NEW YEAR'S INTENTIONS
New Year’s resolutions have never really worked out for me. I remember one year I made a resolution to learn to speak French fluently. It never happened. Some years, I wanted to reach a certain weight. I think that last one is common for a lot of people.
I haven’t set a resolution for a few years now, not because I was boycotting it, but what I realize upon reflection is that I began living my life with more intention. Setting daily, weekly, and monthly intentions help me stay in line with what I want in my life.
There are different ways you can start setting intentions for yourself; I really encourage you to try one or all of them.
#1 Add them to your bedtime routine or meditation. I like to take a minute to set my intentions for the following day. I find this particularly helpful if I’m planning to get up early for a workout (which I find challenging). I will say, “tomorrow I will rise with ease for my morning workout.” Repeat this as many times as you need to feel that you have imprinted it on your subconscious. I find this very helpful, and I think you will too!
#2 Set intentions before you enter into a meeting or phone call that you want to go well. “I intend to have a conversation or presentation that is communicated well. I will be heard, and I will speak with ease and confidence.” Again, repeat until you feel it has been absorbed.
#3 Write down your intentions for the month or for the entire year. Similar to goal setting, possibly pick 5 to 10 things that you would like to see blossom in your life. Focus on the positive. Stay away from things like, “I don’t want to get sick.” Instead, you would write, “I want to have optimal health.” Writing our intentions down is very powerful, be sure to read over them to help your subconscious soak it up.
#4 Say your intentions out loud. I have held New Moon and Full Moon ceremonies where I will write down my intentions, then say them out loud to the Universe. I will repeat my intentions until I feel they are set, and then I burn my writings. I have a fire pit in my backyard, but you can also use a candle.
#5 Use intentions to help you overcome fear. I have a fear of riding my bike on roads with heavy traffic. I don’t want this to stop me from being able to ride my bike where I want to go, so I set intentions before I leave. “I intend to have a safe ride while being respected by drivers.” Then if I start to become fearful while in the situation, I can quickly come back to
my intention. Repeat it a few times, and I find this helps calm me down. This can work well for driving, travelling, or anything that makes you feel uneasy.
Setting intentions has changed my life. It helps me stay in a more positive frame of mind and keeps me focused on how I want things in my life to look. We can tend to focus on what is lacking in our lives, it’s so easy to do, and setting intentions can help to keep us away from
negative thinking patterns that can quickly turn into an unwanted downward spiral.
This New Year, I encourage you to think about implementing intention-setting into your self-care routine. Wishing you all an abundance of health, wealth, and happiness; remember, there is enough for us all!
Be Well.
