INTENTIONS
This powerful practice is a way to find clarity by writing things down. Intentions, unlike goals, do not specify how you will get there, but they give you a direction and priority.
The year can seem to drag or fly by, and taking charge of your time at the start of the calendar year can be a refreshing way to step into new things, or to simply refine your existing way of living.
Before setting intentions for the coming year, let go of the past year. Sit or lie still for a few minutes and thinking through your highlights and lowlights, acknowledging successes and failures equally, and letting any unwanted energy from those moments go with a good exhale. Once that’s done, focus on your heart for a few breaths, feeling the softness of it. Allowing this vital organ to “soften” brings the nervous system into a calmer state.
Now, you’re ready to write a few things down.
Intentions are based on your values, so they allow you to envisage you in your full potential, without expectation of perfection. There’s wiggle room; it’s a mindful direction rather than a stressful challenge or goal.
Values can be about connections to the outside – family, good relationships, community; or personal characteristics and practices like patience, kindness, acceptance, discipline, gratitude; or life priorities like health, happiness, learning, leading, abundance.
Setting your 2022 Intentions
When I first did this exercise, I was struck by how it cleared the dross from my cluttered to-do list and laid the foundations for a productive and focused year. What is your WORD for 2022? Your Word is the overall value for this year. Take your time – it can be tough to decide, or it can leap out at you. Check the appendix for a list of possible words. If you’re overwhelmed, start with a list of 10 words. Whittle down to 5. Choose the one that resonates with you most strongly.
GOALS
Make your goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based. That way, you can be clear about what’s next, align it with your overall intention, and give have a mini-celebratoin every time you complete a step. Have fun!
What are your PERSONAL goals for 2022?
This may be to do with a personal habit (to create or to break) – read a book a month, watch 1 hour less of TV per day, etc.
What is the FIRST STEP (a very small easy step) that you can take?
When will you take it?
Action
Tick here when you have taken it: ___
Write your next (small) step here: __________________________________________
What are your HEALTH or FITNESS goals for 2022?
Would you like to have more energy? Complete a 5 km run? Try one new vegetarian recipe a month?
What is the FIRST STEP (a very small easy step) that you can take?
When will you take it?
Action
Tick here when you have taken it: ___
Write your next (small) step here: __________________________________________
What are your SPIRITUAL goals for 2022?
This may be about you and your self-awareness, or it may be about how you interact with the world. ~Taking a breath when you need a moment; being grateful for something each day; these are examples.
What is the FIRST STEP (a very small easy step) that you can take?
When will you take it?
Action
Tick here when you have taken it: ___
Write your next (small) step here: __________________________________________
What are your ___________________ (family, professional, etc) goals for 2022?
What is the FIRST STEP (a very small easy step) that you can take?
When will you take it?
Action
Tick here when you have taken it: ___
Write your next (small) step here: __________________________________________
Roll this process over as many times as you need, to see your goal through. Remember: Intention guides, Goals give a fixed aim, small (achievable, measurable|, time-based) steps make it happen. Happy new year!