At the end of each year, I review the things I am most grateful for and set an intention for new year.
Picking a word that brings you back to that intention is a great tool to keep you on track.
An intention is not a new year’s resolution. It is a guiding theme that you follow throughout the year.
When you find yourself straying away from your intention, your word can bring you back.
How to Set An Intention
Ask, “What would you like to accomplish in 2023? What outcome do you want personally, professionally, or for your community?”
Then, ask, “Why?”
From an adult learning perspective, we need to feel like we have meaning in our life. That we are contributing to something that matters.
Even if we are not satisfied with our jobs, could our purpose be through a community organization, religion, family?
Research shows that those people that live the longest are those that stay active and productive throughout their lives.
I had a friend who was given a terminal cancer diagnosis that she beat.
She rarely missed a day of work and would not let anyone talk to her about death.
She stayed relevant, connected, and present through some of the worst cancer treatment side effects that I had ever seen. She told me that the cancer doctors are now telling people not to quit work because the outcomes are so much better.
Now I would not wish cancer on anyone, but this translates to our lives in so many ways.
My friend’s intention was to live and she did not veer from that intention until it was accomplished.
Tips for Setting New Year’s Intentions
Take a few minutes to review your values. What is most important to you in your life?
Love? Compassion? Power? Wealth? Patience? Forgiveness?
Pick the top 5 and prioritize them. They will lead you to your intention.
Then, think about your legacy. How do you want to be remembered? While it may seem morbid to consider your legacy. But, wouldn’t you rather choose your legacy than let life pass by only to find you don’t like the unintentional one you’ll leave behind?
Complete a gratitude list.
When we are in gratitude, we light up the pleasure center in our brains. It feels good to enter a state of gratitude. Also, it helps you define your intention by looking at what was most important to you in 2022.
Once you have defined your intention, read it out loud at least 5 times every day.
Post your word on your bathroom mirror, computer screen, refrigerator, and even in the car. Keep it in front of you to remind you of your intention.
At the end of 2023, take a new gratitude list and review your values. You might be amazed at what you have discovered.
Look for my 2023 series “The Therapeutic Helper”. This series will delve deeply into the qualities of individuals that really seem to make a difference in our lives.
