Ready for a FRESH Start: What is Your Intention for 2021

Written by: Lauren Matthies 
Author of Meditations from Motherhood

I’ve always loved the week between Christmas and New Years. I remember, even as a kid, I would approach my family with my list of resolutions and ask them to share theirs with me. Of course, I was the only one who had spent time making such a list, so my dad would joke, “exercise more” or some other traditional New Year’s resolution. 

While I know that we don’t have to wait for the New Year to set a new goal or find a new hobby, I’ve always looked forward to this collective fresh start. It’s as if the moment before the New Year, all possibilities exist. 

A few years ago, however, I stopped making resolutions, and began setting intentions. What’s the difference, you ask? Without intending to make a pun, I think that the difference is the intention behind it. A resolution implies that there is something we must change about ourselves. It suggests a deficit. It purports that we must exert effort to begin doing something, or stop doing something, that we previously have not. 

Conversely, an intention provides us with inspiration. It is a goal post, a mindset, a way of living. It is the reason behind our actions, not simply the behaviors themselves. An intention serves as our guide, gently encouraging us to live intentionally, not because we are somehow lacking, but because we are so very capable and worthy. 

So, I leave you with this question: what is your intention for 2021--what do you want to guide you in the New Year?