As the year comes to a close, and in preparation for a new decade to begin, I’ve enjoyed reflecting on these questions: How can I stay focused on what matters most in the year ahead? What do I most want for this year? What will my life look like 12 months from now? I wrote in response to these prompts, read what I wrote and looked for themes in my words. Doing this helped me identify my intentions for the year.​​

Here’s what I came up with:

• Open up to greater joy and enthusiasm.
• Treasure the love-filled experience of being there to witness my granddaughter and great-nieces growing into toddlerhood.
• Deepen appreciation for the giving and receiving of love and human-kindness.
• Continue to grow in the capacity to respond thoughtfully, no matter the situation.
• Get in shape to take part in multi-day bicycle tour.
• Create time for setting aside all else, allowing myself to just be, and to journey inward.
• Try out new ideas in my work, with creativity as well as careful planning.

 Setting Intentions: Some “How To” Ideas

Specific goals and actions flow from our intentions, which is how they can create change in our lives over time. They are statements of what we most desire, based on our strongest values and beliefs, and reflecting our deepest thoughts and feelings.

Here are some ideas for creating and remembering your intentions, so that they can guide your choices and actions throughout the year:

• Start by taking some time to reflect. You can write your own open-ended questions, or use the ones that worked for me.
• State your intention(s) in positive terms.
• Make your intention(s) realistic, with reasonable time frames.
• Write your intentions down.
• Share your intention(s) with a supportive person.
• Meditate on or write about one of your intentions each day.

Or, Choose A Word for the Year

You might like to list a number of intentions, as I did this year. Or you might want to choose just one word that encompasses your intentions for the next 12 months. That word can serve as a focus or theme throughout the year. Looking over my own intentions, I could choose the word “Open,” or “Growth.” Let yourself reflect, brainstorm and play until you find the word that works for you.

Stay Flexible As The Year Goes On

Are you reading this as the year begins, or are we already well into the new year as you first see this post?  Does the intention or word you first chose still work for you? You can set or modify an intention as the year goes on. You  choose or change a “word of the year” at any time.

Sources and Credit

Thrive In the New Year: How to Set Intentions Not Resolutions

Why New Years Resolutions Don’t Work For You (And What To Do Instead) 

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash