What's the ONE word you are focusing on this year?
Maybe it was the too many years of unmet weight loss goals that triggered the shift from resolutions to intentions, but whatever the cause, I’m grateful for the shift because instead of dreading this time of year, I now see it as beautifully rich with ritual and reflection. It is an opportunity to deeply connect in with a vision I have for myself, one that is rooted in a way of being that I am committed to, one that I get to embody and can easily use as a measurement tool.
For example, 2020 was all about consistency for me and my business. Even though nothing went the way I thought it would (read more about this in the “How We Vibed Our Way Through 2020” blog post), I most definitely fulfilled my intentions and it was pretty easy to measure it too - all I really had to do was ask myself one question: Was I consistent?
Step one in my intention setting for the new year is to first do the deep reflection of the year coming to a close. With that reflection complete I am able to see where I missed the mark and where I hit it - basically what worked and what didn’t. With that feedback, I can think clearly about where I want to go and who I get to be in that process.
**drumroll please…**
INTENTIONALITY
(and FUN!! To be honest, I usually focus on ONE word or theme for the year but because I can get so head-down in my work, I want the reminder to have fun doing the work I love so much!)
How did I chose intentionality and what does it mean to me?
Intentionality means that all of my business decisions - the products and services I am launching, the communications I share, the relationships I develop, the collaborations I say yes to - are connected to purpose, my ability to uplevel, and are driving me forward toward my bigger visions.
Intentionality is about the quality of my work and life, my mindset and mental health.
Intentionality is about consciously living into my vision according to my values, desires, and beliefs.
Intentionality is about being unattached to an outcome or result and staying committed to a way of being that makes me feel whole and complete and gives me the power to fulfill my dreams.
**Oh man, just writing this out makes me so excited about 202won!!**
Here’s one example:
I spent a good amount of time in December planning out ALL of the 2021 anti-racism panel discussions topics for our monthly show called “What’s Color Got to Do With It?”. I first searched up all monthly celebrations like Black History Month, Native American Heritage Month, holidays like Cesar Chavez Day and the 4th of July, and historical memorial days like September 11th.
Then I considered topics that would relate to each of these themes - topics that would open the door to courageous conversations and support our learning and growth as active anti-racist educators, parents, youth and youth influencers.
Intentionality also showed up in this creation process because I included personal holidays and time off. A big part of my professional vision is to plan business around pleasure - meaning, when my girls are off from school, I am off from work. And as an edupreneur who loves her work, it can be hard sometimes to STOP working. So if I start by planning around time off and work the business around that schedule, then I can avoid getting into a situation where I feel resentful to my work because I am experiencing burnout. And burnout sucks! So obviously I want to avoid that at all costs.
Planning vacation time ahead of time allows me to build in the breaks that I could easily skip right over if I wasn’t intentional about it.
So I didn’t schedule any anti-racism panels for July and December. Not because racism takes time off but because activists need time off so they can keep going with sustainable passion, rigor and impact. (Self-care is a real thing, yo! Especially for people like us who are up to big things and dream of making a big difference!)
In the end, here’s the super exciting and intentional episode lineup for 2021’s “What’s Color Got to Do With It?” (btw, register for FREE here!):
I’d say I’m kicking off my year of intentionality with...intention!
So...what’s your word for 2021? What do you see possible for yourself in this new year and what is it going to take for you to bring that to life? In other words...What way of being are you committed to?
If you aren’t sure and you want some help with this, call me. Getting clear on visions and creating the plan to bring it to life is my superpower and I LOVE helping people through this process. It is the gift I was given and the gift I am meant to share - so let me share it with you! Book a call here - it's super easy to connect, I promise. ;)
