How to Set Powerful New Year’s Intentions by Kait Fowlie
Love them or hate them, New Year’s Resolutions are on many minds right now. The start of a new year is, unequivocally, high time for a fresh start. The reality is: just 22% of Canadians who make New Year’s resolutions actually see them through. Can you relate?
We don’t have to scrap the idea of making a new year’s resolution altogether (this can be a powerful practice if you feel called to it!) we just need to do it our way. This year, set intentions rather than make resolutions and watch how transformative your year becomes.
Intention vs. Resolution
How is an intention different from a resolution? For one, intentions come from a place of love - not lack. They are not a set of any defined, specific actions that will bring about a desired outcome, rather, they are a thought-form of our choosing that implies and affirms that we are good, whole, and that we have everything we need to be our best self.
Intentions work by connecting us to our deepest values (not judgements from our mind) to propel us toward positive actions. So for example, if you would like to change your body in some way, rather than setting a specific goal, create an intention that anchors you in your authentic why, such as, ‘I want to change my body in ____ way so I’m able to have kids and be healthy for them.’ Or, say you want to start a blog this year. Your intention might be, ‘I want to connect my ideas with the world so I can plant seeds of positivity in my generation as part of my legacy.’
A good intention reminds us what we truly want, and why. Being mindful of it through the year can help instil our movements with a sense of purpose, and empower us to start living in alignment with our values. And any number of desired outcomes can find us. Intentions, unlike resolutions, are not limiting. Nor are they opportunities for ‘failure.’
To identify your new year’s intention, set aside some time to ask yourself: ‘What does my heart truly want, for myself, and my world?’ You might do this in your journal, or in meditation or quiet contemplation. Try putting it into a statement that feels good to you – something you might hold in your mind like a mantra (try filling out a sentence like, ‘I am______’ or, ‘I can _____’).
Next, to go a step further, ask yourself: ‘What is preventing me from devoting yourself fully to this intention, in all I do?’ Your commitment to releasing what stands between you and living out your heart’s truest desires will make for a powerful year.
Being in alignment with what you want is rewarding in and of itself. Make 2019 the year you do it.
Kait Fowlie is a Tarot Reader, Reiki Healer & Blogger living in Toronto.