It's that time of year again.... everyone and their sister is talking about their New Years resolutions and goals they are setting to improve their lives. Some set financial goals, business goals, health and wellness goals and more. But did you know that over 85% of people do not stick to their New Years goals and resolutions/goals? This causes most of these goals to not ever come to fruition. Leaving us feeling like failures too afraid to start again.
The last few years when the New Year comes around I've started focusing on what intentions and habits I want to create in my life for a new year and it has truly changed my life.
Sure I still make a few "goals" but am I intentional about how I'm going to achieve these goals and what habits I need to form to achieve them.
Shifting focus to intentions and habit building reminds us of the kind of person we want to be. Intentions allow us to be more mindful. There is also more room for error when you’re being intentional and ditching the perfectionist mentality. When you are intentional with something and you fail, it’s not a failure but a lesson on what’s not working. When goals are set and they don’t work, most people brush it off as a failure and stop moving forward. This keeps us stuck where we don't want to be for a long time!
Being intentional is about the journey. When you are intentional, you do your best and pivot when needed with no feelings of failure. Habits begin to form when you are intentional about things and these habits you build begin to form who you are.
For example, if you are intentional about something you want, you might fail a few times but you're going to create the habit to keep showing up. If you become intentional about moving your body rather than making a goal of "losing 10 pounds" you're going to keep showing up even after a few days of not moving your body because you'll know the intention behind it. Its about becoming better, not becoming perfect.
Intentions build habits which help you become closer to the person you want to be.
Not sure what intentions to set for yourself? Don't worry! I'll show you how to begin creating intentions and building habits below. Intentions are very similar to goals with a different energy behind it.
A few intention ideas:
start budgeting
leave your limiting beliefs behind
stop surrounding yourself with toxic people
begin a morning routine
put time aside for myself
start working out
drink water every morning
begin a journal practice
organize your home
let go of anger
laugh more
let go fo control
understand myself and my actions
listen to what my body needs
be more active
play more
let go of fear
move your body
begin a workout practice
be present each day
to be more grateful
to accept myself
The list goes on.
Ask yourself these questions below to get clear on your intentions
What am I not accomplishing in my current routine?
What is holding me back from accomplishing that?
What do I have more time to accomplish with my current routine?
What can I prioritize more?
What can I cut back on thats taking time out of my day?
What brings me joy?
What can I do to bring more of that into my life?
How can I put myself first? Why would this benefit me?
What area of my life needs the most improvement?
How can I be more intentional there?
What are my values and what do I stand for?
What are my limiting beliefs about myself I want to leave behind?
How can I practice that daily?
Why do I want to get rid of these limiting beliefs?
What do I want to believe about myself that I don’t already?
What positive things do I believe about myself?
Do I need to forgive anyone, or myself, so I can more forward without that baggage?
How can I push myself out of my comfort zone this year?
What kind of person do I want to be?
What is one small thing I can do each day to build a habit I want to create? (This question can be used multiple times in different areas you want to improve).
At the end of 2021, what is one thing I want to have accomplished?
What energy do I want to feel this year?
My mantra for the next year will be..
Brainstorm up to 10 words that captivate how you want to show up this year. Pick one to focus on. When you’re feeling lost, like you’ve failed or unmotivated this year - come back to that word and remember WHY you chose it.
Keep it simple & give yourself grace.
Start with 1 pushup. 1 dollar in savings. 1 workout a week. 1 healthy meal a day. 1 cabinet organized. 1 page journaled. 1 hour for yourself. Start with one and build from there. We're all just doing the best that we can. And when we realize that its easier to give ourselves grace.
I hope this blog post brought you value and inspired you to set your own intentions for 2021.
