Just like so many of us, this time of year has us thinking about setting goals for the new year.  Well, I must admit, I gave that up many years ago.  Yup!  No goals.

Making goals that I can’t or don’t reach are just a way to create an unhappy mindset. No one likes that!

What I do have, are “Intentions” for the New Year!  Having intentions to get something done, that are written down, offer direction, a course to follow, but also give you a more realistic opportunity to succeed.

Here are 5 pieces of advice to help you brainstorm your new intentions for the new year:

1. Start small – Ask myself “How do you eat an elephant?”  The answer is “On bit at a time!”  In other words, take that big thing and break it down into little pieces.  It can help to make it much easier on you and keep it more realistic.
2. Be gentle with yourself – We humans tend to be very self-critical when things “don’t go as planned”. As we move into this time of “new year, new me”, our expectations are even higher. This leaves all kinds of room for disappointment and negative self-talk when we don’t achieve our goals (or intentions).  You are only human, and doing a wonderful job at it but things won’t always go as planed so why fight the current when you can go with the flow?
3. It’s ok to flop – How else would we grow and learn? Think about what you did learn and apply it next time.
4. Give yourself paise for what you did accomplish – Heck ya! Be proud of myself for even giving it a try. It takes time, energy, and power to give it a try. Go you!
5. Focus on yourself, not others – It’s all about you, baby! Your goals, your ambitions, your ideas of happiness all have one thing in common: who you are. Not who your best friend is or that person on social media that has their “life together”. Comparing yourself to others is something we’ve ALL been guilty of. Try working on changing the narrative! Instead of saying “I wish we could go on a vacation like “insert competitive here”, switch it up to “that’s great for them, once we save up enough, we’ll be able to take a vacation perfect for us”. Your life is yours, and yours only. As you plan your resolutions/goals/intentions ask yourself what makes sense for you and your life?

I’m not an expert at setting intentions, but I do hope this little bit of information helps you.  To keep your intentions front of mind, here are some helpful for tools:

• Pinterest boards of your favorite things/what inspires you/makes you feel good
• Journaling
• Setting phone reminders of your milestones
• Keeping a notebook for any and every thought that pops in your head
• Finding a blog or influencer that’s a realistic and positive source of inspiration
• I keep a copy of my intentions on the wall next to my computer and put it on my scheduler to check it at least monthly

All this being said, you just need to begin! Begin acting on your intentions for this year and years to come.