Setting A Powerful New Year Intention

A New Year's resolution, like any goal, is a desired future state. It is outside you, beyond you. Perhaps you see it as a “better” you. It’s about the doing.

An intention, on the other hand, is a quality practiced continually. It is within you, it takes you forward. It’s about the being. A powerful intention deeply practiced doesn’t yield a better you so much as a truer you… and a better world.

This practice will guide you in choosing a powerful intention for the new year.

Transcript

This practice invites you to set an intention for the coming year.

I like to work with intentions instead of New Year resolutions because while resolutions are about doing,

Achieving,

Accomplishing,

Crossing things off the list,

Getting to somewhere other than where we are today,

And there's nothing wrong with that.

It's great to have goals and achieve them,

But intentions accomplish something a little bit different.

They allow us to show up in a new way.

An intention is less about what you do and more about who you are in that doing.

And unlike your typical goal,

An intention can be applied to any part of your life.

The same intention can show up in your work,

In your relationships,

With your family,

In your community.

I also like intentions because they're flexible in the sense that over time as your priorities shift and change,

Maybe a goal or a resolution you set for yourself in January is no longer relevant in May,

But a noble intention that's important to you can rise to meet any new circumstance or unexpected occasion.

So today we are going to set a powerful intention for the year ahead.

There's a workbook that accompanies this practice which you can use or you don't have to.

You can find it at kristenlesanti.

Com or just have something nearby that you can write with and write on.

And we'll be taking a couple breaks throughout to jot down some notes.

So let's begin by taking a nice comfortable seated position.

If you like,

Close your eyes,

But if you prefer to keep your eyes open that's fine.

Just lower your gaze on the ground in front of you or your hands clasped in your lap.

What we're going to be doing is a contemplative practice,

A reflective practice.

Looking back,

Looking forward.

We're even going to be doing a little bit of time travel to help us out.

So let's begin by looking at the year we've just completed.

Thinking back the last 12 months and I'll ask you to reflect upon some of your greatest successes of the last year.

These successes may be achievement oriented.

Maybe there was a goal that you achieved or a project that you delivered.

Some kind of milestone that you reached.

But let's also make room for the successes of being as well as doing.

How did you successfully rise to the occasion to meet the challenges that this year presented to you?

What are you proud of in terms of how you showed up?

Not only what you did,

But who you were in the moments that mattered most.

Thinking back,

See if you can identify two or three of those moments that you're reflecting on with pride.

Doesn't mean you were perfect.

Doesn't mean you wouldn't do things differently now.

But simply that the way that you met that challenge is something that you feel proud of and energized by as you look back over the past year.

And now keeping those moments in mind,

Those successes,

Achievements.

Consider what are the qualities or character traits that you exhibited that made those successes possible.

What did you have in your toolkit or what did you muster in order to meet those moments to achieve what you did?

Maybe it's not so much about success,

Maybe it's just about surviving a very difficult time.

You made it through.

What was it that allowed you,

That supported you in those times?

When you're ready,

Take a moment.

Open your eyes,

Grab your pen or your pencil or open a note on a device and jot some notes.

What were these three greatest successes or momentous moments of the past year?

And what three qualities or traits made those successes possible?

You can pause this recording now if you'd like more time to take notes.

Otherwise settle back in,

Releasing your pen,

Softening your gaze or closing your eyes and let's think ahead into the year that's now opening up before us.

And instead of thinking about achievements,

I'm gonna ask you to think about what are three major challenges that are coming up for you this year.

Maybe there are things you want to accomplish or tackle.

Maybe one of these challenges is a person that you know you will have to deal with or resolve something with.

Maybe the challenge is structural,

Systemic or maybe it's internal within you.

Something that you know you want to work on within yourself.

So what are the three big challenges that seem to be presenting themselves in the year ahead?

Of course we know we can't see the future and we know there will be unforeseen challenges.

So we can do the best we can to identify what we can see,

What we can anticipate and consider what three qualities will you need to bring to these challenges in order to overcome them,

In order to transform these challenges into opportunities.

What is it going to take?

When you're ready,

You might pick up your pen again and take some more notes.

What are these three challenges and what qualities do you want to have in your toolkit to meet them?

Take some time to write your notes and you can pause the recording here if you like.

This next section you can keep your eyes open and your pen in hand and simply complete these statements with a few words jotted down in your notes.

The first one is,

When I am with people I care about,

My state of mind is what?

When I am with people I care about,

Maybe this is your friends or family,

Maybe this is with a loved one like a child or a pet,

A parent or a partner.

What is the state of mind when you are with these people?

Whatever words come to mind for you,

You don't have to overthink it,

Just jot them down.

