Intentions for a New Year                                                                

by Helen Selenati

At the beginning of a new year we are given the opportunity to reflect on the past year and set our intentions for the coming year. What have we learnt from the past year and how can we integrate that into guiding our choices in the new year? Often the focus is on how much money we made, what we gave, where we traveled or the projects we completed.  But we also need to evaluate our experiences that had a deeper meaning in our life and impacted our hearts and souls.

Most people have had the experience of making New Year’s resolutions with the hope of making positive changes, but a few months later find themselves pulled back into their old habits. For some this has happened so many times that they have given up on setting any new intentions for the new year. The answer is not to give up on wanting positive changes but rather learning how to be more effective with the commitments we make. The key to making lasting external changes is to begin with the necessary inner work and then defining our intention.

When we look back on how we live, we should consider that our life experience will remain pretty much the same unless we, ourselves, are prepared to change. Our thoughts, intentions and desires motivate our actions. Our repeated actions become our daily habits and eventually our habits define our life. To make lasting changes, we must uproot the old thinking and replace it with the new experience we seek. When we begin each day by recommitting ourselves to our intention we support our effort to change unwanted behaviors and make positive choices that lead to a more fulfilling life experience. 

Helen Selenati is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Coach. She has a private practice in Redwood City and can be reached at helen@selenati.com or by calling 650-596-0807. Also visit www.selenati.com