I’m one of those kind of people that like to set Intentions for the New Year. Yes, I say Intentions – purposefully… not goals, nor resolutions. I intentionally say Intentions.
Last year I set the biggest goals of my life. I was impassioned and elated at the beginning of 2018–having set such BIG Ass Goals. About half way through the year, I started wrestling with questions of goal achieve-ability and talking with my support people about setting realistic goals. I really struggled with this… “Setting Realistic Goals” thinking about overdoing, over committing, feeling the stress of not getting things checked off my list. AND then the finale… I reviewed my goals at the end of the year… thinking I had not made even one of my BIG Five Goals in the categories of Health, Money, Calling, Relationships, & Spirit… As it turned out, I had completed the goals for Calling. But by December 31st of 2018, NONE of the other goals had actualized.
Interestingly, as I sat with this discomfort, I realized that I am (generally) used to getting what I want. I make things happen for myself, and in my life. Things may not turn out how I imagine, or how I plan, but I am good at moving forward in my life in a deliberate and intentional way.
This year, when I assessed my state of “failure”–yes, that is what it felt like–and I am quite certain the reason why so many people scoff at setting “resolutions” or “goals”. But when I sat with my results–or lack there of, and the prospect of another year was glaring me in face–asking outright… “what do you want to do this year?” I decided to set Intentions.
I created a page for each of the BIG Five in my journal: Health, Money, Calling; Relationships & Spirit. And I listed things in each–just a free form brainstorm. Things includes to-dos, ideas, desires, wants, needs, new habits and ways of being–in each category. Then I re-read the items on my list, and looked for an over arching theme, or Intention in each of the Big Five. Now I have a lovely working list, where I can check things off, brainstorm effective strategies, and move forward with intention–even as new strategies for success grow and bloom from the actions I take, and emerge from the things on the list that don’t actualize.
I like thinking of my Intentions of the Year, and the learnings I expect to glean from approaching and actualizing my desires–in this new way in 2019.
I chose the image of the Heron for this post, as he is a solo-fisher, quiet, patient, and deliberate.