When we look back over our lives, the best years tend to be fueled by purpose.
There's a reason many people look back with affection on college days or getting married and starting a family. There is a very, forward, focused activity going on that is teeming with life and purpose.
When I look back on my life, the best years were the ones I was purposely pursuing meaningful things. Some years it is hard to do. Life starts to drift. The beginning of the year is a wonderful time to play, pause and re-evaluate.
Each year it is wise to consider where we are and where we've been. Then, we look at what needs pivoting and tweaking as we continue moving forward.
This doesn't have to be a weighty or burdensome activity. In fact, it can be so much fun and quite life-giving. It can be an experience fueled by joy and anticipation, regardless of what past years rained down on us and our loved ones.
A new year provides the opportunity to sit and consider.
What is the overarching vision propelling me forward in life? What is burning in your bones for the coming year? What do you want to say is true about life at the end of 2025 that is not true now?
Take Your Time Starting the New Year
I used to be one of those people who was running January 1st with a list of goals and the energy of the Energizer Bunny. Those goals were ambitious, rarely attained and perhaps, were influenced more by those around me than God and who He's wired me to be and for what purposes.
Now, I take things slower, releasing the pressure to have it all done by Jan 1. Instead of a frenetic start to the year, I take a month or two.
If that sounds extreme, consider this. Taking two months to think, pray and prepare and ten months of action will see more accomplished than twelve months of drifting or unfocused living!
And, as mentioned above, this can be a fun and bright activity, which we all need as the gray days of winter continue. I use inspiration boards to get down ideas, goals and the direction I would like to move in.
One of the reasons I love creating inspiration boards is the power of seeing pictures and color and words all combined.
A visual is a beautiful and impactful reminder, but it's more than that. An inspiration board can be a glimpse of the interior places of our hearts and souls, in a way that a chart or bulleted list can never achieve.
One of the fun things is that it starts out as a mess. And then, you keep organizing and refining, thinking and re-arranging, until you final grab the glue and adhere everything down!
Note: we are not manifesting as with the vision boards where, "if we put it down, it will happen", as the sketchy philosophy goes.
Instead, these are visual boards of what we believe the focus for the year ahead should be on, rooted where we are, where God is leading and what we believe we are being called to. It's not going to happen without us intentionally participating in the process as well as the grace of God!
I heard a wonderful podcast about this. I'll link it here:
YouTube /
podcast. The two friends who do this each year call this their "purpose boards." I love that. I've called my boards "inspiration boards" for the last number of years, but I'm taking a lesson from them and changing the name this year.
Yes, I want the next year to be inspired and inspiring, but I want to move beyond inspiration to impact. I'm chasing purpose, desiring each year to be filled with meaningful activity
6 Steps to Creating Your Board in One Session
Okay, here's an easy way to start and finish your board in an evening session.
1. If possible, Grab a friend. Or a small group of friends. Add snacks. Add some light background music.
I've done these by myself, but something happens when you do it with a friend or small group of friends. First, the friendly peer pressure ensures everyone finishes their board. Second, it's so encouraging to get the feedback and "I'm excited for you" from others in the group.
2. Identify the areas where you desire to be purpose-focused this year.
In the podcast episode I linked to, the two hosts mention several. These friends are quite ambitious! Some years are full of energy and getting much accomplished. Other years, the focus is on fewer things, but with more fervor. You know where you are in this season.
Ideas for focus this year: prayer (specific people, times, investments or perhaps incorporating a prayer retreat), health, finance, hobbies, work-related, people you want to invest time in, big goals that may require years of preparation (what can be done this year?), marriage, children, grandchildren, friends, monthly gatherings, traveling, life work.
Another idea there may be a theme for your year. Or a word that covers several different aspects. You might want to take your word of the year and incorporate that into your Purpose board.
3. Take a little bit of time to go through magazines and cut out words and images.
I realize magazines are not as easy to access as they used to be. I have a stash I pull from, but I'll grab a few from the grocery store or Barnes & Noble. Décor, Womens, Cooking themed magazines often have a lot of great words and pictures in the winter / spring editions. Cut out pictures and words that represent what you are looking for. Lean into the side of cutting too many. It's easier to eliminate things later.
4. Where else can you find things to put on your board?
Pictures of family and friends?
Watercolor art you've created? Or, pictures of your art (especially if you've created large art, acrylics, sculpture that can't be pinned down).
Last year, I kept painting a tree over and over, with branches extending high into the sky and roots going deep, deep, deep into the ground. It held a special place in my heart with a lesson being learned and love being shown to me. I have one that I am using in my purpose board this year.
Dried flowers. Do you have a bouquet or flowers from your garden that were meaningful to you? Consider drying and pressing the petals between wax paper for a few days to use. If the petals are small enough, I will let them dry and add them on with mod podge to the end.
5. Re-arrange the items onto your board. But don't glue yet!
Play with the order. Re-arrange pictures. What doesn't belong? What needs to be added? Are you sensing this is too much? Or, do you need to stretch a bit?
Now, glue. 😊
6. Finish with stitching.
This is optional, but something I'm trying this year. If you are like me, there is an overarching theme to your life. What happens in one part of our lives merges into the others. Friends, family, mentors, mentees, exercise, gatherings, finances, meaningful work and so forth, all these things touch one another. One area of unhealth can negatively affect all the rest and the reverse is true. One area that begins to team with new life can overflow into the other areas of our lives, creating life in all areas.
Adding a bit of stitching into your board (it's easier if it's on canvas, but you can still stitch poster board) acts as a reminder of the connections between the parts of our lives.
Move From Inspiration to Purpose & Prayer
Now that you have your board complete, do two things.
First, pray over it and through the things on it. Listen for God's quiet voice. Perhaps a verse comes to mind. Is there something that was left out? Needs to be added in?
Second, find a place for your board.
If you are like me, you may not want the world to see it. I'm sure there are areas on that board that reflect some vulnerability, areas that are not teaming with life yet, but that you are praying will see restoration and new growth this year. I certainly am.
Put your board in a place where you will see it regularly, but perhaps not in a public place. You may not want to have it for public viewing / questioning!
And now, we move into the year with grace and energy. Thoughtfully, carefully, with anticipation and rejoicing and prayer.
We can go confidently, because He who is with us is faithful. Faithful to keep his promises. Faithful to see us through. Faithful to keep us until He comes, or we go home to Him.
There will be hard times that grow us. Joyful times that bring refreshment. Quiet times for restoration.
We grow and go in the grace of God this year.
May your 2025 be covered with the beauty of the Lord.