Ahhh January. It snuck up on me. Maybe it was the weather… For me, the New Year doesn’t start until I am well into the first week of January. Yes, that’s right I ring in the year as we all do but I don’t make any plans or decisions until the dust has settled. In fact, I feel that I am only able to reflect on the previous year on January 2nd because on New Years Day we just relax! Some years, my family (husband and dog) will enjoy the day on our own other years we are sharing the day with loved ones. No matter the number or age of participants we set the tone as soon as we awake by staying in our PJs for as long as possible! Our mantra for the day, “Its time to let go.” Let go of the past because it’s done, it’s over and of anticipation of the future because… well you just don’t know what it holds.
And here’s the thing with every cycle of breath there is a new moment. Life is a series of moments and each cycle of breath you are in a new one that will never be repeated. It’s like writing a book, each day is a blank page, imagine that in a given year you have the opportunity to write 365-page book, the best book ever! Ok, well if you go by my calendar of the holiday season, which technically ends on January 6th (you can look it up… I swear it follows a Christian feast day called Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day…thanks catholic school!), you have 359 days to write your own story for 2016. Each day you flip a page and it’s a new start. For 2016 consider a new perspective in creating sustainable motivation. Set an intention, not a resolution!
One year, yes on January 1st, I did let go of setting resolutions and switched my focus to setting an intention. I felt, and still do, that when I set an intention not only am I setting myself up for success I also understand that there is a deeper meaning of what I am trying to cultivate in my life and how I want to live it. Setting an intention is unlike setting a resolution or a hard “I will do or not do X,” rule you are setting an intention on how you want to fill your page. An intention is a quality or attribute you want to embody in your life with every breath you take and move you make.
An Intention is a clear and specific wish, or as simple as a word or phrase you’d like to align yourself with, like “open your mind and heart,” “love,” “softness,” “strength,” or “compassion for myself and others.” Be sure to frame your intention to be a positive force or driver in your life. so instead of saying “stop being a coward,” or “spend less time alone,” choose the intentions, “be courageous” or simply, “community”.
Here are some guiding questions to help you frame an intention, ask yourself:
What do you intend to create or cultivate in your life, for today and even for the coming week?
What do you intend to create, accomplish, or change in the coming week? In the coming day?
How do you want to show up in life?
What are three things outside yourself that support your intention?
Your intention should be closely tied to your personal thoughts, values and perspective on life. Setting clear, short-term intentions really helped to focus my energy, attention and alleviated a lot of stress and tension.
Listen to this guided meditation aimed at bringing clarity to how you want to live, how you want to show up in order to "write a book" you would be proud of in 2016. Have the courage to pivot away from resolutions and embrace setting an intention.
