The Easiest Way To Set a New Year’s Resolution

Choose a word. That’s it!

I went to the dentist recently for a cleaning. I have a history with my teeth failing me, and dentists not being very gentle with me. First, there was an hours-long root canal and another time bleach was poured down my throat. NBD. But this time, I wasn't nervous. I had finished all the work needed on my teeth earlier in the year, and have been taking extremely good care of my teeth, so I was actually excited to get a clean bill of health! 

And I did! However, my hygienist encouraged me to slow down and focus on brushing my teeth at an angle. At that moment I realized that I don’t focus AT ALL when I’m brushing my teeth. I have a Sonicare toothbrush that beeps when it’s time to switch sides, so I basically just let it do all the work for me. I zone out, go through my phone, listen to a podcast, put stuff away, etc. 

It made me realize how often I do that. I make it through most of my day (/LIFE) without paying attention. At the end of the day, I hardly remember what I did. It’s like when you drive home and don’t remember stopping at a single stop sign or light because you drive the same route every day and just go about the motions.

For my resolution, I’m just choosing the word: intentional. I want my life to feel intentional, and to live my life with purpose. 

I have many goals or ideas for goals, but they all fit under the INTENTIONAL umbrella. 

I want to be intentional during hikes with my dog, and during workouts in my living room. (I often find myself on my phone halfway through a barre class while I should be focusing on my glutes.) I want to be intentional with my spending, decisions for my health, and even where I go and who I hang out with. I’m tired of feeling all over the place and directionless. Last year, I felt like I was there, but I wasn’t really present. 

Maybe you want your year to be fun, or free. Maybe you want to be kind. Maybe you want to focus on learning, or building, or balance. All you need is a word, any word, to filter your actions and goals through. 

I don’t really support the “New Year, New You” mentality. However, I do appreciate the milestone for reflection. I’m a nostalgic person at heart, and I love looking back on how far I’ve come. Whether it’s a new year, a birthday, September 1st (back-to-school season is still ingrained in me), the holiday season, or a random Tuesday - it’s always good to stop, reflect and adjust.

So put on your favorite motivational Kelly Clarkson song and PICK YOUR WORD!