A new years intention (not a resolution)
This is the time for the annual new year’s resolutions. The time where we vow to loose weight, start exercising, quit drinking or stop spending. And I think we all know how that usually goes! Some of us are even so aware of the futility of new year’s resolutions that we stopped doing them altogether and instead sit there in our smugness as other people keep failing at their resolutions the first day, week or month of the new year.
What if there was an alternative where you don’t jump on the band wagon of unrealistic expectations but instead took this time to set an intention. What if you could make 2021 the best year of your life so far?
Not sure where to start? Let’s do an exercise.
Reflecting on the past year
Let’s start by thinking back on 2020. This has been a highly unusual year with significant highs and lows both on the private and public arena but what has this year actually been for you?
Looking back on my 2020 it’s a very mixed bag. I started the year working in the office and traveling to the US a couple of times as well as having friends from abroad come and visit, all before COVID hit and we went into lockdown. The first part of lockdown had big highs and lows for me. I wasn’t traveling so for the first time in over 10 years I was not exhausted, and I found time to learn, write and create (this blog!). I had a lot of anxiety for not being allowed to leave the house as I wished, and I was worried about friends and family that I couldn’t visit. As the year went on, I had big highs like when I got a bit promotion at work, and big low where my anxiety got the best of me and I had to take a break from work and start therapy again.
What was your 2020 like? If you find it difficult to remember what actually happened look through your calendar, your photos on your phone, your social media feed or wherever you would find a record of the year. Remember and consider:
Is there anything you want to leave in 2020 and not bring into 2021?
Is there anything from 2020 that has brought you value in life that you absolutely want to bring with you and maybe even explore further?
Looking forward to the new year
As you consider where you are and what would really make a difference in the new year, it is time to set your intention. An intention is not a resolution or a specific habit like “I intend to go to the gym everyday”. Instead an intention is the area of your life you want to have a focus on in the coming year. The area of your life that you feel would bring the most benefit to your life if it you made progress in it.
If you still find it difficult to narrow down what intention would serve you the most you can check out the How do I start changing my life? blog post or consider the areas below.
In the past I have worked through a number of areas in my life including:
Improving my physical health
Recover from PTSD
Changes my eating habits to be in line with my values
Weight management
Understanding my personal finances and making them intentional
As you can see many of these overlaps like improving my physical health and weight management but it’s been important to me to work on them as separate intention as I want physical health so that I can do more fun things, not just as a tool to manage my weight.
For 2021 my focus will be on my mental health. I have realised that even with the inner work I have done to date, to improve my mental health would have the most impact in my life right now. If I can grow more resilient and less anxious my life could be significantly improved in a year’s time! The key here is that this is something I’m excited about! If I dare to consider what a change this could be to my wellbeing, my work, my free time, my sleep - it’s a life I can’t wait to lean into!!
Now that my intention is established: In 2021 I will actively focus on improving my mental health and becoming more resilient. I can, using the Personal Management Cycle start learning how to do that, I can consider what habits might serve me, how I can measure my mental health to see if I’m on the right track, and how I will review what is working and what is not.
Again, remember to take it one step at a time - the 2nd of January is a brilliant day to try a new habit! Just as good as 1st of January! Every day is a great day to start a new habit and with the framework of your New Year’s intention you are grounded you in your pursuit. By finding that future you can’t wait to lean into you have a power behind what you are doing as you try different things, learn more and fail forward!