I manifest... How vision boards turn dreams to realities

A businesswoman working on project plan using sticky papers.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

I have always been a firm believer in speaking things into existence. But the idea of putting my vision down on paper as a manifestation, was, until recently a foreign concept to me.

Late last December, while I was scrolling through TikTok, I came across countless videos of people celebrating how they had ticked off almost 80 percent of the manifestation on their vision boards.

The idea seemed almost too good to be true. Could this really work?

My curiosity was piqued. From my research a source unknowingly quoted a familiar scripture, Habakkuk 2:2: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that He may run who reads it.”

Ms ‘Fixer’

Dressed in a brown trench coat and black guess sneakers, Angela Mwangi glamorously approaches with her gratitude jar to which she promises to drop a note daily.

The jar?

‘‘Yellow notes are for things that have already happened, and pink notes for things I’m manifesting. Every day, I write down five things I’m grateful for and add them to the jar. At the end of the year, I open it and reflect on all the good things that have happened,” she says.

She also writes letters to each month in advance, thanking them for blessings yet to come.

Known to her online followers as ‘The Fixer’ she leads a movement focused on empowering individuals to transform their lives through intentional planning, discipline and faith.

Ms Mwangi starts by recounting her early days. “At 19, I used to watch The Secret on YouTube, which explored the power of positive thoughts. So I decided to do a vision board.’’

Angela Mwangi poses for a picture after the interview at Nation Center on January 11, 2025. 

Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

But all that went down the drain because of the ridicule associated with the superstition behind vision boards.

It was not until much later, when she turned 30 that she revisited the practice with a renewed faith and discipline.

Ms Mwangi draws her inspiration from her spirituality. “I believe in God. The Bible says, ‘As a man thinketh, so is he,’ and in Habakkuk 2:2, it says, ‘Write the vision and make it plain.’ These scriptures guide me. I trust that whatever I ask for in His name will come to pass, as long as it’s not harmful.”

However, over the years, her approach to vision boards has evolved. Initially, she kept it private, using her phone screensaver as her board.

“I was too shy to display it publicly because I didn’t want anyone mocking it or interfering with my belief. But for the past three years, I have made it more visible, putting it up where I can see it daily.”

The shift, she claims has been transformative with her manifestations coming to pass, especially if they are aligned with God’s plan.

For instance, ‘‘I once wrote that I wanted visibility to spread positivity. One of my goals was to be featured in a local newspaper. Here I am today, being interviewed for this piece,” she says.

Ms Mwangi goes on to explain that her understanding of manifestation has grown over the years. “When I started, I would ask for basic things, like a trip to the Coastal region. But as I achieved those small goals, I realised I could aim even much higher. Now I ask for big things, things that seem to be laughable at first. But I know they are achievable.”

For her, creating a vision board is a deliberate process that starts months in advance. “We’re in January 2025 now, but I started thinking about my vision board back in October 2024. This time, I’ve split it into two: a vision board and a prayer board. I want my requests to align with scripture.”

She organises her board into categories such as health and well-being, finances, relationships, and travel. “I don’t just paste random pictures. Each image is backed by a statement of gratitude, written in the present tense. For instance, if I want a new car, I’ll write, ‘I’m truly grateful for my new Mercedes Benz.’”

Ms Mwangi also incorporates prayers pinned on small envelopes next to the images with each containing a prayer that matches what she is asking for.

“Not everyone will under stand your dreams. Some people have small minds and will discourage you. Keep it to yourself until you’re confident enough to share.”

How does she manage to tick off your board?

“You can’t just slap pictures on a board and expect miracles. You have to align your actions with your goals. If you’re asking for better health, you need to take care of your body. If you’re asking for financial growth, you need to be disciplined with your spending.”

For anyone doubting whether vision boards work, Ms Mwangi says, “Start small if you have to, but be intentional. Write your goals down, align them with your values, and have faith. By the end of the year, you’ll be amazed at what you’ve achieved.”


BennyHinn Walubengo

“Writing down your goals is one of the most powerful forces in turning them into reality,” says BennyHinn Walubengo, founder of I Speak Society.

His organisation trains young people in public speaking, leadership, and business strategies, but his personal journey with vision boards is what has cemented his belief in discipline, faith, and strategic goal-setting.

For Mr Walubengo, a vision board isn’t just a list of aspirations, it’s a roadmap that has propelled him to his achievements. “When I released my first book three months after finishing high school in 2021, I realised something. Almost everything I had written down in what I called my ‘vision note’ had come to pass,” he recalls.

He explains that vision boards work because they have five key forces, writing, thinking, seeing, speaking, and doing. “When you write something down, it begins to influence how you think about it. That thought impacts how you speak about it, and soon enough, you start seeing and doing what aligns with those goals,” he says.

BennyHinn Walubengo during the interview at the Nation Centre Nairobi on Friday, January 10, 2025. 

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

Unlike what most people perceive to be a beginning-of-the-year challenge, Mr Walubengo revisits his vision regularly. “Every week, I look at my vision board to ensure it aligns with where I want to go. It’s not something you create and forget until the end of the year. It’s a constant reminder, it's like a map guiding you toward your destination.”

