Let’s Get Intentional

On this final day of 2020, I encourage you to stop and take a few minutes to reflect on what was. Take a minute to savour ALL of the goodness that you were blessed with this year … were you able to make some improvements to your home? Did you have more time for some of your hobbies? Did you grow as a family? Did you take more time for YOU? Write it down … all of it … giving thanks for the gifts of 2020. 

Once you’ve done that, go ahead and acknowledge the stuff that was hard … your losses … your pain … your suffering … this WAS a hard year for many … like “bring you to your knees” hard … perhaps your life has been transformed in such a significant way, you can hardly believe the new reality you are living … loss of life, loss of employment, and a loss of many of our liberties has been difficult … many have battled feelings of loneliness, discouragement, or despair … some might have even struggled with boredom, yearning for some sense of adventure or excitement they were unable to satisfy … name it … all of it … give credit where it’s due … this WAS a trying year for many … 

Then, let’s take a minute to decide what we want for 2021 … let’s set some intentions … ONE simple way of doing this is using the “KISS” method (described fully here on the Building Champions blog) … KISS stands for KEEP, IMPROVE, START, and STOP … jot these headings down on a piece of paper, then get brainstorming …

First, decide what you want to KEEP as you move into 2021. Have you developed a few good habits or routines you’d like to maintain? What about traditions or new initiatives? Have you gotten a better handle on your finances? Have you started exercising regularly or eating a little better? As we move into 2021, take a minute to decide what you want to KEEP from 2020.

NEXT, decide what you want to IMPROVE as you move into 2021 … maybe it’s time for a stricter budget or a more intentional evening routine. Perhaps you get creative on occasion, but you’d like it to be a daily practice or maybe your workout routine needs to be “beefed up” a bit. For this “section,” consider what you’re already doing but maybe not as consistently or as effectively as you might like. 

Your next step is to decide what you’d like to START in 2021 … maybe you want to start reading every day or writing in a journal … maybe it’s time to start each day with some stretching … or maybe it’s something bigger for you … a new program in your community? A new initiative at work? A blog? Write it down … but be careful to not take on too many new things all at once (as they’re unlikely to ALL stick) … I suggest picking ONE thing for January and “stacking” it with a habit or routine you already have in place. For example, I generally start my day by reading a verse from the bible (I use the Inspirations free app). Instead of just reading it, I’d LIKE to take a minute to jot down what it means … how it might apply to my life … and the like. This shouldn’t be too tricky to “start” since I already have the habit of reading the verse each day … 

For bigger “starts,” write your goal down, then break it down into a series of action steps … schedule action steps into your calendar, then GET GOING! Reflect and recalibrate often … need some extra accountability? See My Dream for 2021 … perhaps I can help you out???

FINALLY, decide what you’d like to STOP in 2021 … is it time to kick that bedtime snack habit? Or hitting the snooze button? Is it time to stop making excuses for why you can’t get outside for a 15-minute walk every day? Is it time to stop drinking coffee … all … day … long? Or is it time to stop letting your limiting beliefs or your spouse or your mother govern your life? Is it time to stop overthinking things? I trust you can think of a few things to STOP as you move into 2021 … again, don’t tackle them all at once … determine what’s important to you, then set some intentions for the months ahead … after all, you’ve got 365 days to accomplish ALL that you want to in 2021. 

So why does this all matter? Why is it so important to count our blessings? Recognize the gifts? Acknowledge the tough stuff? Why bother setting intentions for the year ahead? 

I’ll let YOU decide for YOU why (or if) this matters … 

It matters to ME because I am FULLY committed to a life well lived … ONE important component of a life well lived is stewardship …

Stewardship is “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care” (merriam-webster.com) … like this ONE precious life I’ve been given …

I believe in being care-FULL … responsible … and INTENTIONAL …

THAT’S what this is all about FOR ME … 

2020 has DEFINITELY taught us about the fragility of life … it has taught us about the loss of autonomy and basic privileges … it has taught us what it means to be a family … it has taught us to care for ourselves … it has taught us to find the good … 

Don’t let these teachings be all for naught …