Your brain generates more than 6,000 thoughts daily. Guide it toward meaningful actions.
Feeling 'blah' about all the vision board talks lately?
I was there, I didn’t believe it either. But I was great at hitting my goals at work.
Why do I use the word “but”? Because I realized that, when I worked for a company, I was essentially working on somebody else’s vision.

High achievers like us, we achieve goals at work—we make miracle happen.
I call this a miracle, because somebody else believe these goals should exist. It came from a vision. It inspired people to work on it together, and change the future. They started with a concept, which didn’t exist by definition. And now it exists.
This is why having a vision matters.
This is how I was eventually convinced, and started to embrace vision boarding. After all, if we don’t have a vision, we are working on somebody else’s vision.
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Your brain needs a clear vision to improve its signal-to-noise ratio.
Our brain generates more than 6,000 thoughts a day. If you’re creative, many of those are great ideas. But how do you decide which ones to act on? A clear vision guides your brain, helping it focus on meaningful signals and tune out distractions. This happens thanks to neuromodulators (read here) and its Reticular Activating System (and here).
Neuromodulators are like a DJ in your brain. They turn up the volume on important things and fade out the distractions.
The Reticular Activating System is like a guard at the gate, only letting important thoughts through, so you can focus on what matters.
When you have a vision, your brain send a dream team to host the ultimate VIP party. The guard blocks distractions at the door, while the DJ hypes up the energy, keeping the spotlight on what matters most—so you can shine in the show of your life.
Now It’s Your Turn: What Will Your 2025 Look Like If You Create a Vision?
Are you ready to give it a try?
If you are, set aside one hour to create a vision that belongs to you—a future that inspires and excites you. At first, it might feel uncomfortable—you’re the only one who believes in it. But remember, that’s how everything starts.
Step 1: Start with Curiosity
Instead of focusing on discomfort or judgment, treat this as a chance to explore your own mind. Let your imagination run free.
Ask yourself: What kind of world do I want to see? What are the areas of my life I want to change?
Forget limitations. Forget doubts. Brainstorm freely and write everything down, no matter how big or small the ideas seem.
Step 2: Find What Excites You
Look at your ideas. Which one gives you the most excitement?
Close your eyes and imagine you are working on that future and you have made it happen. What does it look like?
Fill your future with more details: What do you see? What do you hear? How does it feel? Make it as vivid as possible, so it feels real and tangible.
Step 3: Start from the End and Create Your Blueprint
Imagine you are at the end of 2025, and you’ve achieved so much this year.
What did you do to make it happen?
What milestones did you achieve along the way?
What roadblocks did you overcome?
What steps did you take in January (this week)?
What if You Don’t Feel Excited?
That’s great insight! You’ve just saved yourself a year’s time. Now that you know this vision isn’t worth your energy, what else do you want to use this year to build?
If you want to find a warm and supportive community to do it together, I’d love for you to join me on January 16th for a free workshop.
Together, we’ll explore how to turn your 2025 vision into something clear, exciting, and actionable.
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Read more bout Dr. Jie Xu here.
Collaboration with Michelle Taschereau https://www.atlasbrainhealth.com/
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