When it comes to the New Year, many of us set resolutions to reach throughout the year. The most common ones include losing weight through diet and exercise, being more successful, finding our purpose, improving relationships, creating a deeper level of commitment and drive to challenge ourselves, and increasing happiness or positivity.

While all of these goals are good to strive for, it can feel overwhelming when we put so much pressure on ourselves to attain them. Without actionable steps, these goals will be very challenging to accomplish! Most people do not end up following through with their goals for more than a few months. Gyms will see an increase in memberships and then decrease after a while when people don't see results fast enough and stop putting in the effort. To reach our goals takes a lot of dedication and perseverance. 

This is why I prefer to set "intentions" instead of resolutions. Intentions have more flexibility and less pressure to accomplish. For example, an intention can be along the lines of telling yourself “I want to lose weight,” or “I will be a better partner for my spouse.” Goals are the specific actions that you’ll be taking to do those things. Furthermore, intentions prioritize the emotions that you are feeling. They prioritize the relationship that you have with yourself and the task at hand.

**Tips for Setting Intentions**

Reflect on the last year.
Start small and specific.
Find your "why".
Set a theme for the year.
Write monthly intentions.
Find an accountability partner.
Reward Yourself.

Here are some intentions we're setting for the year ahead:

• Create a daily journaling habit
• Write and send cards to family/friends
• Make a weekly meal plan
• Learn a new skill set or increase knowledge by taking a class
• Play more games!

We love using our bullet journals for all types of writing and note-taking needs!

Take a look at our favorite notebook selections here:
https://teneues.nyc/collections/a5-notebook
And
https://teneues.nyc/collections/small-bullet-journal

Or if you want to start writing cards to your friends and family, we have a great selection here:
https://teneues.nyc/collections/notecard-sets
And
https://teneues.nyc/collections/fliptop-notecard-box

Happy New Year!