MAKING space on your vision board for the things that matter — space for work, but also for rest; for giving, and for receiving, was the message consultant sociologist, media practitioner, capacity-building expert, and published author Georgia Crawford-Williams had for women attending Sunday’s Jamaica Observer All Woman vision board workshop in Kingston.

At the same time, Crawford-Williams emphasised a key word the women needed to keep at the forefront of their minds when starting their vision boards — joy.

“If it is that you are to be successful, if we are to visualise a life that is winning in 2025, you must be able to create and curate a life that brings you joy,” Crawford-Williams said.

“There are so many of you who have done vision boards, so many times, and you tick off everything but still you feel that there is something missing — and that is because you have yet to find a way to create for yourself a life that brings you joy.”

Crawford-Williams, who has over 15 years’ experience in workforce empowerment, social development, and communication, gave expert advice to the room full of women at AC Hotel, Kingston who had gathered for the second staging of the empowerment event, held to help women plan for the year ahead using vision boarding as their tool.

Vision barding has been proven to be an effective strategy for planning and executing ideas. A vision board is more than a collection of pretty pictures and inspiring quotes, it’s a road map for turning a person’s deepest desires into tangible victories. It’s a powerful tool that bridges the gap between wishing for something and actively working towards it.

The theme of this year’s workshop was ‘Wishes to Wins’, and by curating images, words, and symbols that represented their goals, the scores of women attending created a visual reminder of the life they are striving for — a daily push to keep moving forward.

“What will it take for you to visualise and curate a life that will bring you joy?” Crawford-Williams asked the engaged audience as she walked table to table.

She highlighted the importance of not confusing happiness and joy, as “happiness is fleeting, it’s temporary…

“So that is why you need to create a life that brings you joy, so that even when things aren’t working out, when things aren’t going according to plan, and yuh boss is a crosses… even with all that, when you take an overall look at your life you should still have this permanent feeling of fulfilment. You should still feel at peace.”

Before they started their boards, Crawford-Willliams took the women through an activity to gauge what season of life they are in — a Jamaicanised quiz formatted with questions to judge their current status — in order to plan their vision boards.

“If we are to create, there needs to be space for dreaming but also space for doing,“ she said.

And while she encouraged balance, she also warned that balance is a personal, unique thing.

“What could have brought you joy in 2024 might not bring you joy in 2025,” she warned. “You have to pay attention to your season…a time for everything, and a time for every person.

“So many of us don’t know what season we’re in. Many of you are sowing when you should be reaping, many of you are reaping when it’s sowing season…“

While walking between tables to coach and correct, Crawford-Williams prompted each table, at the end of the session, to choose a song that brought them joy, to define their 2025.

Some popular picks included This Year (Blessing) by Victor Thompson, Win by Jada Kingdom, Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield, I Can by Chronixx, and Unstoppable by Sia, each song a powerful declaration of faith, resilience, and ambition.

And as the women danced and sang, and held counsel with each other and networked, praises for the workshop were plenty. Some women were inspired to finish vision boards they had already started; others loved the vibe, the sisterhood, and the empowerment, as well as the opportunity to connect, create, and celebrate with an incredible group of women.

The event was powered by Flow Jamaica, JPS, Harbour Wines and Spirits, AC Hotel Kingston, BossMom Network, Scotiabank Jamaica, and Chas E Ramson.