It’s a new year, and a time for looking ahead. So, what do you want your next year to look like? Does the prospect of planning and setting intentions for the upcoming year feel overwhelming?

Well, if that’s been your experience, you’re in the right place, because in this episode, I’m going to walk you through how I think about intentions and my process for setting them that takes a little bit of the pressure off, while still offering clarity for the future.

Grab a pen and notebook and let’s get started!

What’s in this episode:

• [00:48] Why setting intentions can feel overwhelming sometimes
• [03:03] How I approach setting intentions for the new year 
• [07:01] My perspective on intentions and how I’ve taken some of the pressure off of them 

Tune in to this episode for a little walkthrough in setting intentions for the new year with confidence and without stress!

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Did this episode give you a new perspective as you begin setting intentions for the new year? Check out our yearly planner with 48+ pages of goal-setting goodness!

Transcript

[00:00:00] Hey friend, welcome to the Art and Soul Show. I’m your host Lisa DiGeso, a mom, a photographer, and entrepreneur. Tune in here for pep talks, conversations, and advice on photography, creativity, mindset, business, life, and that messy in between. This is the place where you can go when you need a boost of encouragement, a kick in the pants, and inspiration to pick up your camera.

[00:00:24] This is the Art and Soul Show. Hello, my friend. Welcome back to the show. So today we’re going to be chatting about probably one of my favorite things, and this is setting intentions for the new year. Now, there’s something so special about that transition between a new year and an old year. The feeling of newness, it could be a new day timer or a new notebook.

[00:00:48] It always feels like a real clean slate to me. It’s that chance to sort of slow down and to breathe deeply and sort of just reflect on where we’ve been and really realign with [00:01:00] where we want to go, could be in our life or in our businesses. It really is. And setting intentions sort of used to bog me down because I would get way too in my head.

[00:01:09] I would overthink it. I would focus on numbers and monetary goals versus how I actually want to feel in my life. And the thing about setting intentions is it’s not just about making a list of things to do. It’s really about thinking intentionally about how you wanna feel and what you want to experience in the next coming months.

[00:01:29] And in all honesty, that can be hard, especially if you’re currently feeling really burnt out from maybe working too much over the busy season, or maybe even frustrated that you’re not even getting enough clients. And Honestly, my friend, I didn’t always love doing it. In fact, when we’d have our free yearly planner every year, resistance would play a huge part of my life and I’d really struggle putting pen to paper.

[00:01:54] And to be frank, I often still have a hard time with this. So I thought I would just share this with you [00:02:00] and we could do some intention setting together. So really for years, I really put off this process entirely. I had two businesses to run. The idea of just sitting down to plan out my year really felt a lot more stressful and it felt like one more thing that I had to do that I was already sort of failing on and perfectionism really kept me stuck.

[00:02:20] I was worried I wasn’t setting the right goals or I wasn’t doing it correctly. And because it felt so overwhelming, I just wouldn’t do it at all. So maybe that sounds familiar, but what I have learned and what I want to share with you today is that there really is no. Right way to set intentions for the year ahead.

[00:02:36] You don’t need to have a fancy planner, but if you do want one, we do have a downloadable free planner and I’ll share with you a link a little bit later. You don’t have to have all the answers. And really what matters the most is that we’re just taking a little time just to pause to reflect and really connect with what it is we truly want, whether it’s more creativity, more balance, more [00:03:00] connection, or just more space to breathe.

[00:03:03] So if you’re ready to get intentional this year, this is how I approach it now. So we’re going to think about this like a conversation between friends and really feel free to tweak or adapt anything that resonates with you or leave anything that doesn’t. So I’m going to make this an interactive episode.

[00:03:18] We’re going to do this together. So grab a notebook or grab that free planner, grab a pen and paper, and let’s just get started. So step number one is pausing and reflect. The first step is simply to stop. We’re going to take a deep breath and we’re going to reflect on what the past year has been like for you.

[00:03:40] I want you to ask yourself, what went well this year?

[00:03:47] What felt heavy or draining? What surprised you in a good or a bad way? And what do you want to [00:04:00] let go of

[00:04:04] now? Pause the episode and answer those questions. Okay. So reflection really isn’t about judging yourself or really reliving those hard moments. It’s really about gathering clues. It’s about noticing maybe patterns that you have, maybe patterns that are a little destructive or self sabotaging, or we can also be celebrating our wins and really being honest about what you want to leave behind.

[00:04:30] Now when I skip this step, I tend to carry those things with me into the new year that don’t actually serve me. It’s like trying to go on a road trip or a camping trip with stuff you don’t even need, and it’s just weighing you down. Okay. So step number two, we’re going to be choosing a word or a theme.

