Ease off the accelerator and tune in to the transformation in front of you this year. Chances are, you’re one or two small intentions away from reinvention.

---

Welcome, 2019! And with the new year comes all those grand promises we make to ourselves.

I have had a very rocky road with New Year’s resolutions—I’ve always come out of the gate with full force, but often found myself struggling to maintain my intentions months (and even weeks) into the new year.

If you are like me, then this resonates with you as well. As we approach this portal of fresh energy, maybe we do not need to abandon the idea of reinventing ourselves as we welcome a new year… Rather, we simply need to change our approach.

Here is my method for locking down my New Year’s intentions. Try them out alongside me and let’s make this year a landmark year for all.

Let’s start at the ground floor, shall we?

It’s All in the Details

For many, the first mistake made with intentions is that we only think big. I love grand plans, I can bite off way more than I can chew like the best of them, but it’s not just the grand picture that matters.

Once we have the grand plan—say quitting smoking or implementing a new fitness routine—we need to get clear on the finer details.

The approach I work my clients through is to get clear on both our macro and micro goals. Take your big idea, then break that idea down into smaller chunks.

• What do you need to do in order to see that big ticket resolution comes to fruition?
• What steps do you need to take?
• What have you done that has worked in the past and what has not?

Get detailed with how you are going to approach this big vision intention, then create smaller goals under it. This way, you have actionable steps you can begin taking today, each one getting you one step closer to whatever it is you have set for yourself.

Bit by Bit

Another helpful tip here is to work on only one to two things at a time. It’s far easier to make meaningful progress on a few things than it is an entire laundry list of changes you want to welcome in 2019. Plus, if you show yourself that you can handle a few intentions like a boss you will be motivated to tackle a few others down the road.

Ritualize, Ritualize, Ritualize

The next step that will significantly help us as we work our intention mojo is creating ritual around our goals. When we create mindfulness and moments of reflection we greatly expand our awareness around what is working and what is not. Additionally, ritual helps to create flow energetically—so not only are we tackling things on the practical, mundane level through the actions we take, but we are also attending to the energy around the goals we’ve set for ourselves.

A simple way to make this work for you is to take time at the full and new moons to assess what progress you’ve made.

At the full moon, write out the steps you’ve taken thus far and the successes you’ve experienced and slip ups or challenges you’ve faced. A full moon is a great time to take stock of what you’ve done and achieved thus far.

The new moon is a great time for creating space and inviting in fresh energy. Those challenges you’ve created awareness around during the full moon? Now you can write them and anything else that is not working or that you feel you need to release on a slip of paper. Either burn it in a fire-safe container (and practice fire safety always, friends!) or rip your list into tiny pieces and throw them away. Then write out what you wish to invite in or strengthen on another piece of paper and keep this one with you to review at the next full moon.

You’ll be surprised how this not only creates a ritual around maintaining your goals, but also helps you to move energy ensuring there is flow (and thus, progression).

We’re All in This Together

Lastly, let’s all promise to be compassionate with ourselves. Change, on any level, is hard. We are creatures of habit and the habits we are trying to change are likely ones we’ve worn into a well-trodden path. We will slip up. We will make mistakes. We may even go backwards. What is important is that we hold space compassionately for the work we are doing. That we praise ourselves for trying and that we never give up.

The changes you seek to make—no matter how large or small, deep or superficial—are important. They represent the ways in which you wish to evolve and grow as a person, and growth takes work.

These steps, while pretty simple, offer you a container within which you can hold yourself accountable ensuring that you’re making progress day by day. Remember, this is not about overnight success—rather, it’s about building a foundation that allows us to build new structures within and around us.

I celebrate you and your work this season and hope this year is the year you make your desired change happen.