I’ve been setting some kind of intention for the past few years now. I was never really one for new year’s resolutions, but looking at that neatly-defined period of time up ahead always feels like an opportunity, and one I don’t want to ignore.
I believe that we are in a constant state of development and evolution. I know for sure that I’m not the same person I was three years ago, and I want to give myself time for reflection, big-picture thinking and intention-setting so I can grow into the person I will be three years from now.
Recent years have seen me hone in on balance, focus and connection, and while I may not have had those intentions at the forefront of my mind throughout the whole year, I know they’ve simmered away in the background and informed the way I’ve lived my life.
This year, my intention takes the form of more than just a word, it’s a way of living: this year I will care for myself.
I’m not talking about Instagram self-care with bubble baths and brunches. I’ve done all that, and it was the right thing to do at the time, but this goes so much deeper. I want to develop the habit of guiding myself through decisions with the thought of what is really good for me.
I want to take time to understand myself. To learn what makes me feel energised and what leaves me feeling low. How can I be good to myself in the moment, so myself in the future is much better off? I want to look after my health, and treat my body with more respect. I want to listen when my mind is trying to tell me something, and work through it instead of brushing it under the rug. I want to make more time for the things that are most valuable, like my relationships and the little things that bring great joy.
I don’t know what the year will hold, and I don’t know what I’ll learn along the way, so it’s difficult to give myself specific action points, which I guess is why this is called an intention instead of a goal. However, there are a couple of things on my mind that I definitely want to achieve.
- Go to the dentist | It’s been longer than I’d care to admit since I last went to the dentist. It’s one of those things that gets easily forgotten when you move, and while I’ve not had any problems, I’d like to book myself in for a checkup to see how I’m getting on.
- Commit time to my relationships | A lot of things have changed this year, and I’ve found myself pretty caught up with them, at the expense of other things. One of the things that has fallen by the wayside is nurturing my relationships. I’ve got a lot of great people in my life, and I want them to know I love and value them. I want to be a fierce friend, and that takes commitment and effort, and I’m ready to put it in.
- What is good for me? | This is the question I want to ask myself all the time. Whenever I’m unsure of something, or I have a decision to make, I’ll ask myself this. I’m hoping it will help me to understand myself better, to build more positive habits, and to reduce how often I do things on impulse. Whatever decisions I do make, will be better made from an informed position.
I’m trying to not be too strict with myself this year, because I’ve learnt time and again that it’s almost impossible to keep things up for a full 365 days. Maybe one day I should think more about consistency! But I hope I’ll be back here at the end of 2019 to review how I got on, and share how caring for myself has impacted my year.