Have a Happier New Year With Intention Setting!
It’s the first day of 2019. I’ve gotten the feeling (from everyone’s social media posts) that 2018 was a tough year for a lot of people, myself included. (But let’s be honest, what year isn’t tough when you’re an adult.) However, 2018 was also filled with so many great things. I traveled A LOT, got a new car, got a raise, moved in to a house with my partner, led several common good initiatives, read a few books, started this blog… Really, even with all the sh*t I dealt with, it’s hard to complain about last year. Especially knowing that the Universe must provide balance, and that with every bad thing that happens there is a lesson or a silver lining.
When reflecting on the previous year, I think most people think of ways in which they want to improve themselves, do more, and be better in the upcoming year rather than focusing and being grateful for the things we’ve already done. “This next year must be better!” we say. So we set goals for ourselves, some of which we achieve and some of which we don’t. We set expectations for our lives, some of which we meet and some of which we don’t. And I’m no different.
Often times, my New Year’s Resolutions looks something like this:
My 2018 NY Resolutions. By the way, I achieved all of these goals without even realizing it until this moment.
I think we often set the big end goal without thinking about the steps it takes to get there. And when the goal seems too unattainable, we give up. Or if we fail to meet that goal or our expectations of what that goal looks like, we forget to celebrate the steps along the way and don’t give ourselves the due credit for our hard work.
So, this year I want to try something new. I want to set intentions rather than resolutions. These are things I always aspire to achieve, but I believe it helps to write them down as a reminder when I need it the most. A guide to help me reach the big end goals when they come up. Ways to stay present and in the moment. So here it is…my list of intentions (& a few light goals) for 2019:
Love more, hate less.
Be more compassionate, and less judgmental.
Spend more time reading, less time on screens.
Focus more on happiness, and less on things that stress me out.
Be there for my friends, and for myself.
Spend more free time outdoors, and less time sitting on my couch.
Be creative when I’m feeling creative, and don’t beat myself up when I’m not.
Consume less, reduce and reuse more.
Eat more veggies, and less meat.
“Be” more, have fewer expectations.
Hold on to less, Let more go.
Spend more time with friends and family, spend less time on work.
Always remember where I’m going, but never forget to be grateful for where I am.
And don’t forget to take time to reflect, allow room for growth, and enjoy life’s pleasures.
