It’s not too late to set a meaningful intention for the New Year! Start by taking a quiet hour to reflect on the questions we’ve been asking in the Year End Review this week:
- How did I spend my time this year and how would I like to improve on that?
- What am I feeling particularly grateful for and what would I like to see grow?
- In the past year, how have I contributed to the person I want to be? In regard to that ideal, what has set me back? What has propelled me forward?
- Where am I trying to force change, rather than go with the flow? What can I let go of?
- Can I think of any time in the last year where a setback forced me to slow down? What had I been passing up?
- What do I want to focus on in the New Year?
Answering these questions in a journal will help bring clarity to what worked and didn’t work in the past year. Next, we’re all going to work toward an intention and some New Year’s resolutions. By answering these questions myself, I’ve decided that this is going to be the year I ease up on my own expectations and grow as a person. As I mention constantly in my book, The Rescue You Program, nothing is more important than that you feel good. So, I ask that you don’t pick resolutions that make you feel stressed or overwhelmed. When you choose a goal, ask yourself, Will this make me feel good? You will want your goals to make you feel inspired and hopeful.
Here we go!
- What is my intention for the New Year?
- How will I begin?
- How will I follow through?
I have an intention to live a grateful life that feels whole and true to me. I have decided to name a yearly focus: growth. Since many of my setbacks and challenges in the last year were based on a sense of being overwhelmed and a lack of focus, I’m going to dedicate each week to a specific goal. For instance, this has been a great “Week of Planning.” I like to begin every New Year with a cleanse, so the coming days will start the “Week of Cleanse.” I’ll detox, de-clutter, and de-stress from the holi-daze.
After everything I’ve learned in reflection, my main challenge will be increasing my focus and honing in on my goals–1 at a time. If you’re setting resolutions, creating a general intention that summarizes your plight is a great way to organize your goals. Think of the five main pillars of life: physical, mental, spiritual, financial, and relational, and set a goal or resolution for each that aligns with that greater intention.
For instance, if my intention was to live a healthy, clean lifestyle, my first resolution would be to lose five pounds. The resolution aligns with the intention, because at five pounds less my current weight, I feel healthier and more energetic.
Now I can spend my day walking around, asking myself specific versions of “Will this make me feel good?” Once I have that specific resolution in mind (lose five pounds), my choices will be similar to these:
Will this cupcake help me create my intention?
Will this walk help me achieve my intention?
Will this portion lead me closer to my goal?
Tomorrow, I’m blogging my entire list of New Year’s resolutions, and I’ll cross them off as I achieve them through the year. Please feel free to link up or join me in your journal. Here’s wishing you a New Year filled to the brim with joy, growth, comfort, safety, health, and wealth! All the best ♥