Frequently Asked

Yes, but with an important caveat: how you visualize matters more than simply imagining success. Research by Dr. Gabriele Oettingen at NYU found that positive fantasies alone can actually decrease motivation by tricking your brain into thinking you've already achieved your goal.

What works is Mental Contrasting — pairing your vision of success with awareness of current reality and potential obstacles. This is why Vision 2026 asks you to reflect on where you are now, not just where you want to be.

Additionally, studies on process visualization (imagining the steps and actions) show better outcomes than pure outcome visualization (just imagining the end result). Our AI-generated vision cards include symbolic elements representing your journey, not just a destination.

Traditional vision boards focus on collecting images that represent desired outcomes — a nice house, a beach vacation, a specific body type. While this can be inspiring, research suggests it has limitations:

• Generic images don't connect to your specific values and motivations
• Outcome focus can bypass the psychological work of change
• External images may reinforce comparison rather than intrinsic motivation

Vision 2026 is different because it's values-driven and reflective. Through guided questions, we help you identify what actually matters to you, then generate imagery that's specifically crafted from your words, values, and intentions — not stock photos of someone else's dream.

Vision 2026 draws from several evidence-based frameworks in psychology:

• Mental Contrasting & WOOP (Oettingen) — Combining positive visualization with acknowledgment of obstacles increases goal attainment.
• Implementation Intentions (Gollwitzer) — Specifying when, where, and how you'll act on intentions dramatically increases follow-through.
• Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan) — Goals aligned with autonomy, competence, and relatedness are more sustainable and fulfilling.
• Values Clarification (ACT research) — Identifying core values helps people make decisions aligned with what truly matters to them.
• Process vs. Outcome Visualization — Imagining the journey, not just the destination, produces better results.

Each question serves a purpose in creating a meaningful, personalized vision:

• Values questions help you identify what genuinely matters, not just surface-level goals
• Voice reflections bypass your "editing brain" and capture authentic thoughts
• AI follow-up questions adapt to your responses, going deeper where it matters to you
• Pace and feeling questions ensure your vision reflects how you want to experience the year, not just what you want to achieve

The meditative pacing is intentional — rushing through self-reflection produces shallow answers. The journey takes about 10-15 minutes, but those minutes are focused entirely on you.

Your answers flow through several stages:

1. Prompt generation: Our AI synthesizes your values, feelings, word, and focus into a rich visual description
2. Image creation: This description guides Midjourney to create your unique vision card
3. Text overlay: Your chosen word is elegantly added to the final image

If you create an account, your answers are saved to generate personalized Echo Cards throughout the year — gentle reminders that reconnect you with your intentions.

Your vision card is created through a multi-step AI process:

1. Gemini AI analyzes your answers and crafts a detailed scene description that captures your values, emotional state, and intentions
2. Midjourney generates four unique interpretations of this scene, each with ethereal, tarot-inspired aesthetics
3. You select the image that resonates most with you
4. Gemini adds your word and branding with elegant typography

The result is entirely unique — no one else will have your exact combination of values, feelings, and visual interpretation.

Speaking your intentions activates different cognitive processes than typing or clicking options. Research shows that:

• Voice expression bypasses your "inner editor" for more authentic responses
• Articulating thoughts aloud strengthens neural connections to those ideas
• The act of speaking creates a sense of commitment

Your voice recordings are transcribed and used to inform the AI's understanding of your vision. They're never stored permanently or shared — only the transcribed text is used.

Your vision card is designed to be a touchstone — something you return to throughout the year. Here are research-backed ways to use it:

• Phone wallpaper: Brief, daily exposure keeps your intentions in awareness without requiring active effort
• Journaling prompt: Use it as a starting point for monthly reflections on how you're living your values
• Decision filter: When facing choices, ask "Does this align with my vision?"
• Difficult moments anchor: In challenging times, the image can reconnect you with your larger purpose

That's completely valid. AI-generated imagery won't always resonate, and that's okay. A few options:

• Try the journey again — different answers or a different mood may produce an image that feels more "you"
• Focus on the word rather than the image — your chosen word carries the core of your intention
• Use the journey's reflections even without the image — the process of identifying values and speaking intentions has value independent of the visual output

The image is a tool, not the goal. What matters most is the clarity you gained about what you want to cultivate in 2026.

Echo Cards are personalized companion cards that arrive at key moments throughout 2026. They're designed to reconnect you with your vision when you might need it most:

• Seasonal cards (4/year) — Reflect on how your values are showing up as the year progresses
• Milestone cards — At 30 days, 100 days, and 6 months
• Nudge cards — Gentle, unexpected reminders when you might need encouragement

Echo Cards require an account and are delivered via email. They're generated using AI based on your original journey answers.

Yes. Your privacy is important to us:

• Your answers are used only to generate your vision and Echo Cards
• We don't sell or share your data with third parties
• Voice recordings are processed but not permanently stored
• You can delete your account and all associated data at any time

We use your information solely to create and deliver your personalized vision experience.