I’m a vision board sceptic. Here’s why.

When I’m a very old man (hopefully I get there), I’ll be pleased to have a chunk of money behind me, to have travelled to the four corners of the globe, and to have contributed in a meaningful way to my family, clients and community.

These are the things we often see on vision boards, in all their different forms.

A vision board can indeed be a useful tool. A creative way to make future desires tangible, cement them in our minds, and give a sense of direction.

But its value only holds in combination with other skills.

Because on its own, a vision board points at a future. Something not yet here.

And that’s the shortcoming. The gap between desire and now.

It brews something common.

Restlessness.

A persistent difficulty in being at ease today.

That uncomfortable void between the life you’re in and the one you feel you need, in order to finally be settled.

We could put “presence” or “connection” on the board. But the moment we do, it becomes one more thing to achieve. One more item on the list.

And that striving is the very thing that keeps ease, connection and joy out of reach.

For the record, I have so many dreams and aspirations. They are truly exciting.

But what hits the heartstrings most is when I’m home and hear my teenage daughter ask my teenage son how his day was, with sincere interest and complete presence.

Then my son teaches my wife cribbage (a centuries-old game, apparently), absorbed in the moment.

Dreaming about the future is a beautiful thing.

But being here, today, fully with the people I love and cherish is my gold.

And when I’m an old man, I believe those memories will be every bit as fond as the success, the travel, the contribution. If not more.

A vision board can hold the future. It can’t hold today.

So my vision can be whittled down to a simple statement.

To be settled today, and excited about the future.