New Year’s “Intentions”, the New “Resolution” of 2021
Happy New Year, everyone!
We’ve finally made it to 2021. Does anyone else feel like we all just ran thirty-three and a half marathons?!
With each upcoming New Year, I confide in the “future me” of my hopes, dreams, and goals with a glimmering hope that somehow, the next year will be much better than the last.
Except, the last time I sent off my detailed list of 2020’s resolutions to “future me”, she left me on “read”. 🤨
Yeah… I’m not proud of it, but I’m also going to give myself a forgiving pat on the back. If you can relate, you should, too.
Allow me to recount all the undeniably wild events that unfolded for me last year.
1.) A newly-fractured toe during mine and my husband’s vacation to Mexico (god help me)
2.) Moving out of our dream house and on to another adventure (Not really willing to go)
3.) Juggling a new way of eating, more classes, moving out of the old house waiting for our new house to be built (timing) packing up a 5,000 square foot house, toe still hurts from October and just the stress of it all.
Admittedly, my setbacks in 2020 seem small compared to many others across the globe. Regardless, we just have to accept the things that are inevitable, and we can’t control them.
Overall, 2020 certainly wasn’t THE year for most people.
With that being said, there were some absolutely amazing events in 2020 that helped me find purpose and meaning to kick off 2021 the right way. In fact, I haven’t felt this good since before and right after my explant surgery. (Admittedly, those were some pretty gnarly times.)
1.) New adventure in a new state
2.) Get to decorate a new home
3.) Meet new people and spend more time with the hubby (Getting ready to retire)
However, I have had some amazing things happen in 2020.
With that being said, have you pondered on your New Year’s resolutions for 2021?
I have. And this year, it may look just a little bit brighter than the last. But first, let me shed some light on what my New Year’s resolutions have like for the past few years:
- Practicing Yoga daily
- Learn something new every month
- Read more books
- Workout 5 days a week
- Set a schedule and routine for healthier habits
- Create world peace ✌🏻
No doubt, these are all things I want to do. But, can I proudly say I accomplished all of these? Well, I’m not so sure.
Maybe most of us are in agreement with replacing the word “resolutions” and using the word, “intentions”, instead.
Take a look at this:
Resolution is defined as ‘a firm decision to do or not to do something’, and ‘the quality of being determined or resolute’. While, Intention is defined as ‘something you intend to do’ and is you aim or plan.
These two words may seem similar, but there is a difference. The reason why the word “resolution” is difficult for us to swallow is because it’s rigid. We hear ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ and it makes us shiver at the thought that one mistake and all progress is lost.
On the other hand, the word “intention” is flexible. It shows that every action you do is a step closer to your aim. Despite making mistakes, it is still considered growth towards what you intend to do.
“Which word sounds better and more motivational?”
Both of these words are similar, but “intention” adds a ring to someone’s ears because it’s new to hear “New Year Intentions” instead of “resolutions”. However, “resolution” is a word filled with depth since it means you are eager and determined to stick with something throughout the whole year. Having heard “New Year Resolutions” all our lives, and seeing that we don’t get to fulfill our resolutions, this word feels like you can just throw it around.
Whether you use “intention” or “resolution”, it is subjective. It boils down to the person and whether their goals for the year are realistic and if they’ll stick to it for the whole 365 days.
At the risk of sounding ambitious, I am deciding to stick with 4 “intentions” for each quarter of this year. This would give me plenty of time to learn each pattern and create these into habits – intentions – and not just another thing I am going to do and lose sight of.
- Being more present.
This allows me to refocus my perspective in all areas of my life such as my business, my marriage, and my relationships.
To become present, I have to start by being aware of those around me and who need me. I can do this through little actions such as putting my phone away during dinner (this includes not watching television), that way I can give my full attention to the food I’m eating and to my husband. Then during bedtime, placing my phone in another room or just further away from me. This can help me create a healthier habit of not going to bed and waking up with my phone.
Another action I can do is to listen. Listening to people when they talk, it’s not that I don’t listen but there are times when you can’t help your eyes wander around and think about other things. Listening is an art and it requires full focus. It’s not just about listening to reply and have an exchange of dialogue. It can simply be listening intently to the words they want to say, even if they’re not saying it.
