If the first couple weeks are any indication, it feels like 2019 is going to fly by just as quickly as the last few years have felt! I’ve always read that as you get older, time starts to feel like it speeds up, and now I’m starting to experience that for myself. Funnily enough, a lot of the goals I’ve set for myself are, upon reflection, ways for me to counteract the year going by so rapidly by bringing more fun, joy and richness to my days and by capturing their sweetness.
My word for 2019 is ENERGY, and all of my goals relate to my word in one way or another. Throughout 2018 I felt tired and a bit scattered, like my energy was being drained by certain responsibilities and relationships in ways that weren’t healthy for me. I was left feeling like I needed to protect my energy more carefully, as well as find ways to restore and re-energize after stressful situations.
Practically speaking, this year I chose my word and then centred all my goals around that word, finding various facets of the word energy that I wanted to embody over the next 12 months. I ended up with six different categories that each have three goals or intentions within them – which is a lot of goals! But for this year, it feels good, and I have systems in place to make them happen. If you’re curious to learn more about how I set goals this year, I also talked about the process on my podcast a couple weeks back!
Physical Energy
I want to feel more rested, more limber, and more energetic throughout the day. I want to really take care of my body and make sure I’m giving it the fuel and sleep it needs to feel good and healthy. And most importantly, I want to feel more attuned to my body and its signals and make sure I’m giving it what it needs.
1. Be in bed without technology by 10:30PM every weeknight and 11:30PM every weekend night
I want to make this habit a lot stronger, because the truth is that if I don’t get off my phone by this time of night I wind up staying up way longer than I know I should. Instead, I want to establish a firm technology bedtime, go to bed, and start reading instead. That way I’ll read more books and get drowsy at an appropriate time.
2. Move intentionally every day
This can look a lot of different ways: a long walk in nature, a quick run after work, a dance party in my apartment, a yoga class…anything that represents me specifically and intentionally taking time out of my schedule to move. Walking to the grocery store is great, but it doesn’t count for me in this resolution.
3. Create a binder of fun, healthy meal ideas
One of the tough parts of living alone is needing to prepare every single meal for yourself! I often run out of good ideas and get tired, meaning I wind up making a sandwich or tacos five nights of the week. No bueno! By putting some fun ideas into a binder, I’m hoping I’ll have more inspiration for meals that are easy but healthy.
Source Energy
I want to spend more time tapping into my source through the kinds of reflective and introspective activities that I know light me up and make me feel good. The goals and intentions in this category are designed to reconnect me to myself and to that well of wisdom within me (just like the one within you!).
1. Meditate every morning for at least 5 minutes
This is a continuation of a habit I’ve kept up for the past several years: last year alone I meditated for more than 50 hours!! Even though I rarely feel enthusiastic about my meditation practice, I know it’s helpful so I want to keep it up.
2. Read 100 books
Since 2013 I’ve read 75 books a year, and I think I’m ready to take it up a notch! This year, all bets are off and I’ll be reading lots of audio, lots of fiction, and lots of anything I want. No rules for me! You can track my progress on Goodreads here.
3. Write more reflective blog posts & journal entries
This is an intention rather than a goal, as I won’t be monitoring or tracking it. My hope is that by putting it on the list, I’ll turn to writing more often as a tool to help me work through things or process my thoughts. It’s such an invaluable part of my life, but one that I’d love to be accessing a bit more often.
Guard Energy
The biggest issue I faced in 2018 was keeping my energy safely protected from energy vampires: and I was not always successful. This year, I won’t let that happen again. Instead, I’ll be finding ways to protect my time and space and ensure that I’m only using my energy on things and people that really light me up.
1. Say no to things that aren’t aligned or that feel forced, tiring, or sticky
Another intention, because I’m positive I’ll slip up on this one and have to readjust as I go. Guarding my energy is a constant learning process and I don’t always get it right the first time, but giving myself grace with this means that I can hold it in my mind and not feel apologetic for taking my time and meeting my own needs.
2. Have one ‘mevening’ per week
I love the term “mevening”, which was coined by my friend Moni – it basically refers to any night you take intentionally for yourself to experience all your favourite solo activities. Having a name for it instantly reframes it in my mind and makes me want ALL the cozy mevenings to myself! Some weeks are crazy, so I want to put mevenings in the calendar and actively track to make sure I’m getting one weeknight mevening each week.
3. Do an activity audit monthly
I want to make it a habit to re-evaluate my commitments and obligations on a monthly basis, to upgrade or downgrade anything that might need adjustment at any given time. I will be using Modern Planner’s Activity Audit exercise for this, most likely on post-its or on a special Asana board I’ll make for the purpose.
