How To Best Support Your Greatest Intentions For The Whole Year

The goal for 2024: SAME YOU, JUST BETTER. Does this resonate with you? My intention here is NOT to put the pressure on. This is why I am not falling for the new year, new me hype. I am NOT looking for an amazing, redefined version of me or you. This is NOT what our greatest intentions are about this year. I THINK WE ARE ALREADY PRETTY FANTASTIC.

And if you are feeling anything like me these days, there are moments – even at this start of the year – especially at the start of this year – when you feel like a mental, emotional mess. The feeling is a little like falling off the first step before you even raise your foot from the floor. Well, my friend, I am here to say that there is nothing wrong with you for feeling this way today or ever. It is actually excellent proof that you are still a fully feeling human being. So CONGRATULATIONS!

Because the truth is: All of our greatest intentions cannot erase the sheer madness of this world.

There is not a greatest intention on Earth that can eradicate our sadness and fear for the global condition. At least, as long as we remain human.

And it is impossible to counteract all of the effects of a world that is continuously racing us full speed ahead, way beyond healthy, human capacity.

January, with all its messages of NEW YOU being flaunted every where we turn, can feel downright disappointing. Make us feel like a disappointment.

January can be a cold, hard month. The exact opposite of the pumped up on steroids, ‘January is a brand new start, new chapter, new life’ plug it is infamous for.

So before we get to the core of this week’s post, let’s say a word about you in January.

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A Word About January

January is the darkest and most depressing month of the year and for many sensitive souls, the barrage of ‘advice’ on how we ‘should’ be living, is just too much.

Donna ashworth

I am not a big fan of this month. The simple reason being that I love sunshine which is often lacking from my seat in the world in this period. Unless I have my toes wiggling around in a blanket of silky sand on some tropical beach, it may actually be my least favorite month of the year.

Since in this moment, the only wiggling going on is my toes trying to keep warm under a heavy blanket of flannel, I’m going to be honest with you.

I have been wavering in and out of feeling inspired these past two weeks.

January is a cold, hard wakeup call after December. The reality may be that while everyone else seems to be setting new goals for themselves, you aren’t ready to redefine yourself or your life.

You may still be mourning last month’s cheer or catching your breath from the December giving, giving, and more giving.

January can be about too much new stuff received and invading your home. No time to disassemble the tinsle and lights which look like an eyesore now that the holiday spirit has left the building. Also…

Emptier homes as family leaves.

An unsettled quiet filling the spaces as older children head back to school.

Or the return of noise and an unsustainable rushing around as younger children are called back to their schedules and the routine of work rebegins.

Perhaps there are reminders of too much consumed; higher numbers around your waistline and lower ones left in your bank account.

You Are Beginning Before You Begin

So before we begin, I am once again reminding you that it is ok to ease into it all. It is ok to be less active and sleep more. It is ok to take a moment to catch up physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Personal growth and rushing do not go together.

Take several weeks to recover before going for better, knowing that an already better you is the person choosing this moment of self-care for yourself.

Your Greatest Intentions Are Here To Stay

Ok. So you have chosen your word. Awesome. And now what?

What do you do with it?

How are we going to avoid the get-a-12-month-membership-go-to-the-gym-for-two-or-three-weeks-and-then-see-money-washing-down-the-drain-for-the-rest-of-the-year tradition? Traditions are great, but not this one.

Quitting On Our Greatest Intentions Is So Common: They Have Even Named A Day After it

We have all done it. We start something with the excitement of a kid in a candy shop and then BAM. Two weeks later, a month tops, the spark is spent.

It is really common. So much so that they have even named a day after it. This year, January 12th. National Quitter’s Day is TODAY!

Officially, most of us have already put our resolutions and words for 2024 to bed for the rest of the year.

Research shows that this commonly happens on the second Friday of the year.

Fortunately, I am not one for statistics and I am not buying it.

And this is because we are:

• taking our time,
• leaving the pressure aside,
• going for better, not transformed,
• following a plan to practice.

Our Greatest Intentions Matter

Call ‘em what you want: goals, dreams, resolutions, your word. The bottom line is that what you choose matters most to you matters. Why?

