NEW YEAR. MORE INTENTION.
It is usually this time of year which brings focus to reflect back on the year that was and future plan for the new year ahead. I even heard today that someone follows their yearly plan like the bible. No deviation whatsoever.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good plan. But I also know that a plan can be thrown out the window when there is an unexpected bump in the road. An unexpected bump which takes years to recover from mentally, physically and emotionally. I think sometimes the pressure of setting new year goals can be overwhelming, especially when we toe the line with such determination that an unreached goal is failure.
A daily ritual I started incorporating in my routine late last year was intention setting. I would set my intention for the day each morning which was not related to an output, rather my experience of an action. A favourite intention which popped up many times last year was to remain focused reading.
I found myself wandering off in thought as I was reading lots and lots of literature and I hoped by acknowledging my whimsical mind, I could tame it and bring it back to where I needed it to be. And surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, it was incredibly effective.
For me an end goal can feel huge. And even when we break down the path to reach them into small doable steps, the sense of overwhelm can still be there.
And while of course I have goals, some are huge and some are small, I aim to weave all of these through daily intentions focusing on experience, not output.
So 2023… may you be a year of kindness. Granting permission for goals to not always be reached, for new ones to be created along the way and for unexpected bumps in the road to take precedence of attention that deviate you from your plan.
Sometimes deviations in a plan can be a much needed sidestep in your path. It certainly was for me.
HNY ♥