It’s that time of year again! The holidays are right around the corner and before you know it the New Year will be here. Have you thought about goals or intentions that you would like to set for the New Year?
I know. You’re about to jump right into the madness of the holiday season and you’re probably thinking “ I don’t have enough time to prepare” or “Let’s get through December first and I’ll think about it at the end of the year” but it’s going to come soon enough.
And if you’re not careful it could become a negative reflection of what you wish you had done rather than a positive experience filled with how much you can achieve.
I have a little trick that I want to share with you.
I set my intentions on December 1st. I know, crazy, right? I’ve always been a rule-breaker but there’s a valid reason to my madness here! When you set intentions for the New Year in December and follow through the New Years Eve becomes a beautiful celebration of what you can accomplish, rather than another depressing evening of reflecting on what could have been.
Have you ever felt depressed on New Year’s Eve? Or thought to yourself well I guess I just let another year pass by and I didn’t change a thing?
With this one simple switch and some accountability, you can wake up New Year’s Day feeling hopeful, proud and excited.
Are you ready to set yourself up for success?
Great! First things first I gave up on goals years ago. No, that doesn’t mean that I don’t achieve great things or dream big dreams. It means that I no longer focus on achievement instead I focus on what I want to feel because here’s the thing at the end of the day what you have is not going to matter but what you FEEL now that’s a completely different story.
With that being said, I believe in setting intentions. Intentions are not based on end results they are based on feelings and how you want to feel. They are the starting and ending point for everything beautiful in life. They are the heart while goals are what the mind believes they must achieve based on societal standards.
I ask you to reflect back on times when you’ve intended on something. You intended to phone a friend, touch your toes or send your mother a thinking of you card. Intentions are kind and they warm the heart. They define how one should want to live their life. And if you set them they will define yours for years to come.
Just remember that intentions are less about the destination and more about how you would like to feel along the journey. They are deeper than goals as they ask you to reflect on who you are rather than who you would like to be. Remember that when you’re setting intentions the ULTIMATE INTENTION is to be happy to ensure that your intentions are aligned with your own personal values.
When considering setting your own intentions take a moment to step back and assess what currently makes you happy?
Here are just a few examples that could be on your list.
- Your family
- Exercise
- Work
- Art
- Writing
- Crafts
- Beach
- Nature
- Being in the Present
- Animals
- Philanthropy
- Education
The list could go and on and on but what makes us happy as individuals are different. You must set intentions that are wholeheartedly based on how you want to feel and not how your parents, spouses or business partners want you to feel. If you set intentions that are based on someone else’s values not only will you not be happy, you will never follow through on them.
Once you have built intentions that are based on your own values you should begin to frame them into positive sentences that focus on your desires. Here is a clear reframe of how to set a positive intention.
Bad Intention Example
“I intend to build a million-dollar business.”
Good Intention Example
“I intend to build a business where I am financially stable and abundant.”
The statements above are different as the last one correlates with what makes you happy. Stability and abundance are of utmost importance to you in the New Year rather than $1 million. With stability and abundance, your goal is infinite, however when your goal is a million dollars it has set limitations.
Can you recognize the difference? Reframe your statements to model the sentence above and you’ll find intentions inspiring and fulfilling.
Intentions can be inspiring! Choose ones that make you happy!
I ask you to close your eyes and say the word intention. How does it make you feel? Now close your eyes and think of your desires. Do any of them make you feel the same as warm as the word “intention”? If they do, I implore you to start writing them down and working towards them. Not only will you be setting yourself up for success in the New Year but you will also be fueled by passion and love as you’ll be chasing all that your heart desires.
And what a beautiful way to live your life that would be. What a beautiful way to live.