Follow Energy
I recently found out that I’m a Generator in the Human Design framework, which essentially means that my superpower is noticing and responding to things that light up my energy and following those things as much as I can. I find this idea very inspiring, since any time I’ve done this in the past, it’s led to big positive shifts and a lot of inspired action on big projects that suddenly feel so easy to launch. If it works so well, why not follow it more carefully?
1. Create a list of what lights me up most
This can be added to over time, but just like Jess Lively has her alignment time, I can use these things as prompts to bring me back into a place of more energy and excitement.
2. Create a daily energy reminder check-in on my phone
I’ve set this up and it’s going off every day at 3:30PM, a time of day that typically is a lower point in terms of my energy. Two weeks into the year, it’s been interesting to have that brief touch point to see how I’m doing on any given day and to simply notice how much it can vary from day to day based on what I’m doing.
3. Only take inspired action as much as possible
Obviously this is an intention, because this would be fairly hard to measure or track! But I think that intending to take inspired action as much as I possibly can is a fairly good resolution for 2019. To me, inspired action feels like things are flowing, exciting, interesting, and like there’s a conveyor belt under my feet. Not always possible, but when it hits, it’s magic.
Restore Energy
I’ve realized that I’m very good at spending my energy, and often do so on things, people and projects that I find fun and rewarding. What I’m not so good at is taking the time to replenish and restore my energy in ways that don’t necessarily feel “practical”. I have a hard time sitting down to watch TV or a movie, because I constantly feel guilty that I should be doing something more productive! The goals & resolutions here are in direct opposition to this not-so-nice part of my nature.
1. Be leisurely & luxurious in my everyday life
I find that I’m often racing through my days like I have someone timing me with a stopwatch. I want to counteract this with the intention to be more leisurely in my days: when I’m eating, during my morning routine, when I’m reading, when I’m relaxing. I want to take the time to light the candle, dim the lights, put on some nice music and chop up herbs to put on top of my food. Doesn’t that just feel more pleasant? Because the truth is, I do have time, I just don’t always take it.
2. Schedule one special fun thing a month
In the spirit of the bucket lists I used to create, I want to get one special, out of the ordinary activity on the calendar for each month of 2019. This could be something like taking a new hike, or going to an exhibition, or even just going to the movies, since that’s something I don’t normally do. I love that I have the flexibility to choose the activity, but the structure to make sure it’s monthly.
3. Buy one thing per month that feels luxurious or pleasurable
I’m a notorious underbuyer, which means that I’m not very good at spending money, even when money would make my daily life more pleasant or enjoyable. To combat this tendency of mine, I’m giving myself the “goal” of spending out on one thing (big or small!) that feels like a luxury – a want, not a need. Since this doesn’t come naturally to me, it feels very fun to start brainstorming the types of things that might fall under this category – and most of them are not even that expensive!
Creative Energy
Last but certainly not least, I want to make time and space for my creative energy to shine through in 2019! Being creative is one of the best ways I know to feel more energetic and fulfilled, and yet I don’t always give it the time I know it deserves. I’m hoping to change that over the next 12 months with these resolutions.
1. Do 1 Second Everyday
This is one of my favourite projects because it’s so easy but brings so much more mindfulness and whimsy into my daily life. I regretted not doing it in 2018 so I’m excited to have re-started for 2019 and already it’s bringing me so much joy.
2. Create two seasons of the Life In Limbo podcast
This is well underway and I’m loving it! Starting this podcast was a long-time goal of mine and it’s felt so good to actually launch it and make time for it each week. I also love that I’m giving myself breaks from the show when it feels like an overwhelming season of life. I can’t wait to see what comes of the show in 2019 – I already have some very fun ideas for guests and topics in store!
3. Take more photos of my everyday life
I don’t know another way to say it: I’m just happier when I’m taking more photos and capturing more of the details of my daily life. In university I was blogging more, so I was taking more photos of my life and apartment, and I treasure those memories so much. I love where I’m living now, but I don’t take photos to commemorate this season and I know I’ll regret not having them if I don’t start now. More photos in 2019!
And there you have it! All my goals and intentions for 2019. I’m tracking most of these in Asana, which is the project management software I use for both my personal and business goals. I’m also making use of Elise’s daily habit tracker for all my daily goals, because it’s fun to watch those little circles add up over time. I can’t wait to see how these goals affect my year, and whether or not they make me feel more aware of my energy in 2019. Here’s hoping!
You can read more about my words from the last few years below:
2013: Reach | 2014: Abundance | 2015: Grace | 2016: Light | 2017: Embrace | 2018: Flow
