Have your Yearly Intentions Gone by the Wayside?
So it is April. That means it is the second quarter of the year guys! How the heck did that happen. I mean January and February went fast, but March was a speeding arrow of a month that I didn’t quite grasp hold of until it was almost over. So have your yearly intentions gone by the wayside? I didn’t even manage to make intentions until Easter Sunday!
In our little family of four, we have birthdays in each of the first four months of the year. That means we seem to just go from one birthday celebration to the next in the first quarter of the year. Mind you, it must be worse for our extended family trying to remember it all!
In the last few weeks, I have been a bit overwhelmed and jumping from one task to another in a rather unfocused manner! I have fallen off some of my practices, including my Bullet Journaling. Bullet Journaling is the one thing that helps to keep me on track with what I am supposed to be doing! This feels disheartening, but I am remembering that I am human, and a human with varying levels of incapacitating fatigue for that matter. So I am trying to be kind to myself and accept what is happening.
Should I make intentions?
In years gone past I have spent quite a lot of time reviewing the previous year. I have set lots of intentions and made goals in all areas of my life for the coming year.
One year, quite a while ago, I even came up with 200 separate goals that I wanted to achieve! Quite soon afterwards this seemed completely ridiculous. I was laughing at myself, along with some of my friends who were also laughing at me! In addition to this blind ambition (my Capricorn traits showing!), I hadn’t really formulated any plan of action that would get these things done.
Needless to say, the number of items on my list that I achieved that year were not quite into double figures. Interestingly though, on reflection, the ones I did manage were the ones that were the most important to me. I might not have picked those ones out consciously at the time, but looking back on it, now, I can see now that those were the ones that really mattered. I had completed the ones that spoke to my heart and not my head.
Intentions aren’t much without action. Action can be so rewarding when you are in the flow. It can also be like banging your head against a brick wall at times when nothing seems to go as planned. I have wondered whether that means I am trying to go in the wrong direction. I have also wondered whether that just means I need to keep trying and persevering, like those inventors who only succeed on the 99th attempt.
At the start of 2021 I did not make many intentions at all. December had been very busy with a painting course, making a new drum at Winter Solstice and Christmas, and I just stumbled into 2021 feeling happy that I was keeping it more or less together. I mean just getting through 2020 was an achievement in itself!
Interestingly, new pathways have opened up spontaneously, like my Sacred Drumming Teacher Training course and this blogging challenge. Spring has sprung now, ( although it did snow yesterday for a few minutes!!) and that natural upswing in energy is happening. I started a wonderful online 21 day Happiness Experiment today too, that was really uplifting and helpful this morning.
Perhaps what we most wish for, whether it is a new car, a promotion, or a new house, is not actually what is best for us or what we need. In the chronic illness paradigm, we spoonies struggle with a seemingly unending list of unexpected and unpredictable variables that can upend the best of intentions. I think 2020 has also landed most of the population in a similar situation. Acceptance and surrender are the keys here.
Yesterday was a very strong new moon in Aries. The start of the astrological new year and a very powerful time to remake intentions and review plans that you made at the start of the year. The new moon energies are still active so it is still a great time to make those intentions…or you could just intend to go with what is flowing and see where the wave takes you!
“Going with the flow is responding to cues from the universe. When you go with the flow, you’re surfing Life force. It’s about wakeful trust and total collaboration with what’s showing up for you.”
Danielle LaPorte
Please comment below:
Let me know how you are progressing with your goals and intentions for this year.
You could even make some new ones!
This is my first year in a long time that I’ve made no plans. I bought a planner, and then thought ‘I never follow these, I hate even the requests I make of myself’, so I gifted it away. So far the year is unfolding as it wishes, with me writing lots of poetry, and scarcely anything else. I’m trying to be okay with this.
Well if you do not much else than write poetry I think that is beautiful..the world needs more poetry!
Yes, I think we have more of last year moving forward with this one – still so much uncertainy and unrest in the world.
I have made intentions to move to a better healthy live as in food choices and exercise, and yep, apart from signing up to a group/app which I did a few days ago, not doing it for me yet! Willpower, motivation and life in general plays a bit part…..I will get there and hopefully sooner than later!
Yes and I think we have to show ourselves extra compassion and realise it is not as easy to make good food choices and get the exercise in the last year..even small positive steps are big wins I think.
Great reminder about New Moon intentions— I knew it was the time of a new moon but for some reason I kind of glanced and forgot and to top that off in Aries and a new quarter… Time for me to reassess where I’m at with my beginning of the year intentions – I know I’ve faultered but not all is lost. It’s not a race and December 31st and January 1st are just days, like any other. 🙂 But it’s good to have goals or something you are working towards and it’s good to have reminders! 🙂 thank you.
Yes exactly..not a race and the most important things will always get done at the end of the day. Or mostly at least! 😉
How funny, I too am a Capricorn that makes lists of lists of lists of things to do, and rarely complete them. I’ve learnt not to make intentions as I am sad when I fail to complete them. Id love to learn to get over this and finish some stuff!
The last few years I enjoyed having a word of the year as that was easy to come back to as a focus when overwhelmed and lost in the fog. But yes finishing things is always a challenge for me, unless there is some motivating looming deadline!!
I used to make resolutions which then became intentions, and now I go with the flow as I got overwhelmed by everything. It’s easy to make goals, but I think just chugging along is good, you’ll do what matters and leave the rest 🙂
I think so too Cheryl. Thanks again for reading my post.
I see you with intentions made then life marching on but thought it interesting that the year of 200 goals got you to the ones closest to your heart. The 21 Day Happiness Experiment sounds interesting. I’m glad it’s speaking to you. Enjoy.