Happy New Year! The hustle and bustle of the holidays is behind us and the new year is soon to be in full swing. This New Year especially has a lot of attention around it as we close out a decade. Many people so far have asked me what my New Year’s resolution will be this year. Seems like a big question. How have you been answering?
While thinking of ways to start over may sound amazing in theory, resolutions may be the thing that makes this New Year a little less exciting and a little more resentment filled. The idea of a fresh start fills up gyms, yoga studios, workshops, and dating apps in the month of January, but the research shows that typically by March, attendance is down dramatically. The US News and world report shows that a whopping 80 percent of resolutions fail. Ouch, that’s a big number.
So what goes wrong? So many of us when we think of resolutions decide to go big! We choose things we have never done before, things that are extremely difficult to do, or we decide to give up something that we love. Our expectations are too high which can lead to disappointing ourselves and feeling “less than”.
Resolution means to resolve something- its almost like you’re saying you are fixing something that is broken. This lends itself to our harsh self-talk and starts the year off in shadow. It eludes to the fact that things are not good enough as they are so it needs to change… well that’s no way to get a fresh start is it? We can do better than this.
Rather than deciding on a resolution for this New Year let’s start the year off with some reflection, gratitude, and a shift in the way we speak to ourselves. Let’s start with building intentions to allow our life to grow rather than change. Some people like to choose a word of intention for the New Year- something they are reaching for or striving to achieve. Words like clarity, love, joy, etc. Some people simply choose the word YES to encourage them to say yes to more opportunities when they arise.
The idea of setting a word as an intention for the year can allow your goal to be more likely to achieve. By using a word of intention, it can be a reminder throughout each situation to check in with yourself. For example, last year I set the intention of the word growth. As I lived throughout the days and months and especially when I made big decisions, I checked in and asked myself “does this activity encourage growth?”
Wow was that an enlightening thing to ask on a regular basis. I found myself realizing that a majority of the tasks I did were not sparking a sense of growth or inspiration. It allowed me space to be present and reevaluate how I was living. It offered space to examine my relationships, to feel where the draining sensations were weighing on me, and to consciously let unhealthy friendships go when needed. I ended up signing up for more trainings to advance my skills, making friends who inspired me to change my perspective, and listening to more podcasts that made my commute a learning experience. My self-worth grew over last year as well as I continued to check in with myself and encouraged my gifts to expand.
Intentions are non-judgmental. They are realistic and forgiving, and a way to believe that these dreams are real and will come true. By setting intention for anything we are guiding our energy toward where we want to go and communicating with the universe that we are inviting in such things. Meditate on your intentions, say your intentions aloud with belief that they will be fulfilled, and continue to check in so you may see your progress toward your goal.
The way we talk to ourselves has a lot to do with our ability to move forward. By giving ourselves realistic expectations and building on a theme for the year we can change our negative self-talk into inspiring messages that spark growth. Let’s shift our focus from what we want to change to how we want to grow. Spend time evaluating our unique gifts and exploring ways to enhance them. Mostly, hold yourself gently with the New Year and allow yourself some grace if your intentions are slow to gain momentum.
The idea of this shift in the New Year from resolutions to intentions is meant to be something you can focus on each day with the smallest things we do in our lives. By asking yourself the question “does this help me grow?” when waking up for work each morning we can allow ourselves to be more present with the moments passing by, and to pay attention to the things that make us feel positive.
So as another year and decade comes to a close, reflect on the amazing changes that have occurred in your life over the months and years. Know that anything is possible and embrace the opportunities awaiting you. It’s about the journey with this stuff, there is no destination or outcome that will complete us. Be kind, be present, be gentle with yourself. Wishing you all the opportunity to step into your best selves this year and to listen to the messages guiding you from within.
So in closing I ask, What’s your word of intention for 2025?
