How Do I Set Intentions For The New Year?

The New Year gets a bad rap because “resolutions are counterproductive,” according to popular culture. To be fair, that’s not wrong: According to Forbes, only eight percent of people who make resolutions actually achieve them. 

THE PROBLEM WITH NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS. 

The problem with resolutions isn’t the desire for self-improvement or self-development. Most likely, the issue with making the right promises to ourselves (and keeping them) stems back to timing and intention. It’s easy to make big plans for your future self without taking into account anything other than the flip of the calendar. There’s something enticing and freeing about creating an assignment for yourself and putting it squarely in the future. 

USING THE MOON TO SET INTENTIONS. 

But we know that rarely works. It wasn’t until we tapped into the wisdom of nature — specifically the cosmos — that we found a clear alternative to making resolutions. Now we set intentions and define goals in sync with the phases of the moon, and New Year’s is no different. Specifically, the new moon is a time to set intentions and envision our dreams, as it is dark and fertile. The full moon is a time to release and let go of anything (a goal, a relationship, a food, a habit, anything at all) that’s not serving us. 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTENTIONS AND GOALS. 

The new moon closest to 2020 is December 26, a time when many of us will be with family or away from our daily grinds. Use this time as an opportunity to take an evening or moment for yourself, to set clear intentions for the new year. 

One last thing we’d like to clear up is the difference between goals and intentions, because they are not the same but often get conflated. We’ve seen lists of “intentions” on Instagram that are simply goals in disguise. We’d like to discourage you from falling into the trap, so you can clearly articulate your goals and intentions, which gives you a better chance of achieving both. A goal is a stated act or action that will be achieved in a series of smaller steps. An intention is an approach to something, it’s how you do it. Below are examples. 

This is a goal: 

My goal is to meditate more. 

To do that, I will meditate once a day for 10 minutes each day, and I’ll use the Headspace app.

This is one example comparing a similar goal and intention: 

My goal is to meditate more. 

My intention is to create more space.

Here’s another take: 

My goal is to meditate more. 

My intention is to be more compassionate toward myself… so when I forget to meditate, or don’t have time, I will be fast to forgive myself and quick to return to the practice. 

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AND INTENTIONS FOR 2020? 

At Wildling, our goal is to make self-care more accessible, to provide an alternative to fillers and botox, and to educate anyone willing to learn about the benefits of herbs and natural skincare. 

Our intention is to connect with you authentically, through joy and through kindness. 

What are your intentions and goals for the New Year? If you feel so inclined, share them with us below. 

Resources: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2013/01/01/just-8-of-people-achieve-their-new-years-resolutions-heres-how-they-did-it/#79c56ee4596b