I love a good vision board. The ritual, the aesthetics, the fresh-start energy—it all hits, especially at the beginning of a new year. 🎆
But somewhere between pinning aspirational images and actually living my life IRL, I started to notice a disconnect.
Vision boards are great at showing what you want. They’re not always great at helping you BUILD it!
That’s why, for 2026, I’m taking inspiration from content creator @whatdoessisi, who recently shared that she’s swapping her vision board for a New Year’s bingo card—and it immediately made sense.
Instead of focusing on abstract goals or idealized outcomes, her approach breaks progress down into specific, trackable actions you can actually work toward throughout the year.
Unlike a traditional vision board, a bingo card gives you something tangible to interact with.
Each square represents a goal you can check off, revisit, and build momentum from, with a center square that anchors everything to how you want your life to feel—not just what you want to achieve.
It’s still aspirational, just far more grounded.
Think of it as a softer, more realistic reset. One that leaves room for ambition and balance, growth and rest.
Ahead, I’ll walk through why this approach works so well—and how to create a New Year’s bingo card that fits your life, plus two FREE New Year bingo card templates you can download and use right away 🤗
Why a Bingo Card Works Better Than a Vision Board
Vision boards are excellent at capturing desire. They help you articulate what you’re drawn to and what you want more of.
But they often stop there.
A bingo card, on the other hand, shifts the focus from imagining to doing—without stripping away the motivation.
Inspired by content creator @whatdoessisi, whose 2026 bingo card reframes goals as something trackable and humane, this approach works because it’s rooted in action.
Each square represents a concrete step, habit, or milestone you can realistically work toward over time.
Progress becomes visible. Momentum builds.
Instead of waiting for a future version of yourself to arrive, you start engaging with your goals in real time.
It also removes a lot of the quiet pressure that comes with traditional goal-setting. You’re not aiming for perfection or an aesthetic end result.
You’re checking in, adjusting, and moving forward—sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, always intentionally.
How to Create Your Own 2026 Bingo Card
The beauty of a New Year’s bingo card is that it’s flexible.
There’s no one “right” way to do it, but a little structure helps it feel supportive instead of overwhelming.
Start with categories that reflect your real life.
Think broadly, then narrow down. Common themes include:
- Personal growth
- Career or income
- Health and energy
- Home and routines
- Relationships or community
You don’t need to cover everything—just the areas that matter most to you right now.
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Choose goals that are specific and trackable.
A good rule of thumb: if you can clearly tell when something is “done,” it probably belongs on the card. Vague intentions tend to stall. Clear actions create movement.
Keep the scale mixed.
Some squares can be bigger milestones. Others should be small, repeatable wins. That balance keeps motivation steady throughout the year.
Anchor the center square to a feeling, not a metric
This is one of the smartest parts of @whatdoessisi’s approach. The center square acts as a reminder of why you’re doing any of this in the first place—calm, confidence, balance, joy, ease. Whatever feels grounding to you.
Free New Year Bingo Card Printable
I created two FREE New Year bingo card templates for you to download—choose the one that fits your energy right now, or save both and see which one you naturally gravitate toward.
There’s no wrong way to use them.
Example Bingo Squares to Steal (and Adapt)
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few ideas you can tailor to your own life:
- Declutter one drawer or shelf each month
- Take one full weekend offline per quarter
- Establish a consistent morning or evening routine
- Finish one home project you’ve been postponing
- Move your body three times a week for a month
- Schedule regular self-check-ins
- Create a system that makes daily life easier
- Take one week off without checking work messages
- Build a habit that supports better rest
Notice how these focus less on outcomes and more on process. That’s intentional.
A Gentler Way to Think About Goals in 2026
What makes the bingo card approach so appealing is that it allows ambition to coexist with care.
You can want more for yourself while also protecting your energy. You can make progress without feeling like every day needs to be optimized.
For 2026, this kind of goal-setting feels especially relevant.
It’s structured, but forgiving. Motivating, but not punishing. And most importantly, it keeps you actively involved in the process of building the life you want—one square at a time!
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