Start the year out right by setting your happy new year intentions! Not strict resolutions (who wants to feel like a failure on 12/31/19?!?), but guidance towards things that make you happy.
It’s 2019!
The start of a new year can feel weird. You’re coming off the high from the frantic pace (and sugar high) of the holidays, and BOOM! Now it’s time to buckle down, lose weight, get organized, basically become perfect overnight. In order to become this perfect person, you think you need resolutions. Something like, I resolve to stop drinking wine (which I love). I resolve to lose 10 pounds by Spring Break (which will never happen). I resolve to clean out all of my closets (eek! overwhelming). I resolve to alphabetize my cookbooks, after first organizing by style and region (okay, this one actually sounds like fun). But you get the idea.
What’s wrong with resolutions? For some people, nothing, they work well. But for most people, they feel like punishment. Their resolutions seem strict and decidedly unfun. Like you’re telling yourself “last year you sucked. This year is going to be different soldier!”. You also might feel like you have the same resolutions year after year. If that’s the case, how about a new approach?
Good Intentions
I decided to make a list of intentions this year instead of resolutions. More along the lines of good ideas and guidance toward what makes me happy than rigid goals. Intention is a state of mind. You’re giving yourself direction to commit to actions or ideas, sort of planting a seed in your head. That sounds really new agey/yoga teacherish, but it’s true. Your mind is incredibly powerful, and I for one am going to try to use intentions this year to be more productive, and most importantly, happy.
It’s important to write down your intentions. If you go old school, grab a pen and paper, and write things down, you’re more likely to remember and act on them. Do you have any list makers in your life? List makers are incredibly productive. They write small tasks down and cross them out as they accomplish them. My husband is a list maker, my grandpa was a list maker (he had an entire drawer full of lists!), both very productive, focused people. By writing a list down on paper, the list maker has just focused their mind in a very specific way. As opposed to someone like me who has good ideas, but then forgets them. Think of what I could have achieved in my life if I’d only written some things down! I’m joking, but not really.
Start thinking about what would make you happy in 2019. These will be your happy new year intentions. Which of course, are flexible! Revise your list whenever it’s not working for you. Here are mine so far:
- try new restaurants (my favorite activity)
- try new ingredients (get out of a food rut, get creative juices flowing)
- visit inspirational places (museums, gardens, specialty food stores, cocktail bars)
- work on mosaics/art more often (use the “right side” of my brain)
- visit family and friends (the most important intention)
- make healthy choices (eat veggies, move more)
- write consistently in a journal (stay focused)
- be kind (it’s contagious)
Next Steps
My next steps are to create concrete ideas for my intentions. For instance, I thought about “try new ingredients” when I was at the store and I bought two that are new to me. The first was sumac, which is a Middle Eastern spice with a tangy lemony flavor and beautiful color. The second was almond flour which is, shockingly, ground almonds and mostly used in baking. I can’t wait to experiment and try some new recipes. They won’t all be winners, but I’m already feeling creative and happy just thinking about it.
Having a list of intentions doesn’t mean you won’t fail sometimes, but failures are important, those learning experiences our parents and teachers told us about, right? They remind you to adjust your outlook and refocus. For instance, when I was at a crazy busy warehouse store today, I completely failed at my last intention – be kind. I think we’ve all been somewhere similar with lots of frustrations. The lady in line behind you is hitting you with her cart, and the guy in the parking lot just showed you his favorite obscene hand gesture. I can’t say I responded to either person in a kind way, but maybe if I had, I would have made all of our days a little better. Be kind. Intention set!
Journals
Having a journal makes your intentions feel more official. It’s also easier to keep track of than random sheets of paper floating around your house. Writing consistently in a journal is a habit/intention I’m trying to adopt, and I was lucky to get a beautiful journal for Christmas. The trouble with a brand spankin’ new journal is that a blank journal or page can be intimidating. I decided to start with a list of my 2019 intentions, but it could be a list of recipes you want to try, or even a grocery or to-do list. Anything that comes to mind and gets your writing juices flowing.
Now you can take your journal and intentions wherever you want to go. Maybe it becomes a journal all about your intentions, or a book of lists, a diary, or even the next great novel of our generation (hey, somebody has to write it!). Who knows how many amazing ideas you’ll come up with this year!
Lined Journal:
There are a million journals out there! Look for a lined one that will be fun for you to write in, that’s a good size for you. If you’re going to carry it with you make sure it fits in your bag or purse! Find one with a cover that’s inspiring to you too. Basically it’s all about you and what you like. Here are a couple of ideas:
- Basic and classic with a spot for your pen.
- Wire bound, hard cover with a cute graphic design.
- A large journal with an inspirational cover (also one of Oprah’s favorite things!)
- A fun journal with cute animals on the cover (llamas!)
- A pocket sized journal of awesomeness
- A guided journal of lists. I have this one, it’s fun and gets you thinking.
Recipe Journal:
Of course my favorite journals are for recipes and food!
- A cute journal like this is perfect for experimenting. You can keep all of your notes in one place, and refer back to it as you make updates.
- Recipe journal with space for ingredients, directions, recipe rating, and more.
Let me know if you set any intentions, or start a journal. I’ll keep you up-to-date on the new ingredient experiments. Now, I’ve got to get going on alphabetizing my cookbooks…..
Happy new year!
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