New Year, New Intentions for 2023
It’s a new year, and for those of you not following me on social media, I am using this new year to try and get back to writing my blog more consistently. This is a fantastic segue too into the topic of this post: New Year’s intentions.
I posted on my stories a few weeks ago about how I no longer set New Year’s resolutions but rather intentions for the year. I want to explain what that means and why it is important to me. So, first, let me discuss the difference.
A resolution, most common in the Western World, is a promise you make to yourself to do something differently in the new year. People often use a new year as a fresh start, a chance to do something they didn’t get around to or never thought of doing the previous year. For example, exercise more, lose x number of pounds, learn a new skill or hobby, read x number of books, etc.
An intention tends to be much less rigid. They are soft, qualitative, and compassionate and serve as a reminder rather than an exact goal. For example, listen to and honour my body, read more books, prioritize self-care, live compassionately, etc.
In the past, I have set resolutions. I wanted to provide myself with structure and exact goals so that I felt a sense of accomplishment once I achieved them. For some people, that system works really well. However, as the years have gone on, I have learned that setting fixed, inflexible goals for myself causes more harm than good. I would stress more about getting stuff done and not consider how the resolutions were truly going to enrich my life. Consider, alongside this, S.M.A.R.T goals. S.M.A.R.T is a mnemonic acronym, standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. As I mentioned, for some people, these are fantastic. They provide set goals that you can keep track of and must be completed within a given timeframe.
Here’s the thing with resolutions: for so many others, they don’t help but hinder progress. How many people do you know commit to going to the gym more at the beginning of a new year in order to lose weight (or whatever other goal they have) and then lose momentum part way through January? How many people do you know who tell themselves they want to read 15 books by the end of the year and then feel immense guilt if they only get through 5? The trouble with resolutions is that they don’t provide room for change. Life is not linear, things come up that we don’t expect, and that can throw us off the wagon so far that we have no hope of hopping back on.
That is why I’ve pivoted, and chosen to set intentions for the year to come instead. Anytime I do something, whether that’s cooking, moving my body, spending money, or what have you, I remember my intentions. They keep me grounded and focused on growth but don’t steer me away from enjoying the thrills of life. In the past, my intentions have been focused on change: spending more time in therapy, developing a healthier relationship with my body, giving myself grace and being kinder to myself. This year, I (and Adrian by proxy) have chosen to focus on healing. I want to reduce waste (food, spending, etc.), and increase self-love and exploration. It has become so important (to both of us) to have more fun. That can include being active and moving our bodies, nourishing ourselves but also leaving room for traditionally ‘unhealthy’ foods, and spending time with loved ones, all while caring for ourselves mentally. As creative people, we want to get back to feeling inspired about the world around us.
Day by day in 2023, we will remind ourselves to only buy what we need and only give energy to things and people that serve us. This reminder keeps us on track, but won’t be accompanied by a sense of incompletion come December.
What do you think about New Year’s intentions? Do you typically set resolutions for yourself? Would you try intentions instead? Share with me in the comments!
