Do you set New Year’s resolutions every year? It might be time to try something new: intentions. Intentions are more about creating smaller goals in the moment, instead of huge resolutions that have gone by the wayside come February. If you’ve struggled to keep resolutions, intentions can somehow feel more compassionate, kinder, and fun.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are some thought starters:
What things bring you the most happiness?
Taking time to reflect on the parts of your life that bring you the greatest joy, passion, creativity, and energy can really help when it comes to deciding what you want to create more of. So think about these things and you can set intentions around them. Why not have more of what you love – you deserve it! Plus, when you’re more fulfilled within yourself, it filters out into all areas of your life.
What elements of your life do you want to focus on?
The downfall of New Year’s resolutions are that they can seem exciting at the time, but then feel like a mammoth task to achieve when it comes to down to it. It can also be tempting to choose one huge goal that’s difficult to reach and feels more like a slog. So having intentions for a few areas of your life can feel a little more fun and varied. You could pick an intention a week for your health, your personal growth, self-care and fun and creativity for example. Or, your dating life, nutrition and practicing gratitude.
Have you written down your future vision?
Set some time over the holidays to write down your vision and what you’d like to achieve. Research has shown that writing down your goals and visions have been proven to increase the chances of them happening. You could even do this with friends and host an intention setting get together!
Journaling and the act of writing things down are incredibly powerful, plus they can help you get clear on the fine details. Then, it can also help to write down any practical steps you can take. The more detail you can infuse into them, the more you’ll be encouraged to bring them to life!
Have you reflected on this past year?
While the aim is to focus forwards, it can also be empowering to look back on your year and recognize how far you’ve come. While we all have things, habits or behaviors we could improve upon or change, the idea of intention setting is also to congratulate yourself on your achievements – emotionally, practically and physically. Looking back at your challenges and hurdles can really help you see how much you’ve grown.
We hope you enjoy setting your intentions and wish you a very happy holiday season!