• Because YOU matter.
• Your life’s direction matters.
• How you feel when you don’t follow through matters.
• How you feel when you do follow through matters.
• Because if you took the time to think about what you desire most and put a name to it, it must really, really, really matter to you.

And just because they designated a date on the calendar to honor the quitters, does not mean that this matters to us.

Reminder: Failures are not who we are today or ever.

Instead, we are going to figure out how to carry our greatest intentions lovingly with us until the 4 turns into a 5 on December 31st at the strike of midnight.

Let’s Get The Elephant Out Of The Way Of Our Greatest Intentions

You are convinced that you matter, your life matters, what matters to you matters, BUT…

1. You have tried and failed before and/or
2. You just do not have the time or energy to follow through.

Well for the first one, I am going to pull out two quotes.

1. Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. – Oscar Wilde
2. You make mistakes. Mistakes don’t make you. – Maxwell Maltz

Mistakes, falling off course, and failures are part of the process.

And for the second one, I am just going to say this: We always have time for what matters most to us. ALWAYS.

Elephant removed. 🐘💨

A Reminder: January is Already June

Take it slow, but DO NOT PRESS the snooze button for too long. That is if it REEEEEALLY matters to you.

Change requires change. You cannot skip this!

And with all this, A CHOICE. No pressure. But just a friendly reminder.

With a blink of an eye it will be Spring, Summer, Fall, and then Winter once again. January 1st, 2025 is practically here.

Life speeds past us. Even when we pay super close attention to it like I intend to do this year.

(If you missed last week’s blog post where I revealed my word for 2024, click here, The Word of 2024: Where Does Our Greatest Intention For The New Year Come From?)

So here is THE CHOICE. To commit or not to commit.

Same You, Just Better – Or Not?

No one is forcing you to be better. You can remain just as you are.

But, let me remind you one of my favorite all time reminders: WHEN YOU DON’T GROW, YOU DIE.

No, you don’t stay the same. You wither away.

Now choose. No judgment from me. In any case, I still love you.

How To Support Your Greatest Intentions

The Importance Of A Plan

Deciding what our greatest intentions are is so important. The first step is definitely getting to know your goals and intentions intimately. Your word for the year.

However, just as important is THE PLAN.

Our greatest intentions need to be backed up. SUPPORTED.

ALL YEAR LONG.

We are humans on Planet Earth living in the year 2024.

NOT SO FUNNY FACT: We have more stimulation in one day than humans had in one whole year in the 1600’s.

And way too often, we forget about this part of the Sticking With My Greatest Intentions equation.

You have these ideas, dreams, intentions. The perfect word for you. You are so stoked.

However, sooner (not later) life gets in the way.

Your energy dwindles to below zero. And the greatest intentions are left behind like a trail of dust.

Plan To Commit

You believe that you have failed. But sweet thing, let me tell you something. YOU NEVER STARTED. 

May I remind you that setting an intention without a plan is not a failure. It is never actually committing.

We all need a plan.

Whether it is:

• starting to eat healthier or exercise more
• using our devices less
• getting outside more often
• reading
• learning something new
• starting a company
• writing your book
• being more present to your loved ones and your life
• showing up more often with kindness and compassion
• cultivating patience, gratitude or generosity
• smiling more from the inside out

Whatever it is…

Your Plan Needs A Plan

Once you have committed, and at whatever pace feels authentically right for you, your plan needs to be followed up. It needs IMMEDIATE action. I mean the right now kind!

Not the day after tomorrow or next week or when the kids are feeling better or you have some days off from work. 

Just Better just doesn’t work like this.

Your motivation to be better has NO PATIENCE. The start day has to be the moment you say something like:

• I choose…
• I am ready.
• I commit.
• I am making a promise to myself.

Because when we wait, we lose the fizz. Our purpose escapes us.

And we need the bubbles to lift us up and keep us up.

Especially in a world full of messages that tell us things like:

• You can’t.
• You won’t ever.
• You aren’t good enough.
• There is too much competition.
• You are too late. 

Practice the Following To Follow Up

The Follow Up can look something like this:

1. Ask yourself: What do I need to do to make this happen? Decide what your first step towards achieving your goal is going to be and DO it. As teeny as the first step is, it is the most important step you will take. Then, proceed to the second, third and zillionth step.

