Starting your Year with Intention
Two of the things that trigger a “brand new, clean slate, fresh start” feeling are the coming of a New Year and the sight of a new baby. Put those two things together and you have nothing short of magical.
That has been my experience this year. On the very first day of 2014 I was blessed with the gift of a new grandson. Baby Austin ushered in the New Year with a flurry and with him, a reminder of the importance of a “the gift of a good start.”
I have been thinking a lot about all of the intention that goes into preparing for a new life. For nine months I watched my daughter be intentional about everything that could impact the quality of Austin’s start in the world. Being intentional is about making conscious choices, and her choices included:
- What she ate
- What she drank (and didn’t drink)
- How she moved and how often
- What she read, listened to and placed in her mind
- The quality of her primary relationships
- Finding/creating support for her intentions
- Preparing her home to receive Austin with ease
- Staying spiritually centered
While this list is not exhaustive, you get the idea. Offering the gift of a good start requires reflection, setting intention and then making conscious choices that support your goal. These principles apply to the opportunity of a New Year as well as a new life.
We know there is a marked difference in the health of children born to mothers who have been intentional about their health, and those who haven’t. I believe there is also a marked difference between the life experience of those who live intentionally and those who don’t. You can optimize the possibilities of your New Year by engaging yourself in the process of intentional living. Give yourself the gift of a good start by applying these practices:
Reflection requires that you slow down and THINK about what you want your experience to be like this year. It’s helpful for many people to write it down as well.
Setting intention means DECIDING what you want your experience to be like, and directing your mental and emotional energy to invite, imagine and begin to experience it now.
Making conscious choices involves realizing you have a choice in every situation and then CHOOSING thoughts and actions that support the life experience you desire.
This process offers a roadmap to making decisions for the entire year. If your intention is clear and you are emotionally invested in it (like having a healthy baby), then every choice is made through the filter of whether it will support or detract from realizing your desire.
I was offered a new framework for creating a vision board for the New Year that supports this process well. In the past I have created a yearly vision board in a collage style; clipping pictures and words that resonated with my intentions for the year. The new framework suggests that only one goal or intention is identified for each of six areas of living:
- BUSINESS
- EDUCATION
- RELATIONSHIPS
- SPIRITUAL
- HEALTH
- VACATION/TRAVEL
A single focus in each area supports making conscious choices that align with your goal. This is a perfect time to give yourself the gift of a good start. I hope you’ll join me in creating an intentional vision for 2014, and let my magical beginning inspire yours!
Be well and prosper,
Pam