Next,

When I am doing great work,

My state of mind is what is your state of mind when you are doing great work that engages and challenge and fulfills you?

How does that feel?

What is your experience of those times?

And finally,

When I am taking care of myself,

My state of mind is.

.

.

How does that feel?

And taking care of ourselves looks different for each of us.

For some of us it might be a meditation practice,

For others it might be exercise,

Running,

A long walk,

A good meal.

So whatever that means for you when you're taking care of yourself,

What is your state of mind?

If you are working through the workbook,

There's also a space to write down qualities that you admire in others,

Qualities that you require of your friends,

And any core values that might comprise the foundation of your character.

What are the values that are most important to you?

So if you like,

You can pause the recording here and jot some notes around these prompts as well.

Now we're going to move into one last exercise,

Using our imaginations to project ahead into the future.

We're going to imagine that it's one year from now,

The very end of the year,

And you are reflecting back on a deeply fulfilling,

Rewarding year.

Maybe one of the most rewarding of your life.

Yes,

It's been challenging.

Yes,

There were curveballs that you did not foresee,

But you persisted,

You persevered,

You rose to the occasion,

And you lived this year fully,

Consciously,

And with intention.

So from this moment in the future,

Looking back over the year that hasn't yet happened,

Let me ask you,

What did you prioritize this year in this vision of the year ahead?

What did you prioritize?

Who did you spend your time with?

What was most important to you?

What relationships did you invest in?

What are you proudest of taking on or achieving?

See if you can envision these priorities and people and accomplishments rising up to meet you in your creative vision for this year.

And now,

Most importantly,

How did you show up?

What made the difference for you this year?

What was it that made it all possible?

Did something shift in you that wasn't always there?

Did something new arise?

Pause and take some notes on this visionary reflection of the year we're entering into now.

Okay,

Now you've got some good notes to work with.

We're going to focus in on your intention,

The one that's going to be your North Star.

This will be your guiding principle.

It'll help you make decisions and craft strategies and create new habits this year.

It'll help you decide or determine how to respond in challenging circumstances as well as joyful ones.

You'll want to choose something that feels important to you and also inspiring and energizing.

So I invite you to look back over your notes from this session so far and circle the phrases or terms that feel the most important to you,

Which is to say significant,

Meaningful,

Relevant,

But also inspiring.

Terms,

Words,

Or phrases that feel aspirational,

That feel challenging to you in the right way,

That make you feel bigger,

Expansive.

And similarly,

Let these words be energizing to you.

Which ones carry energy?

Some of them might feel boring or static.

You can leave those alone.

Even if they feel important,

Look for the ones that feel like they give you a boost.

So see if you can circle three words or narrow it down to three that are really jumping out at you.

You can pause the audio if you need some more time.

But once you've identified those three words,

Take a look at them and ask yourself which one most embodies the quality,

The approach,

The spirit that you want to bring to the next year of your life.

Which one feels like it fits this particular moment?

Which one rings like a bell?

Try not to overthink it.

Just notice which direction you're leaning in.

Notice what's speaking to you.

And now I invite you to write the words.

My intention for this year is.

.

.

And whatever the word or phrase that you've landed on.

Some simple ways to practice your intention.

First,

Set yourself some reminders.

Write this intention down and post it in places where you will see it frequently.

You might conduct some research studying up on the origins of this word,

The background of this quality or characteristic.

Who studies it?

Everyone studies something.

Someone studies everything.

How to cultivate it.

You are certainly not the first person to get curious about this concept.

Go find some role models or some big thinkers on the topic.

Make a roadmap for yourself.

Consider how can this intention show up in the various areas of your life.

From your family to your health,

In your work,

With your community.

And speaking of your community,

One of the most important aspects of practicing intention is relationship.

Tell the people in your life about this intention and look for ways to apply it in your relationships with them.

Don't underestimate the power of accountability.

Be ready to rebound.

You won't always follow through on this intention.

You will have moments where you feel like you are off course.

Take a deep breath,

Give yourself a hug,

And try again.

That's why we call it a practice.

And then finally,

Take moments throughout your week,

Month,

Year to reflect on this intention and to notice your progress.

You might start a journal to help you with this or set aside time once a week or once a month and recognize the way that this intention is starting to show up in your life in terms of opportunities that are presenting themselves.

But also in the choices that you're making and how you live,

How you engage with adversity,

How you connect with others,

And how you contribute to this world.

Being a more peaceful,

More just,

More free place for all of us to live together.

Thank you for your practice and Happy New Year.

Reviews

Absolutely love this one!!! Will come back and use again. Thank you!