My 2026 Vision Board

    

(all pictures are from Pinterest)

    Usually when I make a resolution for the new year, it stays in my head. Maybe I tell a few people about it, but it is never something that I write down so that I remember it. By the third week of January, it is forgotten, and I go about my year like no intentions were ever set. The most I've done was that I made a Pinterest board, stuck a bunch of the pictures together, and made it my laptop's lock screen. The problem with that is that I don't ever actively stare at my wallpaper, so it was, yet again, forgotten.

    The most accountable thing I can think of doing is writing it all down here so that when I look back at the end of 2026, I can see if I really followed through with anything I set out to do. I am really hoping that at least one thing on this list reaches a full year's worth of commitment. I would settle for even half the year. So, here are my goals for 2026!

1. Consistently Posting

    This would be the most obvious one. And will hopefully be the most achievable. My goal is to have at least four posts a month, with the exception of when I travel (which I will talk about more) and exam season because I have to force myself to not be distracted for those three horrid weeks in April. I think my main problem will be writer's block or burnout. I can already see the day that I open this up and try to write something—anything—and the doc stays blank for a long time. It happens, obviously, but I think forcing myself to write even a short post will help me stay consistent.

2. Being Biblically Literate

    Since last year was such a big turning point in my faith, I think that this should be the year that I start building up a stronger understanding of the Bible. A lot of my fear when I was younger was that I would be judged and lose people in my life because of how I grew up and because I love God. Once I got over that (not completely; I am actually freaking out a bit while writing this), I realized that I didn't really know much about my Bible. It is crazy to think about because I used to go on and on about how much I knew about stories and characters in the Bible, but then I realized how little I actually knew. For example, I realized last year that I had never actually read about Jesus' crucifixion, not in full. Anyways, my goal is to actually absorb what I read and have some verses memorized by the end of the year.

3. Read More!

    Speaking of reading, I need to pick up a book. During covid, I read 14 books in the span of two months and had read almost 40 in that year. Since then, the number had declined drastically. In 2025, I read... 3 books. That is horrible! And embarrassing considering I'm an English major (I don't count any of the books that I read for school because I never finish them and rarely enjoy them). I have over a hundred books in my childhood bedroom and at least five that I've brought with me to uni. Plenty of them are untouched or unfinished reads. I would love to read one book a month. I am not trying to reach 40 again, because I can already see that not happening, but twelve books seems reasonable for me. Especially because once I get into a book, I will read it until I cannot keep my eyes open and can finish it in a week. In the next two months, I hope to talk about my current read, Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, and my Christmas gift to myself, The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne.

4. Get Into The Exchange Program

    This is the goal that is at the forefront of my mind: getting to my school's exchange program and studying in England for my upcoming fall semester. All I need to do is keep my grades up, write a killer letter of motivation, and pray day and night that everything goes right. There's not much else to say other than I really, REALLY, want to go on exchange.

5. Go to the Gym

    This is what everyone says at the beginning of every year. Shock. But I am serious. As a former dancer who trained almost every day of the week, I miss being active. I miss being able to hold a plank for 5 minutes and being relatively happy with whatever strength I had at the time. And I actually enjoy the gym. But leaving my house to do so is exhausting to think about. If I can stick to a schedule and build in the habit of going to the gym at least twice a week, I will be more than happy. Plus, I have cute workout sets that need to be used. My plan is to sign up for Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as it is something I have wanted to do for a couple of years. Hopefully that will be something that keeps me constantly active.

6. Be Financially Comfortable

    As someone who loves spending, this one should be fun to commit to. I do think this one can be done as long as a portion of every paycheck I receive is put into my savings, and I stop spending money on coffee and food on my breaks at work. The day we get a microwave or mini fridge in our back room will be the best day for my wallet. The funny thing is, it will be extremely hard to actually save a sufficient amount of money when I will be traveling this year. Nevertheless, I am setting a financial goal so that I will not have to ask my parents for extra money, and I will not have constant anxiety about my funds.

7. Get An Internship

    

    Something I failed to do last year was land an internship. I'm not heartbroken about it, because I know that getting a regular job, let alone an internship, let alone an internship in your field, is super hard. I did work two jobs last summer, which I am extremely grateful for, but I really do want experience in my field. Something is telling me that starting this blog is the start of me landing a publishing internship. I hate having no experience in the field, because where on earth am I supposed to get that, but I don't have a two-year gap on my resume, and (if any of them are somehow reading that) I would be really good at the job! Just imagine the year I could have: working in publishing and then heading off to England to study there for a bit. Is that not the most English major, main character in a 2000s romcom, train of events ever? God, I hope that is your plan for me.

7. Travel, Have Fun, Be Free!

    I already have a trip booked, and I am beyond excited to go. It will be my first time in Europe and my first time solo traveling, and what better time to do that than when you are in your 20s? When I get into the exchange program, I will travel again and experience a completely new world. I want to spend as much time with my friends as possible. One of my best friends got me a film camera for my birthday, and I intend to use it as much as possible. It is super cliche to say, but I want to make good memories this year and enjoy myself as much as possible, whether that be with people or by myself.

In twelve months, I will come back to here and honestly report on whether or not I achieved what I have set out to do. And hopefully this blog will constantly remind me of the goals I have set out to achieve.

Until next time!

Sav <3