December 31, I applied to Mizzou. Then, less than eight months later, I was moving into a dorm room in Columbia, a city I had only been to once in my life. This is all to say that things happen so fast, things you can never predict.
Once I knew Mizzou would be my future home, my mindset shifted from uncertainty to possibility. I immediately began planning and daydreaming. I could envision going to football games, spending time with my future roommate and all the different decor I wanted to buy for my dorm. Those thoughts became a way for me to ground myself amid all the change and by picturing the life I hoped to build, I started to feel more in control of the unknown and more confident about the path ahead.
I truly just love a vision board. In past years, I felt very pressured to make a physical vision board, but this year I just decided to make a Pinterest board and a collage using Canva. No matter how you want to make your board, include the things you want; it doesn’t have to be only traditional things. From goals to things you want to do more, to even just pictures that represent the vibe you want to present to the world, it can truly be anything. I love that it doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s just a space for your ideas, dreams and sparks of inspiration.
My vision board includes things like concerts, trips I want to take, activities I hope to do with my friends, hobbies I want to immerse myself more in, words that feel inspiring to me and even just pictures that represent the general lifestyle I want. Every time I look at it, I feel a boost of motivation and excitement, like a tiny reminder that this year is full of possibilities and I get to make it mine. Because of how uplifting and affirming this process feels, it’s shaped the way I think about personal growth and goal setting as a whole.
Unpopular opinion: I don’t love the concept of New Year’s resolutions. They can often come with shame of what you disliked about yourself in the last year, and can oftentimes set yourself up for disappointment in the new year. It requires being critical and changing yourself, while things like vision boards can bring positive energy. Instead of focusing on what needs to be “fixed,” I’ve found myself drawn to approaches that feel more intentional and rooted in self acceptance.
Another thing I’ve enjoyed doing the last few years is making an ins and outs list. This can include things deeply personal to you, (ex: ins could include saying yes more and outs could include less negative self-talk) or could even things as simple as the trends and daily things, ins could be polka dots and fun colors, and outs could be ordering food instead of picking it up. This can be a more fun way to decide the things you do and don’t want to bring into 2026!
One thing I’ve really enjoyed doing for the last few years that brings a really sweet, sentimental element to every year is writing a letter to your future self. I prefer to write one every single year, but you could also write a letter to yourself to open at a specific age or milestone in your life! I find it so interesting to be able to not just remember something, but hear it directly from you at a specific moment in time. I write about all my friends and people in my life and how I’m doing; I ask questions for my future self to answer to see if I do the things I hope to and do the things I don’t even know about yet and I give myself kind words and heartfelt advice.
For me, a new year isn’t about reinventing myself or changing into a whole new person, but instead slowly moving into the ever-changing direction of the type of person I want to be. Vision boards, ins and outs lists or letters don’t have to be just done once a year; you can truly do them anytime. This is just my personal opinion, but the manifestation is real. Seeing the things you want can make it come true, and oftentimes even better than you imagined.