The 23-year-old writer attests that discipline plays a huge role in achieving what’s on a vision board. “Sometimes, sharing your goals with others can drain the energy needed to achieve them. When you tell people you’re writing a book, for instance, and they praise you, that dopamine rush can make you feel like you’ve already accomplished it, even though you haven’t started,” he explains.

Instead, keeping some goals private has something to do with maintaining the internal conviction that will see them through. “I have written six books, and every single one was completed because I didn’t announce my plans beforehand. The conviction was within me which helped to drive me to action without the external validation.”

For Mr Walubengo his vision boards are always as a form of prayer. “Sometimes you don’t know how something will happen, but you put it on the board with faith, and it’s like you’re communicating your desires to God,” he says.

His has four key aspects of life, spiritual growth, social impact, physical health, and mental development.

“At first, my goals were focused on my brand and public speaking. But as time went I realised there is more to life than that. I started including fitness goals, reading targets, and even spiritual milestones. One American president once said, ‘A weak body cannot carry big dreams.’ That stuck with me, so I became intentional about working out and maintaining my energy.”

“Even big organisations use vision boards, they display their mission statements and goals prominently. Why shouldn’t we do the same in our personal lives?” he adds

The young author also stresses on the importance of making vision boards visible in your daily routine. “Out of sight, out of mind. You need to see your goals daily to keep yourself accountable,” he says.


Njeri's Visual Diary

Victoria Njeri known on social media as Njeri's Visual Diary, is also a believer in this practice.

Ms Njeri, a full-time marketer and part-time content creator, stumbled upon vision boards like many others through TikTok. “I was curious to understand the basis of a vision board, how to create it and align it with my yearly goals,” she says.

Her first attempt at a vision board was far from perfect. “It didn’t have many pictures, and my goals were not specific. I’d just write something like, ‘I want to lose weight,’ or ‘I want to pass my exams.’ It wasn’t clear or intentional.”

However, currently, every one of her vision boards begins with a theme that reflects what she wants to focus on for the year. “Last year, my theme was healing and intention. I wanted to heal physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Once I had the theme, everything else fell into place.”

Her vision board is divided into sections that correspond to the different aspects of her life which includes her career, personal growth, health, and relationships and she organises them by timelines. “I section my board into quarters, so I know what I want to achieve in each part of the year. The biggest goal always goes in the centre because, for me, God is the centre of everything. Without Him, I wouldn’t achieve anything.”

 Victoria Njeri, a marketer and content creator who is a believer in the Vision Board practise.

Photo credit: Pool

“I take time to analyse each sector of my life before the year starts. I review the previous year’s board, carry forward unachieved goals, and add new ones. Updating mid-year feels overwhelming because I have already done the work upfront,” she adds.

However, Ms Njeri stresses that achieving these goals requires more than just looking at them. “Discipline is very important. Last year, I had crazy goals that required sacrifices. I was finishing my computer science degree while still learning global marketing concepts for my job. Balancing school, work, and my personal growth wasn’t easy, but I stayed disciplined because I knew what I wanted.”

Her advice to anyone starting their vision board journey is simple, “Be specific, be realistic, and have faith. Understand that achieving your goals requires discipline and sacrifices. But once you commit, everything falls into place.”

Ms Robby

Robby Musuya, another passionate advocate for vision boards began her thread in 2021 after she saw an influencer share how God had answered her prayers through the images on her vision board. “I remember thinking, ‘Is this really possible?’ ” she recalls.

“The influencer had placed a picture of an airplane because she wanted to travel, and it came true. I thought, ‘If it worked for her, maybe it can work for me too.’”

Without much guidance, Ms Musuya and her friend decided to give it a try. “We were quite delusional,” she laughs. “We just wrote down everything we wanted God to do for us in various aspects of our lives, went online to find pictures and printed them at a nearby cyber café. We then placed the pictures on a manila and prayed over it.”

Interestingly, by the end of 2021, 90 percent of the goals on her vision board had come to pass. “That’s when it hit me this thing works! It’s not about putting it out to the universe, it’s about presenting your desires to God,” she says. For her, the vision board became a prayer in visual form. “I always ask God to show His power in my life, for people to look at my achievements and say, ‘That had to be God.’”

By 2022, the creative had to refine her approach. “I realised the importance of being intentional and specific. I started dividing my goals into segments, financial, career, relationships, health, and family,” she says.

Robby Blessing Musuya poses for a picture after the interview at Nation Center on January 11, 2025. 

Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

“If you want a car, don’t just write ‘a car.’ Specify the make, model, and colour. For instance, I once placed a picture of a villa with white walls and a blue pool on my board, and when I went to Mombasa, I stayed in a villa that looked exactly like that!” she adds

To Ms Musuya, creating a vision board doesn’t have to be expensive. Her first board cost her less than Sh500. ‘‘I used manila paper, glue, and printed pictures. There’s no excuse not to start,” she says.

She also acknowledges that not everything on a vision board will happen immediately. “Sometimes, God says ‘no,’ ‘wait,’ or ‘I have something better for you.’ It’s all about trusting His plan,” she says.

“Just because something hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t. Keep praying and believing,” she adds.

Ms Musuya updates her vision board once a year, usually in January. “There’s no deadline to start. If you’re ready, do it now. But take your time to settle and think about what you really want.”

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