My 2016 Intentions
During a recent, mindless scrolling on Facebook, I stumbled upon an old blog post that discussed the benefits in creating "intentions" over "resolutions" in a new year. Less pressure. Less guilt when you stumble and mess up and more likely to sustain longer than the one or two month resolutions that seem to fade into the wind as quickly as they rode in. Makes sense.
I've been sitting on what my focus areas (call them what you will) should be for this new year. I've been in no rush to identity and publicly announce my intentions for 2016. What's the hurry? Though getting mono definitely wasn't on my list of things "to do" at the end of 2015, it forced me to press pause and JUST BE and I realized that even though I didn't feel so hot (I was actually miserable), being able to turn down the noise of life and not live from one planed activity to the next was refreshing. I focused more on the present and practiced moving from a place of restlessness to a place of contentment.
So with all of that in mind, here are my intentions for 2016 in the hope that I'm not creating a "new" me but a more "present" me in the year ahead.
Read more. I've stated this before but I'd really like to finish 12 books by the end of 2016. That may not seem that grand for those of you who devour books regularly but I get sucked into television and going out and never seem to pick up a book. Twelve books. So far I've read The Girl on the Train and I'm halfway through Reconstructing Amelia. I'm also working my way through Creativity, Inc. at a much slower pace during my lunch breaks when I don't have lunch plans.
Unplug more. I've made it a point NOT to keep my phone next to my bed at night when I sleep but that doesn't stop me from scrolling through Instagram and Facebook the moment I wake up. I'm trying to focus more on organizing my thoughts for the day, checking in with the Man upstairs, and jamming out to some tunes in the morning before I plunge into social media (or check my email).
Rest more. I turned down an invitation to go out Saturday night to stay in, read, and watch a movie. In fact, I spent most of the weekend relaxing without feeling pressure to see and be seen. I'm not saying I'm interested in becoming a hermit; I'm just saying a Friday or Saturday night saying NO to going out and YES to staying in won't be the death of my social life and will give me a chance to rest and relax.
Focus on my health more. No. this doesn't mean I am going to increase the number of times I work out in any given week. But I'm going to focus on how I'm working out, what I'm working out, and how I'm providing my body with the necessary nourishment it needs to sustain that. Cook more at home. Meal prep. Buy more fresh foods. Try to steer clear of frozen entrees. That sort of thing.
Say "YES" more. To new adventures and new outings and new opportunities. You never know what could be waiting for you if you lean into the discomfort and put yourself out there. It doesn't mean I'm saying YES to everything. It means I'm going to be more intentional about saying YES to things I might normally like to say NO to.
So there we go. My intentions/goals/commitments/focus areas for 2016. No, they won't amount to a new me but I am hopeful they will assist me in becoming a more balanced and present me in the year ahead.
Cheers.
Read more. I've stated this before but I'd really like to finish 12 books by the end of 2016. That may not seem that grand for those of you who devour books regularly but I get sucked into television and going out and never seem to pick up a book. Twelve books. So far I've read The Girl on the Train and I'm halfway through Reconstructing Amelia. I'm also working my way through Creativity, Inc. at a much slower pace during my lunch breaks when I don't have lunch plans.
Unplug more. I've made it a point NOT to keep my phone next to my bed at night when I sleep but that doesn't stop me from scrolling through Instagram and Facebook the moment I wake up. I'm trying to focus more on organizing my thoughts for the day, checking in with the Man upstairs, and jamming out to some tunes in the morning before I plunge into social media (or check my email).
Rest more. I turned down an invitation to go out Saturday night to stay in, read, and watch a movie. In fact, I spent most of the weekend relaxing without feeling pressure to see and be seen. I'm not saying I'm interested in becoming a hermit; I'm just saying a Friday or Saturday night saying NO to going out and YES to staying in won't be the death of my social life and will give me a chance to rest and relax.
Focus on my health more. No. this doesn't mean I am going to increase the number of times I work out in any given week. But I'm going to focus on how I'm working out, what I'm working out, and how I'm providing my body with the necessary nourishment it needs to sustain that. Cook more at home. Meal prep. Buy more fresh foods. Try to steer clear of frozen entrees. That sort of thing.
Say "YES" more. To new adventures and new outings and new opportunities. You never know what could be waiting for you if you lean into the discomfort and put yourself out there. It doesn't mean I'm saying YES to everything. It means I'm going to be more intentional about saying YES to things I might normally like to say NO to.
So there we go. My intentions/goals/commitments/focus areas for 2016. No, they won't amount to a new me but I am hopeful they will assist me in becoming a more balanced and present me in the year ahead.
Cheers.
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