In 2019 I shared how setting an intention, instead of making a new year’s resolution, had worked for me. Since then, it has become an important end of year ritual. In 2022 I set an intention to “recalibrate”. Focussing on that word has led me to make changes in all aspects of my life including my health, finances and how I run my business.
The changes didn’t happen magically. For example, I had been having all sorts of niggly health problems that trips to the doctor hadn’t fixed. “Recalibrating” meant investing in a more wholistic approach to my health involving a comprehensive health assessment, taking professional guidance about diet and exercise, and reducing my client load.
Angela set the intention to “let today be effortless”. That didn’t mean she spent the day in bed in her jammies. It involved being conscious to not overschedule herself, not over think things and when things felt difficult asking herself “How can I make this easy?” For example, instead of spending a huge amount of time finding the perfect image on Canva for a blog, she’ll settle for one that is good enough. The result has been a shift in her mindset, letting go of perfectionist tendencies and letting go of problems that aren’t hers to solve.
My word for 2023 is “Enjoy” and I have already been taking it out for a test run. For example, I had an early medical appointment recently. Not a lot I could do about that. But I could make it more enjoyable by getting things ready the night before for a quick exit, having a travel mug of coffee, and listening to a great podcast while I was sitting in traffic.
Angela is still working on finding her word for 2023, but you can be sure that choosing it will be effortless.
Before you set a new year’s resolution to get organised, lose weight or get fit, consider how that’s worked for you in the past. If your resolutions typically fall over before the end of January, it might be a good time to try using a simple word or phrase to guide the millions of decisions and actions you will make to set an intention for 2023.
Written by Wendy Hanes
Update (January 2023): Angela has settled on her word for 2023. It is “Nurture”.
