New Year Resolutions or New Year Intentions

On the first of January each year, it can seem like everything gets reset to zero, and we start all over again. One of the everyday things to do currently is to set New Year’s Resolutions. Unfortunately, these Resolutions tend to fall away by the end of January. I prefer to set New Year Intentions, and I do this by having keywords to inform my year and how I want to approach it. This became even more important when, in 2020, I lost my husband. As I started 2021, not knowing how I would cope with living life alone, I decided my word for 2021 would be HOPE. Little did I realise at this stage that it would be a word I would continue to hold onto, which I have done now for five years and, as far as I can see, will continue to do so. While my goal has been to have hope, there have been times over the last five years when that has seemed extremely difficult. I have stopped to think about what I hope for each year, which has been quite different. Seeing how I have evolved since becoming a widow is enlightening. For 2021, the four words I chose were:

 

When things became tough, I often returned to these words to remind myself of my goal for the year, as explained in these four words. When 2022 began, and now having survived 18 months without my husband, my emphasis changed. For 2022, the four words I chose were:

At the start of 2023, I stopped to reflect that I had survived more than two years without my husband. Even though some of the experiences were extremely tough, I overcame them.
During 2023, I had the chance to mentor and act as a tour guide for a young German work experience intern seeking real-life work experience. The initial challenge was that he was 22, and I was much older than that, so I thought the generational difference might have been too significant. Boy, was I wrong. Age is not the determinant of whether people get along. It was a meeting of minds that was a great experience for both of us. We had some stimulating and challenging experiences after spending several months working and travelling together. It was a profound experience, and because of this, I realised that playing more and experiencing new people, places and spaces in a way I could never have imagined.\

 

By the end of 2023, I had done many things I had never imagined I would or could do. Therefore, this informed the words I chose for 2024, accepting that 2023 had included some great times and some very challenging ones.
My four words for 2024 were:

I came to the end of 2024 after having experienced another tough year where I needed to navigate some very challenging physical and mental health issues. I am pleased to say 2024 has ended better than it started. With this backdrop, I began to think of my words for 2025. I did not refer to words from previous years when I did this. Hence, I was surprised when I checked back later to see that H in 2024 was the same as for 2025, with H = Hardiness.

For 2025, the four words I have chosen are:

When I began focusing on the word “HOPE” in 2021, I never imagined it would progress like this. The acrostics provide a tangible record of my growth and evolution, an excellent side benefit I was not expecting.
Do you have a word you can work with in 2025? What New Year intentions are you setting? Do you plan for a better and brighter 2025 and beyond? Contact Carol McGowan, PhD, Strategic Achievement Coaching, for practical guidance and support in achieving your New Year intentions and aspirations.
In addition, I have had a unique word each year. For 2025, my word is RESTITUTION. Please enjoy the acrostic poem I have composed based on that theme.