A resolution is a ‘firm decision to do or not to do something’; an intention is a ‘thing intended’ which also suggests purpose and meaning. If these two things already seem far too similar, then continue reading. What I am suggesting is that instead of new year resolutions being about a month of doing or not, rather the new year can be a time of a greater commitment to being, going forward.

How do you discover your intentions?

The turn of the new year often marks the closing of many chapters for some and fresh starts for others, and thus is good a time as any to become aligned with yourself. But first, perhaps we have to look back and reflect on the previous year in order to know how to move forward in the next.

Give yourself the time to fully reflect back on 2017; not just the main events, but all those little experiences in between. Reflecting can be a process of learning about yourself, your relationships, and the wider community in the world around you. Perhaps start by questioning what were the ‘peaks’ and the ‘pits’. Not just what where they were, but how you related to them. What did you notice, think and feel about these experiences, and how did you react to them? Why were these experiences positive/negative, and what might you do differently next time? What skills did you draw on through the year, how did you develop and learn, and who did you go to and for what? What were your successes of last year, and how did you celebrate yourself?

Following reflection, intention-setting can be a call to awakening, in line with a specific motive or resolve. Setting an intention or two can also support you in a journey of self-care. As Wiest (2017) suggests self-care should be about designing a life that you don’t need to regularly escape from and helps you to become the person you want to be.

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