2021: the year of intention

“The power of intention is the power to manifest, to create, to live a life of unlimited abundance, and to attract into your life the right people at the right moments.” – Wayne Dyer

This is not your typical new year’s post filled with resolutions and checklists. Last year was a challenging year for most of us; but with challenges come opportunities and as a person, I feel like I’ve become more sympathetic, empathetic, and communitarian and less individualistic. The 2020 pandemic taught me the importance of being intentional in everything I do and aspire to do/be.

I touched on being intentional in an earlier post without really addressing the concept behind it. Intentional living in simple words means, living according to your values and beliefs; focusing on the “why” and challenging status quo when needed. I used to live on autopilot, going with the flow, doing what everybody else was doing, not really giving anything a second thought. Everything has changed however, once I identified with minimalism and decided to question my values.

Having core values is important because they become the center of all the decisions that you will make on a daily basis. For example, if self-care is important to you, then you will work-out regularly; if you care about the environment, then you will consume less and recycle more; etc.

Reflecting back

Before I changed my way of living, I went down memory lane to pinpoint critical moments; moments that shaped me and had an impact on me (both, positively and negatively). Once that was done, I focused on the why behind each moment and identified some important questions, such as:

• What am I doing on a regular basis to make me happy?
• What am I doing now to work on my current goal?
• Is there room for improvement on subject XXX? If yes, how?
• How to progress on goal XXX slowly but steadily?

As my list of questions grew, I grouped them into categories, and got to really see what was important to me. Accordingly, I then, set the values that I live by today. I analyzed my past to plan my future but that is not the only approach out there. If you are not into digging deep below the surface, then you can check out a core values list and pick out a couple of values that you resonate with. Some core values include: Purpose, Community, Kindness, Tolerance, Simplicity and more.

However, values are neither rules nor commandments; they should come from within and can evolve as you age. Simply put, values are there to give us a sense of direction as we navigate the different seasons in our lives.

Living in the present

One of the pitfalls of change or transition is the speed of decision; we are always eager to obtain results in the shortest duration possible.

It is easy to “live in the future” once you’ve identified the change you want to implement. You, I, and anyone can easily live planning for the future instead of focusing on what is right there. I keep on falling in and out of that trap almost every day. But then, I told myself, I need to focus on the present moment for it is the one thing money can’t buy.

I tackled this issue by:

• dedicating timeslots for my future projects;
• not multitasking;
• sticking to a checklist for my day-to-day activities; and
• taking time to reset.

On the other hand, if identifying your values aren’t that easy or if your current commitments are stopping you from changing your actual lifestyle, then be patient with yourself and take baby steps. Rome was not built in a day; don’t expect to have it all figured out after reading a blog post.

All I can say is this: let go of yesterday, marginally plan for tomorrow, live in the present, and adapt your life as you evolve.

Moving forward

Value setting, core values, intentional living, and the present moment, among others will just be a bunch of words if not implemented mindfully. It is important to take your time, allow for mistakes (making mistakes is a sign of progress), and improvise when necessary.

Last but not least, Happy New Year. May 2021 be a year of progress, healing, and fulfillment for all.