It feels strange to type 2023 for the first time ever in this newsletter. First of all, Wishing a Very Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. 

I hope you had a great year! I also hope that you have an amazing 2023. 

Last year taught me a lot about myself. I have never been the one setting up New Year Resolutions for myself. I guess it’s because year ends and beginnings are usually accompanied by an overwhelming amount of commitments and I forget to take out time to figure out what I truly want for myself as the world transitions into the New Year. 

As time goes on, however, I do see myself setting up small goals which align with who I want my future self to be. I call these intentions instead of goals (probably because it reminds me to focus on my actions and the process, not just the goal) 

Up until 2 years before, my intentions were solely about my studies, which directly contributed to my professional career. It’s only last year that I started to embark on a journey to understand who the Real Me is outside of my grades and my job. 

Imagine if your career completely vanishes from your life today, what will your identity be? I’m sure there are so many other aspects of our lives that we ignore daily simply because we think that having lots and lots of money will solve all our life problems, so we’re being smart by focusing on just one. 

In 2022, I started to think a lot more about my overall well-being. I started reading a lot more, stepping out of my house for walks more often and started giving myself the time to stop and rest. To my surprise, something that I thought would be a distraction for my career turned out to be the safety net I needed to manage all the pressure and overwhelm that came with adulting in my early 20s. I found myself feeling more fulfilled in my career because I had confidence in my abilities and believed that I would succeed as long as I continued to show up. 

This year, I have decided to change my approach a bit by noting down my intentions in the first week of 2023 itself, along with the usual to figuring some out as the year progresses. And I encourage you to do the same. 

Sit down with a pen and a piece of paper. Write down how to see yourself spending this year of your life. Ask yourself questions like, 

“Where do I see myself in my career this year?”

“What is the habit I am most excited to carry forward with me to 2023?” (For me, it’s reading outside of my course material)

“What type of friend do I want to be this year?”

“How much time do I plan to spend with my loved ones? What relations do I want to thrive in? What are the ones I need to let go of?”

“What do I want to give this world in order to make it a little better?”

Once you are done setting your intentions for this year, focus on how you can take action to truly see the progress at the end of this year. 

Remember, things will not change overnight. So, there’s no need to feel pressured to fulfil all these intentions at once ASAP. I certainly don’t end up ticking everything off my list every time. But by constantly thinking of these intentions every now and then, I am motivated to take tiny steps each day which later accumulate to a whole lot more than I always expect. The goal is to be just a little bit better each day while having fun and truly enjoying the process. 

See you next week! 

Until then, Happy Intention Setting!