Dr Asha Pemberton

teenhealth.tt@gmail.com

THE NEW YEAR 2025 has begun. In a world where there is intense competition for attention, adolescents require strategies to help them focus on their aspirations and set goals toward success. Vision boards have become popular and effective methods through which youth can express their creativity toward a transformative experience.

Vision boards are engaging and interactive tools that encourage tweens and teens to create and use opportunities of self-reflection, goal-setting, and artistic expression. Through the creation of a tangible representation of their dreams, adolescents can better visualise their future and stay motivated to achieve their goals.

At the start of every new year, most people eagerly create lofty to-do lists of new goals. In order to be most successful, goal-setting should be a clear and intentional process. Vision boards help teens clarify their ambitions and set both short-term and long-term goals. By visualising their targets in picture form, teens engage more of their senses and can foster firmer self-belief and optimism.

The process of crafting a vision board engages artistic expression and individualism through design and choice of media. This adds dimension to the reflective activity and helps reduce boredom.

In the most traditional sense, vision boards are constructed in hardcopy. Using cardboard, magazine cut-outs or handmade drawings, some choose to create a collage of images on a physical and tangible board. Some even choose to use objects like beads, shells, dried leaves or flowers to add a tactile dimension.

There are many apps and digital platforms which further appeal to young people. These can make the activity more meaningful by appealing to their digital proclivities. Regardless of the form used, parents should encourage teens to choose a theme that resonates with their interests and goals.

While there are no firm rules regarding constructing a vision board, there are some general approaches which make them most effective. Some themes which should be considered include: future dreams, family and relationships, academic aspirations, self-care and wellness, hobbies and passions, and some words or quotes of affirmation. For each theme, images which represent the goals are selected to be added to the final product.

In addition, young people should take time to reflect on some pivot questions:

* What are your priority goals for 2025?

* What or whom inspires you?

* What are the things that bring you joy?

* To whom do you turn for support?

Having answered these questions authentically, teens are then encouraged to craft positive statements to include on their boards. Ideally these statements connect to the young person as they are intended to support motivation and consistency during challenging times. A combination of the theme images, positive statements and any other elements desired come together to create the board.

At the beginning of every year, motivation and excitement are high. An effective vision boar