It's a new year- a new fantastic start to finally achieve all those goals and dreams you've been meaning to get to... eventually. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE setting goals, in fact I set them every single day. The problem I have with resolutions is that they are typically inflated, or they aren't thought through fully, leaving you to stress and burnout before you even get started. So, today, we're talking about setting a New Year resolution you can feel good about - not setting one.
Instead, let's talk about setting a yearly intention and focusing on small steps (or goals) toward supporting that intention all year-round. An intention defined by the dictionary is "a thing intended; an aim or plan" and it is also " the healing process of a wound." So, let's look at it as just that. What is something in your life that you need to focus on, something that needs to be healed, or supported? Choose something whether it's living more frugal, take in experiences, being present, self-care, breathing, growth- and set that as your intention.
Let's take a look at mine- being present. This is the year of living in the moment for me. I often struggle with what's next and where I'm going, that I typically forget to enjoy what is happening in the moment. When I traveled abroad, I made it a point to look with my eyes, not just with the camera lens and take in all the sights, smells and feelings associated with that particular point in time. I am choosing to set this as my intention in order to boost my self-awareness, extend gratitude, and ease my anxiety- all of these things will extend into other parts of my life as well and make me feel good.
So, how am I planning to exhibit my intention? I have a gratitude journal that I write in every morning, I am turning off the technology more often, taking more frequent breaks from social media, I've downloaded the app Headspace to learn how to meditate, and I'm taking time to look around and appreciate my surroundings.
Ultimately, these smaller tasks, or daily goals are what will lead me to live my intention daily. I also know that in setting my yearly intention daily, there's no way to backslide or get off track, because there's a new start each day! So, I encourage you to leave the 'lose five-hundred pounds before summer' and 'save a million bucks' behind and focus on setting an intention of greater movement or frugality, instead. That way, anytime you get moving or every time you save some cash, you feel good about yourself, instead of guilty every time you bail on your commitments.
So, what will your intention be this year? If you're looking for some guidance on intention-setting for your business, a business coach like Out of the Box Advisors can be a great resource. Don't forget to check out our other post on goal setting.