Happy New Year, friend.

And before you roll your eyes—no, I’m not about to tell you to crush anything. Or reinvent yourself. Or wake up at 5 a.m. and become a different human. Absolutely not.

This is softer than that.
Stronger too.

There’s something about this mid-month space. The calendar has flipped, the year is still settling, and the air feels… possible. Like standing on packed snow before the first footprints. You could go anywhere. Or nowhere.

Both are choices.

And if you’re honest—quietly honest—you already know what you’re hoping this year becomes.

You just haven’t said it out loud yet.

Let’s Talk About Dreaming (Without Making It Weird)

Dream boards get a bad rap. Glittery. Woo-adjacent. Easy to mock.

But here’s the thing most people miss:

Visualization isn’t pretending. It’s rehearsing.

Your brain doesn’t know the difference between a vividly imagined future and a remembered one. It files both under this matters—pay attention. That’s not magic. That’s neurology doing you a solid.

So instead of asking, “What do I want?”
Try this instead:

If this year worked—really worked—what would be different by December?

Not everything.
Just enough.

More calm in your chest.
Fewer 2 a.m. spirals.
Decisions that don’t feel like dragging a sled uphill in slush.

(It’s not a perfect image. But you feel it.)

A Gentler Way to Build a Dream Board

Forget scissors and glue if that’s not your thing. This version works just as well—maybe better.

Step 1: Close the laptop.
Five minutes. Coffee still warm. Phone face-down. Stare out a window if you want.

Step 2: Imagine one ordinary day—mid-year.
Not vacation. Not “someday.”
A Tuesday.

How does your business feel to run?
What decisions are easier?
What’s no longer living rent-free in your head?

Step 3: Capture words, not outcomes.
Instead of “$X revenue,” try:

Steady.
Supported.
Spacious.
Profitable enough.
Predictable.

(Yes, predictable. Hugely underrated.)

These words become your compass. When something shiny shows up later—and it will—you can ask: does this move me toward these… or away?

That’s leadership.
Quiet.
Unflashy.
Effective.

Visualization You’ll Actually Use

Here’s one I give clients who swear they “don’t visualize.”
(Spoiler: they do.)

Once a week, picture this exact moment:

You’re looking back at this year.
You didn’t do everything.
You did the right things.

There’s relief in your shoulders.
Confidence—not adrenaline.
The business funds your life instead of nibbling at it like a raccoon in the dark.

Sit there for 30 seconds.

That’s enough.
No incense required.

The Truth (Said Kindly, But Clearly)

If you don’t choose a direction, your business will choose one for you.

Usually based on urgency.
And habit.
And whoever yells loudest.

Direction matters more than conditions.
Even when conditions are loud.
Even when motivation fades.

This is the kind of clarity we build slowly and deliberately—through coaching, action, support, and habits that hold when willpower runs out.

Not dramatic.
Not rushed.
Just… chosen.

About Jennifer Bauldic

Jennifer Bauldic is a business coach, Profit First Professional, Breakthrough Coaching Master, and Fix This Next Strategist.

Known as The Cash Coach, she works with capable, successful business owners who are tired of leading alone—and ready to build businesses that fund their future and feel sustainable to run. Her work focuses on clarity, structure, and calm leadership, not hype or pressure.

Since 2008, Jennifer has helped entrepreneurs choose direction on purpose—so their businesses support their lives, not the other way around.