Being present can also be about being present for myself. First thing in the morning, I should spend it by psyching myself and my day with questions like, “Who do I want to be today, not what I am going to do?” Afterwards, I can initiate a special time with my husband, wherein the both of us could set our intentions for the day.
- Be Grateful
Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful. But more on being consistently grateful. To tell myself what an amazing life I live, to let my husband know I appreciate how hard he works for our family, and to feel it radiate throughout my body. I could do this by taking time out to slow down and maybe even stop to smell some roses.
Building gratitude can be done through starting my daily reflection by expressing gratitude for just waking up, writing down what I am grateful for every morning, leaving one (1) negative thing to myself a day – this hopefully can help me create the habit of thinking before speaking, uttering the words “Thank you” to my husband for the things he helps me with throughout the day even if it may be simple, giving gratitude to my neighbors, friends, and family by showing small acts of gratitude such as calling them, surprising them with a card, sending a virtual hug, and texting friends to say how grateful I am for their presence, listing down people I haven’t talked to in a while who had an impact on my life and finding a way to contact and thank them, and leaving more review for places and products I have enjoyed and purchased from.
- Be more creative for ME
Sometimes, with a job that constantly requires you to be creative for others, it becomes a chore and I lose the luster to work and to feel inspired. It also takes away time to enhance my own creativity and to do things I want for myself and for those close to me.
I have to indulge myself for some ME-time. Allowing myself to hit pause and do what I want to do, instead of what I am asked to do. I can do this by spending some time in the afternoon to meditate, relaxing into a magazine for inspiration, or watching a show that inspires me. Maybe bring out my cookbooks and get to meal planning – being creative with some brand new dishes and recipes. Getting out of the box and trying different foods and new restaurants, listening to podcasts while doing household chores, or going for an afternoon break instead of watching television, and most importantly, acting more like my goofy self-singing while in the show, car, or whenever I feel like it. Who cares and why not? My creative self is when I’m my true self, no reservations.
My ME-time doesn’t have to be limited to just being alone, I can find other women out there who do what I do and reach out to come together and help each other. I should un-learn my shyness and ask my friends, family, and people who inspire me for help – especially when I need it. It’s time to be vulnerable and feel my emotions, that way I can let it all out, then feel better and get back on my feet. When I think about the rejection, I have had in the past putting it behind me by realigning my headspace to a positive one and telling myself how loved, creative, and fortunate I am. Using past failures as a source of learning curve, and even a motivation to compare how far I’ve gone and grown.
- Be NEW
Press the reset button! Pull out of old habits and replace them with new intentions. Everything mentioned above is what I intend to do, but this fourth intention requires creating an action plan that keeps me on task.
I can begin this by scheduling my day, it doesn’t have to be per hour, but the important highlights of the day. I have a habit of thinking I can remember everything and then I don’t get as much done as I can with a time schedule. Aside from this, I can restart my habits and change up a few things such as sticking with a nightly routine for bedtime, no phone after 8pm and putting it far away from me, drinking tea, taking more baths to help relax me, setting up my diffusers in my bedroom and office to help with sleep and focus, and instead of having the TV on during work hours, I can listen to classical music. There is a study that shows that classical music playing in the background while studying or working can help improve your concentration.
In conclusion, I hope this helps you with setting your own intentions for 2021. There is no set date on when you need to start, but it’s a good idea to sit down after the first of the year when all the chaos of the holiday is finished and review the last year.
Take time and try to do the following:
- Sit quietly and think about what you wanted to work on for yourself and what possibly fell through the cracks.
- Write down as many things as you can and when you are done you will see that you can form a few categories of your intentions.
- Once you have your categories (try to keep them small), work on a few things in each section that you feel would need a little nudge to get them moving.
- Pick time frames for the quarters and go from there.
Be easy on yourself when you struggle. It takes time to undo what we all have been accustomed to. Take baby steps and when we have created a new habit through our intentions – stop, be grateful, and thank ourselves. Would love to hear about your new Year intentions. Tell me about your challenges and what is ahead of your this coming year.
Have a wonderful year ahead!
XO
Clean Beauty Babe
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