New Year’s Reflections and Intentions

I have been having lots of conversations lately with people about 2024. Several have shared with me their resolutions. I must admit, in my experience resolutions set individuals up with the possibility of feeling disappointed in not sticking to the aforementioned decision to do, or not do something. This disappointment can sometimes grow, leading to increased feelings of failure, only seeing completion and not progress as a definition of success, and a hesitation in making any goals for the future they want to see come to life.

It is not my role to tell clients to make or not make resolutions, so instead, I ask them to add REFLECTION to the mix! First, my “new year” starts on my birthday, not December 31st. You can choose any date to be the one that helps you ground yourself in the story of you.

If, in this case, 2023, was a book, that you wrote, about your year, the good the bad, the highs and lows, what would it be called?

If then, your publisher came to you and said, “Wow! Great book! People loved reading your 2023! We want you to write another book, only this time, we need you to title it, even before you write one word of it.” What will it be called?

When you find your title, that is now your INTENTION for the year. Goals, decisions, travel, relationships, anything you want to experience or accomplish can now find new motivation as it is being guided by the intention you already set for the year. Let’s say you choose “Growth” as your title (hopefully yours is a little more clever) and you want going to the gym to be a part of your story, even going just one time can be seen as GROWTH. Maybe you want to quit your job or leave a relationship, any step, even if at the end of the year, you are still in the job or relationship, can be seen as important and necessary parts of your story of Growth.

So with that…HAPPY NEW YEAR!