Word of Intent
If you have read any of my other blogs or posts, you know that I do not believe in New Year’s Resolutions. And this is a newish revolation for me as I used to be that person- you know that person. The one who decides that on January 1st, I am going to change my diet and my sleep patterns and my workouts and my connections with people and I am going to give up alcohol and cheese and chocolate and french fries. I have made resolutions to run 365 miles in a year, to have 12 different goals- one for each month, to lose weight, to write a book and to save enough money to buy a house with a yard and a picket fence. Honestly, beside the running goal, I never completed any of them and they all felt like “have to’s” and “shoulds.” I never really wanted to do those goals or resolutions, I just thought I should because then I would be a happier and better person.
So I gave up on the resolution idea and shifted my mindset to a new concept. I began committing to a word of intent for the year. This word was something that I felt connected to. A word that felt like it could guide me through the year, keeping me close to my values, intentions and integrity. A word that I would write down and put in significant places in my life. A word that I would get printed on the back of a work out shirt. A word that I would laminate and create a bag tag to put on my back pack, golf bag or luggage. A word that would help me through the tough times and lift me up even more during the awesome times.
Last year, for 2020, I chose the word Courageous as my word of intent for the year (as you see in the photo) and I don’t think I could have possibly picked a better word. I chose it because I was embarking on a life coaching adventure through the Courageous Living Coach Certification and felt that just by nature of striving towards the certification, that courageous made sense. Little did I know how much it would fit for the shitstorm that 2020 became. I used courage to get through the stress of losing our golf season and school year to Covid. I used courage to keep going when I wanted to give up. I used courage when I simply wanted to go to the grocery store but feared getting Covid from touching a head of lettuce in the produce section. I used courage as I watched Steve Kornacki make predictions on the big board when the election took 5 days to get a result. I used courage when I made the decision to cancel the golf teams fall season and had them stay home when I had the option to bring them to campus to practice. I used courage when I took on a few new roles in my full time job to help the athletic department keep running. I used courage when I called my family and told then I would not be coming home for the holidays. I used courage for when I started my website, coaching business and social media platform to put myself out there. I used courage to complete my portfolio for CLCC. I could go on and on about 50 other ways that I used courage but I think you get the point.
As I look forward, I am not completely sure what my word of intent is for 2021. I will take the time to journal and write on it until the perfect word comes up for me that makes sense for 2021.
I encourage you to do the same and to know that you are not married to the word. You can have a daily, weekly, monthly or bi-annually word of intent. Take time to find an intention for the year that aligns with who you want to be and how you want to show up. Once you have the word, decide how you will stay connected to it throughout the year. Check in once and awhile to see if it still fits and resonates and if it doesn’t, take the take to make the shift to a new intention!
Want some support in finding your intention? Let’s connect!