2020 was one of the hardest years to date. We were forced to slow down, stay inside and self isolate, and we had a lot of time to reflect on our lives.
For many people, the time we gained in 2020 was important. It allowed us to draw inward and make positive change in our lives; it helped us realise what’s worth actually focusing on; and most of all, it allowed us to prepare for a better 2021.
But as we walk further into the new year (and hopefully, as life begins to find some sense of normalcy), it’s important to carry these newfound lessons with us and continue to practice mindfulness every day.
Here’s why you should focus on intentions rather than goals in 2021.
Intentions keep us looking inward
There’s power that comes with focusing inward and not outward. For example, it let’s us remain more conscious of how we act in the world and offers us new ways to become better humans. Goals, however, are often externally focused. They’re tangible things we want to achieve or destinations we want to arrive at. And while it’s important to strive towards achievement, it’s more important to wake up each day, find presentness, and focus on improving those daily practices.
Ironically, by going ‘in’ more and by setting intentions for each day in 2021, we’ll likely arrive at the destinations we set a lot faster. After all, you don’t build a wall at once, you lay new bricks each day until finally, well… you know the rest.
Intentions keep us mindful and present
Yoga is as much about physical health as it is about mental wellbeing, and if your yoga practice taught you anything in 2020, it’s the power of mindfulness and remaining present.
In 2021, we encourage you to continue to remain as mindful and present as possible. But this intention doesn’t come easy. No. You must choose to perform your daily practice, and as the world moves on, you must find new ways to tap into present-mindedness and find joy in the daily practice of peace.
Intentions require choice among a world of distraction
Intentions require conscious choice each and every day.
In a world filled with distraction, 24/7 news cycles and deadly viruses, it’s the easier choice to choose comfort food, junk TV and other negative habits. But a happy life isn’t one where we submit to these temptations all of the time. Intentions, then, let us find clarity and focus on our daily choices, allowing us to become better, healthier and happier human beings.
Set intentions in 2021
Sure, it’s important to set your sights on who you want to become and what you want to achieve. The goals you put in place so that you can measure your own success are, by all accounts, extremely important.
But to actually get to this place, you need to wake up every day, be clear on your intentions for the day, and remain mindful. After all, you can only walk with one foot in front of you at a time, and everything you’ll ever do in life comes down to your ability to set your sights on your daily practice.
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