Have you ever picked a word to focus on for the year? I’m not talking about setting a specific goal, but rather setting an intention. At the end of next year, if you could sum up your year in one word, one phrase, or one sentence, what would you want it to be?
Last year around this time I decided 2019 would be the year of Healing. Setting this intention helped me focus my choices and decisions. It helped me decide how to spend my money and how to spend my time. It helped me remember what was important to me and what I actually wanted to accomplish.
As I look back over 2019, I’m pretty happy with my results. After 7.5 years of being gluten free, I healed my body enough to tolerate gluten again. Paris wouldn’t have been the same without this miracle. I am completely healed from the pain of my divorce and even got certified as a Life Coach so I can help others do the same!
As I look back at all the decisions that led me here, it’s fascinating how many of them I made without consciously thinking about my year of Healing. At the beginning of the year all of them were conscious. But the more I focused on it, the more it moved into my subconscious. And I eventually started making decisions focused on Healing without even realizing it.
I’ve decided 2020 will be the year of Doing the Impossible. I’m starting a business, something I’ve never done and have no idea how to do. I’ve never taken a business or marketing class. The full-time employment I’ve had up to this point in my life hasn’t prepared me at all. But I’m doing it. AND… I’m going to double my income in the first year.
These things feel impossible.
But think of what it will look like when I come up against obstacles and my intention is Doing the Impossible. My brain will say, “You can’t do this. You’ve never done it before. You don’t know how.” And I will say back “Of course not, it’s impossible. But this year I’m doing the impossible. Relax brain, I’ve got it.”
When the entire point is Doing the Impossible, nothing is actually impossible. I will be willing to try everything. I won’t beat myself up when I fail. Of course I failed. I’m trying to do the impossible. Let’s try again.
I’ve also decided to set my intention every single morning before I start my day. Have you ever noticed the difference it makes when you purposely start your day off a certain way? Maybe it’s prayer, scripture study, exercise, meditation, gratitude, cuddles, or a walk in the sunlight.
I love sleep and I hate getting up in the morning. Too often I sleep in to the very last moment, get ready super fast, and run out the door to work. When I do that I’m not living my day on purpose. It’s more like letting my life happen to me, rather than creating the life I want.
But when I start my day on purpose, setting my intention and focusing on what I want to create…it’s an entirely different experience. Because of that, I’ve decided to add “I Lived” by OneRepublic to my morning routine.
This song has so many gems I may have to write an entire article to break it all down. But the chorus sums it all up:
“I, I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah with every broken bone
I swear I lived”
I’m not going to let my life happen to me in 2020. I’m going to create it all on purpose. I’m going to do the impossible. I’m not going to let fear slow me down. I’m going to fail. I’m going to Live.
What is your 2020 vision?