We made it — 2024 is here. For many of us, surviving 2023 is a major accomplishment.
The start of 2024 has felt sort of like a yawn. I’ve got some plans and ideas in the works but at the same time the energy and enthusiasm isn’t quite there yet. Maybe it’s the cold winter weather or the dark mornings, but it feels like things are still taking shape and I don’t quite have all the information or inspiration yet. In any case, I’m relishing these moments of quiet preparation before the academic semester begins and before I launch some new things.
If you’re still contemplating your intentions for the new year, these journal prompts I offered for a recent new year’s intention setting + yoga class might get your ideas flowing:
Reflect on 2023:
What was good about 2023?
What was challenging about 2023?
What lessons from 2023 do you want to bring in to 2024?
Explore the energy of 2024:
What do you want to feel or experience in 2024?
What color do you connect 2024 with?
What word(s) do you connect 2024 with?
Set intentions for 2024:
Write down three (or more) potential your intentions for 2024.
What could get in the way of those intentions?
How do your intentions help or support others?
Rewrite/refine your intentions.
While I’m not quite ready to share my intentions since they’re still a work in progress, I would like to share that in 2024 I want to feel more connected to my purpose. The color that I’m connecting with is a blue-green. Some of the words and phrases I’m working with are expansion, home, decisiveness, fun, and honoring my body.
A couple more things about setting intentions that you might consider:
Be mindful of your “why.” For example, if your intention has to do with weight loss or changing your appearance, is it because you’re trying to conform yourself to society’s expectations OR is it because you want live longer and have more energy? One of the reasons we might lose motivation to follow through on our intentions is because the “why” doesn’t match up with our truth or priorities. One way to get to your “why” is to phrase your intention as: My intention for 2024 is ________ in order to _________.
Make your intentions open ended. Unexpected things are going to pop up. By making open-ended intentions, you build in some flexibility for yourself to adapt and modify them as needed. If you want to create more specific and measurable goals, such as SMART goals, consider setting those in 3 - 4 month increments.
There are a lot of difficult and scary things happening in our world and much of it seems overwhelming and out of control. Intention setting is a way to keep hope alive and to connect with our ability to make positive, mindful changes for ourselves and our communities.
All this being said, if you’re not feeling up to making intentions this year, there’s nothing wrong with that! It’s better to wait for a spark of inspiration than to force it.
Wishing you ease at the start of 2024.
Next week I’ll be announcing some new offerings! Stay tuned…