Hello and thank you for being part of the UNderdogstuff community. Let's keep going on this journey together!
We know, we know, it’s the first weekend of 2021 and you are frantically searching through your place right now looking for poster boards, scissors, old magazines (side note, why are real-life magazines sooooo expensive?), glue, glitter (don’t sleep on vision board glitter), and a bunch of other supplies. And the pandemic got you stuck in the house and you ain’t steppin foot in Target today. No supplies, no problem. We're gonna remix this vision board thing, right now. Really, like right now and without those supplies.
For the past few years UNderdogstuff, in partnership with good people and organizations, has hosted an annual in-person Vision Board Event in Harlem, Lower Manhattan, or West Philly. It’s been a time to Reflect, Connect, and Create. Most of 2020 and the start of 2021 is different than most years so there won’t be an in-person event this month.
Here are three exercises we’ve done during those in-person vision board events that you can do at home this weekend. No arts & crafts supplies are needed.
Take a moment to think about, on a scale of 1 to 10, what areas of your life have been working and what áreas haven’t as you exited 2020 and entered 2021 with the “How Are U Doing?” worksheet. There are two black spaces for you to personalize additional areas of your life.
Next up, we get to connect to ourselves and each other with the “2021 Misson” worksheet. Fill in the boxes on the first page. Then take your favorite answer from each column to fill in the second page. And magically you’ll have the rough makings of your mission statement for the new year. Plus, throw in your word or words of the year. I think my word is going to be “Building.”
Now it’s time to create a 2021 soundtrack with the “Playlist” worksheet. Begin with a playlist of about five songs. Pick songs that will raise your energy level and remind you of your mission, important goals, and/or things you reflected on earlier.
Then create a name for your playlist and a nickname for yourself. You can refresh your 2021 Playlist as your priorities and goals change. And for us underdog music junkies already bothered by the five-song limit, you can create an additional playlist called “The B-Side” for all other songs.
Well, what ya waiting for!? Music helps with creativity so turn on some of your favorite music right now and start brainstorming the songs that have meaning to you, will motivate you, and inspire you daily this year.
When you’re done creating your soundtrack, you’ll have the mobile motivation that is only a press of the play button away. What will be your new year theme music? Really, what will it be? Because every one of us underdogs needs theme music.
You can use these three worksheets as pre-work inspiration for what you’ll eventually put on your vision board. or get the worksheets as printable pdf documents by texting “REMIX” to .
Ready. Set. Go!
Written by Gregory Nesmith, Philly native, social entrepreneur, community advocate, award-winning marketer, and passionate about all things UNderdogstuff.
UNderdogstuff is a social impact venture working toward every underdog having access to opportunities to build wealth. The journey starts in Philly. Additionally, Venture Lab at Wharton accelerator program VIP-Xa Fall 2020 Cohort.