Let’s Talk About It… is BrownStyle Magazine’s new column written by Aikisha Holly Colon. In this candid series, the mom and multi-hyphenate entrepreneur creates a safe space to be real, raw, funny, heavy, but always honest.
Every January, we all do the same thing. We get excited. We get motivated. We make lists. We buy planners. And we declare, “This is my year!”
We promise we’re going to lose the weight, save the money, leave the toxic situations, get closer to God, and finally become the woman we keep telling everybody we already are.
And then… February hits.
Life starts lifing.
Bills start billing.
And suddenly, that vision board is sitting in the corner collecting dust like last year’s gym membership.
So let’s talk about it…
Why do we start so strong and then fall right back into the same patterns? Why do we keep declaring things we don’t discipline ourselves to maintain?
My Experience With Vision Boarding
I’ve been vision boarding for over 20 years, long before it was cute on Instagram. Back when it meant cutting up magazines on the floor with glue sticks and construction paper.
My husband Willie and I host a Vision Board Party every year, and it’s one of the most sacred traditions in our home. We invite our closest friends, provide all the food and supplies, and they bring the magazines. But it’s not just arts and crafts, it’s spiritual.
Before we even touch a magazine, we pull scriptures from a jar. Nobody picks their own. We let fate, or let’s be honest, God decide. Each person reads their verse out loud, and we talk about what it means going into the new year. You’d be amazed at how often the verse someone chooses from the jar speaks directly to what they’re facing. That’s not a coincidence. That’s alignment.
One of my favorite verses, and the one that always guides this process, is Habakkuk 2:2–3: “Write the vision, and make it plain… For the vision is yet for an appointed time… though it tarry, wait for it.”
That scripture is not just about dreaming. It’s about committing. Writing the vision makes it real. And making it plain means you can’t pretend you don’t know what you asked God for when it starts requiring you to change.
Out With The Old, In With The New
Here’s where it gets real.
Every year, before we start creating the new, we deal with the old. We each write down what we’re leaving in the previous year, along with the habits, the fears, the relationships, the self-sabotage, and the excuses that hold us back.
Then Willie starts a fire in our fire pit outside. One by one, we walk up, throw that paper into the fire, and walk away without looking back. No speeches. No dramatics. Just release.
And listen… it’s emotional. Because you realize how much you’ve been holding onto things that no longer serve you. But there’s something powerful about physically watching old mindsets burn while the new you waits inside with a blank board and a fresh vision.
After we finish our boards, we pray over them. Not just “God bless this” prayers, but prayers for discipline, clarity, courage, and consistency. Because manifestation without action is just a wish.
And that’s where most of us get stuck.
We want the new life, but we don’t want the new habits.
We want the blessing, but not the boundaries.
We want the results, but not the routine.
Vision boards don’t work if you don’t.
Starting 2026 With Intention
If you’re serious about making 2026 different, here’s how you stay consistent:
- ✨ First, put your board where you can see it every day. Not tucked in a closet. Your vision needs to confront you.
- ✨ Second, break your vision into small, doable steps. “Get healthy” means nothing. “Walk 30 minutes three times a week” means something.
- ✨ Third, check in with yourself monthly. Ask, “Am I still honoring what I prayed for?”
- ✨ And lastly, don’t let guilt make you quit. Falling off doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’re human. Get back up and keep going.
This year, don’t just make a vision.
Protect it.
Pray over it.
Work for it.
Because God can give you the dream, but you still have to do the becoming.
Now… let’s talk about it. Share your thoughts and comments below!
