How I Plan My Vision for the Year Ahead

Every December, I plan a time to work on what I call my “vision packet" for the following year. I usually find a spot at a cute café with big windows, where there is soft chatter in the background, and the smell of coffee warming the air.

I order something simple and comforting (think toasted sandwiches, soup, or whatever cozy thing is calling my name) and settle in with a latte and my laptop.

That’s my setting for creating my Vision Packet; where I clarify my vision, set purposeful goals, and reflect on the year that brought me here. Napoleon Hill once wrote that “a goal is a dream with a deadline,” and that’s exactly the energy I bring into this time.

Even scripture reminds us of the power of clarity: “Write the vision and make it plain,” (Habakkuk 2:2).

So that’s what I do. I write it all down, plainly and purposefully.

Here’s how I build it, step by step.

Step 1: Creating the Vision, Purpose & Theme

Before I write down a single goal, I begin with the heart of it all: vision.

This step is about imagining the emotional landscape of the year ahead — how I want to feel, grow, connect, create, and live.

From that vision, I choose:

• A theme for the year — a word or phrase that captures the essence of what I want to embody

• A short purpose statement — my deeper “why,” the intention beneath it all

  
  

This is where the scriptural invitation comes alive: write the vision and make it plain. I write clearly, honestly, and with intention — like carving a path for my future self.

Step 2: Setting My One-Year Goals

With my vision in place, I translate it into goals for the year.

Napoleon Hill teaches the value of decisive action, and this step is where I translate the heart of my vision into practical direction. I write my intentions for the year across the areas that matter most to me:

• Personal growth & faith

• Relationships & connection

• Creative or career

• Lifestyle

• Wellness

If a goal doesn’t support the vision I crafted in Step 1, it doesn’t make the list.

Step 3: Mapping the Five-Year Plan

Then I zoom out.

Instead of micromanaging the future, I imagine the broader version of my life five years from now — the kind of person I want to become, the experiences I want to have, and things I want to accomplish.

My five-year plan becomes a loose but intentional roadmap, giving context to the one-year goals I set. This is the place where I put what I want to accomplish in the next 5 years.

Some people do a step further and put 10 years; but I’ve come to see that so much changes in 5 years, so I stopped doing that.

However, because I used to do 10-year goals, I do make sure that my 5-year goals line up with 10-year goals. But that’s personal to me.

Step 4: Looking Back with Gratefulness

I end by remembering the year I just lived and list what I've accomplished. Most people don't think to do this part. However, I think it’s one of the most important things we can do, because sometimes we forget some of the good things that got done.

This is about reflection. I usually look at my previous year's Vision Packet, and see what I got done from it. And I look to see what has been accomplished that I didn’t expect.

• What am I proud of?

• What surprised me?

• Where did I grow?

• What mattered most?

• What do I want to carry forward into the next year?

It’s a beautiful way to close the loop before stepping into the new season with clarity. Once you start listing what you’ve accomplished this year, you start to foster gratefulness in your heart.

A Habit of Vision and Purpose

My Vision Packet isn’t just a planning tool — it’s something I do with intention and it brings so much clarity to my life and year.

My dad got me on this habit. And it’s definitely a habit I want to keep.

I would highly recommend doing something like this. And make it special. Go to a café, or do it at home, whatever feels like you.

Here’s to a new year! ||