My intentions for 2023

I wanted to desperately to have a beautiful, simple idea to guide my year. Every year I like to pick a motto or phrase to help me stay focused and set the tone for my year. As you go, of course, you forget what this was, unless you intentionally revisit it. My motto for last year was to enjoy myself. To trust myself more and choose joy. I believe I succeeded in this. I have had a lot of fun this year. I’ve laughed and played and let go a little. I’ve trusted myself to make the right choices. I landed on my feet each time I did.

However, there was a lot of hesitation and fear and doubt, too. Maybe there is no way to eradicate this entirely, especially being me. But this year came with things that were heavy for me. Getting married was a joy but also a stressor. That’s done now, and I’m so happily married, but I don’t want that same hesitation and tension and fear in 2023. Again; maybe it’s unavoidable.

So my initial idea was for my motto to be “ease”. To create a sense of calm and ease in my day to day. Not to rush and fret and force and push. To just relax and take it easy. To continue with the things I’ve already set up nicely for myself (yoga everyday, jogging, seeing people I love, writing, studying for my degree, working my still new-ish job). To trust I’m in the right place and just continue doing what I need to do, with ease.

I still like the sound of that, but something doesn’t feel so exciting about it. Not quite right. Not quite hitting home.

I like the idea of “slow living”. I like the idea of “cultivating calm”. But still, not quite there.

Then Adriene (of Yoga with Adriene) came to the rescue. She does a free 30 days of yoga challenge every January and this January it’s called “Centre”. In my notes app, I’d already spoken about wanting to improve my core. Core values, core beliefs, literal physical core of my body, my core (my soul) and my strength within. This from Adriene was the last push to know this is what my motto needs to be.

To find and support my centre; the core of my being.

Sometimes I like myself, but often I don’t. I have a love-hate relationship with myself, as I’m sure many of us do. I do something wrong or disappoint myself and I beat myself up. But on the other hand, I talk to myself like a parent or a big sister at times, like, “it’s okay, buddy, we’ll try again” and that’s beautiful. I want to work on that second voice, while chipping away at the first.

So my motto for this year means a number of things:

Working on my nutrition to improve my gut health and immunity Strengthening my core muscles Improving my posture Knowing and living more closely to my values Working on destroying poor past beliefs and strengthening healthier beliefsParenting and loving myself unconditionally (working on that inner critic)Support from counselling to help with the above and my anxious behaviours/thoughts Speaking and standing in my truth (even if I’m alone)Breathwork to connect to my centre Connecting with my spirit and deep, inner self

Going deep into the centre of my being, befriending that person, and solidifying my relationship and identity with this person. This may seem extreme or hippy-dippy or unattainable to some. I agree, it kind of is! It’s more of a lifelong goal but one I can start now, right?

Again, I don’t have a great relationship with myself. For most of my life, I’ve questioned who I am. I’ve felt like I’m not a real person compared to others. That there’s nothing interesting about me. That I don’t know anything. That I had little value. I know that it’s not true, but I don’t know it deeply enough. 2023 will be the year of gathering evidence of this, loving what I find, and being unapologetic about it.

I think doing Adriene’s 30 days of yoga to start the year will be the perfect transition into 2023 for me. It always is, but especially now with our mottos being in alignment. I had a spiritual year in 2020 but then I felt knocked of kilter in 2021 and then have been gathering the pieces back in 2022. Maybe 2023 is a call for more spiritual connection and depth. I’ll roll with it for now, and adjust as needed. It’s important to revisit our intentions and goals regularly. Either monthly or quarterly, but at least at the halfway line. So we’ll see!

What’s your intentions for 2023? Happy new year, guys, thanks for sticking with me for yet another one! Here’s to 2023!

Sincerely,

S. xx