Why I'm not getting after Intentions...yet.
How seasonal goal setting can impact your results.
I'm an enthusiast when it comes to the New Year, reveling in the anticipation of a fresh chapter. I take pleasure in reflecting on the past year, journaling my intentions for the year ahead, choosing a guiding mantra or word, and establishing new routines.
However, for individuals like myself, diving headfirst into all this novelty at the beginning of January often feels like navigating through snow without snowshoes – a challenging, exhausting endeavor that leaves us breathless and sweaty before the month concludes. Consequently, many of our well-intentioned resolutions end up in an imaginary drawer, only to resurface with disappointment the following December.
This year, particularly, the media feels like it’s bombarding us with the idea that we must overhaul every bad habit, publicly disclose our “Ins and Outs” of 2024, and instantly embark on the pursuit of our new goals – a relentless "NO THINKING, JUST DOING, GO, GO, GO!" narrative.
But why does it feel this way? According to financial expert Tori Dunlap, author of Financial Feminist and founder of Her First 100k, "The Capitalist Machine runs on change." In essence, the sooner we transform ourselves entirely by spending money on items and services promising change and implementing all our goals simultaneously, the sooner we'll finally find happiness.
However, this mindset is far from the truth and is a significant reason why many New Year intentions fizzle out by the end of January. This year, I've decided to take a different approach, drawing inspiration from nature to guide me into the new year.
January sits in the heart of winter, a season when nature lies dormant, hibernating and introspecting. March, with the Spring Equinox, signifies the true "New Year" for nature, a time when everything begins to flourish with abundant and palpable new energy.
Despite the challenge, as I am a natural go-getter and very self motivated individual, I've temporarily postponed my intentions and goals for the year. While I've engaged in the practice of reflection and practice of writing out my intentions for 2024, I'm refraining from hasty actions at the start of January. Instead, I'm aligning with the natural inclinations of the season, moving slowly through winter, prioritizing rest, and grounding practices to formulate a thoughtful roadmap for the upcoming year.
When March arrives, that's when I plan to actively pursue my goals, having given myself the space to create a strategic plan and, most importantly, to determine how I want to feel throughout the year.
So friends, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to change everything this month, I encourage you to pause, take a breath, and move with the season. Your goals and intentions aren't going anywhere, and allowing yourself the rest that nature calls for will only enhance your success when Spring arrives and energizes us all.
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Reading
I’m currently reading
Our Migrant Souls by Héctor Tobar- A book I recommend to anyone who identifies as Latinx, or Hispanic.
Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
My Human Design by Jenna Zoe
What’s for dinner
Leaning into the winter season, I am currently making and eating a lot of soup. Primarily Miyeok-Guk a Korean Seaweed Soup with a side of Air-Fryed salmon, heaping spoonfuls of kimchi and Black Rice.