2. Create your ‘daily, every moment of the day’ REMINDERS.

• Trigger words. Your word is one of them.
• Trigger activities. Ex. When I brush my teeth and drink water, I remember to speak kindly.
• Vision boards.
• Post-its.
• Alarms to remind you to stop and remember.
• A reading list.
• Daily reminders from people that inspire you.
• Activities that support what matters most.
• Meditations that bring you back to presence and empower you.

Whatever works for you and AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.

3. Support yourself with the right people and environments. These are faces and spaces where your greatest intentions feel loved and supported.

HUGE TIP: Put directly in front of you what serves you.

Remove everything that doesn’t deserve you.

4. BE OK WITH THE SETBACKS. Begin again as many times as it takes. Continuously feed the fizz and your next action. Remember the quote by Maltz.

Supporting Greatest Intentions Is An Every Day Practice

This is not a one time thing. It is not a performance either.

You are not supposed to already be great at what matters most to you.

Especially because what matters most is usually really difficult to achieve.

TRUTH BOMB: It is harder than you think to feel grateful or be a kind person every day.

Throughout the course of a day, a period or a year, you will LOSE HOLD of your greatest intentions countless times.

Do yourself a huge favor. Learn to be ok with this.

Shit happens is not just a popular bumpersticker.

“I’m not perfect; no, I step in shit all the time and recognize it when I do. I’ve just learned how to scrape it off my boots and carry on.”

Matthew McCOnaughey, Greenlights

And learn to remember to turn to your reminders for support.

You need a practice that works for you.

You must have ways to continuously remind yourself of what matters to you most.

Final Note – A Pep Talk

Inside of you right now is a source of loving guidance – what I like to call our golden superpower – that is always there to support your greatest intentions for yourself and your life.

You are literally carrying it around with you 24/7. It is extremely light and yet full of your brightest light.

And we systematically forget to use it. We forget it is there because we do not believe it is there.

A True Story From Last Weekend

I met an incredible woman at dinner the other evening.

A loving, single mom. A devoted daughter of two aging parents. She is smart, kind, and artistic. And yet throughout the evening she said things that undermined her apparent incredibile-ness.

We had an amazing time getting to know one another and I came away from the dinner feeling connected and bettered for meeting her.

The day after, she wrote this to me:

I had such a great time the last night. Jen told me so much about you and I swear, I was so intimidated. I didn’t feel like I was good enough to interact with you. I can’t believe that I almost didn’t come for dinner because of it. And I am so glad that I did.

I am telling you this story because we do this. This woman is you and me. She is our children and other people we know are awesome.

How many times do we limit ourselves because we do not see our own greatness?

This is what we do when we do not commit.

We do not give ourselves the opportunity to fail because we fail to see the gold we hold within.

Well, next time this happens to you. Next time you say NO because you do not feel good enough, cut yourself off and replace the NO with I CAN AND I WILL and then follow through.

You are far greater than your greatest intention.

Remember your word for 2024. And that it really, really, really matters to you. Remember who you are. Better and better and better.

As the persian poet Rumi wrote:

Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.

And with this, I am ending today’s post.

The Universe in me honoring the Universe in you,

Resources

Further Reading

• Living With Intention + 3 Reasons Why Setting Intentions Is The Most Important Thing I Do Every Morning
• The Word of 2024: Where Does Our Greatest Intention For The New Year Come From?
• How To Protect Joy In This Unjust World – Care For Your Heart Today
• How To Feed Your Mind & Soul – 28 Days Of Guided Meditation To Improve Your Life

Meditations For A Better You

• LOVING INNER WARRIOR, 15 Minutes with 2 minute Wisdom Intro and Special Ending Message
• DEVOTED TO SELF, 14 Minutes
• TRUSTING YOURSELF, 13 Minutes
• SET YOUR INTENTIONS, 8 Minutes
• DAILY RECHARGE for Love & Energy, 16 Minutes
• COMING THIS WEEK: THE POWER OF “I AM”, a Guided Meditation to Return To Your Greatest Intentions – SUBSCRIBE TO CHANNEL FOR NOTIFICATIONS