New Year Intentions vs. Resolutions
What are your traditions for closing out a year? How do you ring in the new? Some folks like to go out with a bang. Others like to tie up loose ends and make amends as the year winds down. There are also those who just go with the flow. Some people feel ambitious as they start a new year and like to make all the plans. Others take it slowly and appreciate the clean slate that is a fresh, blank calendar. There are many ways to end and begin; each year we get another chance to choose how that looks.
For the last few years I’ve made a practice of sitting down to set intentions on January 1 whether solo or with my partner or daughter. I used to set resolutions until those began to feel like they were things I told myself NOT to do or a checklist of one and done items. Intentions are more of a way to live. They can form the foundation of goal-setting with specific action steps. Intentions can become mantras, our North Star, our guidelines to slowly emerge into our next version.
Setting intentions can feel more realistic to where we are here and now. They can help us establish personal ambitions. We can start by checking in with our inner voices, which can easily get lost in the fast pace of life. This process of going inward takes time and is aided by quiet, stillness, and neutrality with oneself.
Intentions can help us consider and assess what we want to embody, what choices will get us closer to where we’d like to be. We can begin by journaling or writing lists:
—What are my needs?
—How do I want to feel?
—Where do I want to be physically and mentally the next year?
Writing these ideas down puts them out into the universe. I suggest keeping intentions positive. I also recommend keeping them visible—posting them on a bulletin or vision board that you see daily so we can check in with our intentions to remind ourselves what we’re working toward. We can give ourselves a daily assessment on where we’re doing well and where you still have room to grow!
Know that intentions are not about perfection so please give yourself grace and have fun! They are small steps to improve ourselves each day.
To try your hand at intention writing, join me at one of two upcoming events:
Friday, December 30, 5-9 PM at my house (address offered upon registration)
New Year Intention Writing Workshop and Dinner, just a couple spaces remaining.
Monday, January 2, 5:30-7 PM at the Hales Corners Health Department,
Setting Intentions for the New Year, an abbreviated version of the 12/30 event
Or start crafting your intentions independently today with mind-mapping or bullet journaling. Take your time.
I wish you a peaceful end to 2022 and an auspicious beginning to 2023 however you choose to end and begin!
Happy Intention Setting!
“Whatever we put our attention on will grow stronger in our life.” Maharishi Mahesh