[00:04:50] Now, one of my favorite parts of setting intentions really is choosing that word or theme for the year. It’s really a simple, but a powerful way to stay connected to [00:05:00] what matters most and how you want to feel for the year. So instead of chasing dozens of goals, I really just. Focus on that one guiding word or phrase, and it helps me make decisions throughout the year.

[00:05:12] In the past, I’ve had words like ease. It reminds me not to over complicate things or joy, which invites me sort of to have more fun. It could be creativity, which is inspiring me to create more. It could be growth, which is pushing you to better yourself. Step outside of your comfort zone. So I really want you to think about what that word is for you.

[00:05:35] Pause this episode and think about it. And we’ll come back in a second. So now that you have written that word down, whenever life starts to feel hectic, You can kind of just come back to that word. It can sort of be your North star. It’s this little reminder of how you want to feel, what you want to focus on, even when things are not going to plan for me, this year will probably be [00:06:00] space.

[00:06:00] I want to just create more space in my life, more time for me just to think, to play, to spend time with family. Space is sort of my all encompassing word this year. So number three. We’re going to set intentions, not just goals. And this is where I’ve often made a mistake, and this is actually where I’ve made the biggest shift over the years.

[00:06:21] I used to think everything had to be so goal oriented. We know how it has to be smart and the smart goals, specific, measurable, actionable, and it’s usually tied to some form of achievement. And while goals absolutely do have a place, intentions really feel more aligned for me now. So here’s the difference.

[00:06:39] A goal would be. I want to book 30 sessions by June. And intention will be, I want to show up with more joy and creativity for every client I serve. Now you can have both, you can have both goals and you can have intentions. But for this, I really think it’s important that we’re looking at how we want to feel in our businesses and our lives and how we want to be [00:07:00] showing up.

[00:07:01] You can see how the intention sort of focuses more on the experience and not just the outcome and the result. This sort of leaves us room for more flexibility and more growth because the As we know, life is unpredictable and sometimes those rigid goals can sometimes make us feel like we’re failing if things are not going exactly as planned.

[00:07:21] So intentions are more about the journey and how we want to feel along the way and how we want to show up and what we want to invite into our lives. So number four my friend be kind to yourself and this one is big Life is gonna happen. There’s gonna be days when things don’t go as planned. You’re gonna set these intentions and then Something unexpectedly will absolutely throw you off and that’s okay It’s like going to the gym if you miss a few days You got to get back on the beauty of setting intentions really is that they are You Not rules.

[00:07:57] They’re just invitations. They’re not set in [00:08:00] stone. They’re not about being perfect You can really come back to them anytime and you can change them if you no longer feel aligned say six months from now The word that you chose no longer aligns pick a new word Give yourself that permission to pivot and to pause and to rest when you really need to because sometimes the most important Intention you can set for simply is just being kind to yourself no matter what the year brings So I love this analogy.

[00:08:25] Imagine your life is just like a road trip. So goals might be the destinations along the way, but intentions, intentions are the fuel that keep you moving. That’s what makes it enjoyable. It’s the snacks, it’s the music, it’s those silly conversations along the way. It’s so easy to get caught up in chasing those achievements, whether it’s a fully booked.

[00:08:46] You know, client roster or, you know, getting in a photography award that you’re hoping to achieve. But really, life is not about crossing the finish line, it’s about how we experience the journey. So when you set [00:09:00] intentions, you’re fueling yourself with clarity, with purpose and with joy, and you’re giving yourself that permission to enjoy the ride, even when you’re hitting a few detours, because I promise you they are going to pop up.

[00:09:11] So if we just focus on enjoying the whole experience and just know that, you know, We’re going to have some detours along our little road trip of life. And that’s okay. That’s okay. It happens to all of us. So sometimes we often find that we are stuck on a loop. We are repeating the same patterns. We’re doing the same thing.

[00:09:31] And we’re just wondering why we’re not getting excited anymore. So setting intentions is sort of that chance to reset and get off the loop. You don’t have to wait for the perfect moment or to have everything figured out. You just need to start where you are and you need to give yourself permission to let go.

[00:09:45] To dream, to reflect and set those intentions that really feel aligned with your heart. And if you’re looking for that extra support, we have the free yearly planner from the Milky Way. I’m going to pop that in the show notes for you. And it is designed to help you go through this [00:10:00] process step by step with plenty of space to reflect and dream and really get intentional about your year ahead.

[00:10:07] So my friend, as we step into the new year, remember, it’s not about doing things perfectly. It’s just about showing up with your intention. So being kind to yourself, staying curious, being that lifetime learner and allowing your journey just to unfold one day at a time. I’m wishing you the happiest of new years and I’m sending you so much of my light and my love today and every single day.

[00:10:33] We will see you next time.