21 New Year Intentions
Let’s just start off by changing the name “resolutions” to intentions.
While we are still going to set goals for ourselves, we want the intentions to be realistic, honest, and attainable. Resolutions are hard to keep, and you can feel bad if you don’t achieve them, I know my resolution to give up dessert always falls flat, but I’m going to intend to follow these ideas. I don’t have to follow them all the time, but I will keep striving, and there is the Intention.
We want to be healthier and happier—so we’ll look at intents that can be categorized for 2021 to support your Mind, Body, and Soul. Give yourself realistic goals! With these intentions, you can do a little at a time, and we hope you’ll enjoy all of our links to make it easy for you to start on your 2021 journey!
Ready to put 2020 in the past? Here are some ideas to get you motivated for the coming New Year.
Mind: Intentions to stimulate your brain, to learn more, to achieve!
Read More.
Read a specific number of books. My best friend told me that her resolution this year was to read 80 new books, and she did it! She is definitely an outlier, I read maybe 10 and am pretty proud. But why not set a goal for yourself? Or at least write down all the books you read this year? You can look at your list and see everything you’ve accomplished!
Join a Book Club. Either find one in your area or put one together with your girlfriends! There are some great resources from the iconic Oprah’s book club to Reese Witherspoon’s book club, choose a book to get yourself started!
Listen to Novels when you Work Out. Why not choose a book specifically for that workout? Then you’re killing two birds with one stone! And you might even want to get in the gym.
Learn a Language.
Test Your Brain with Language. Try something new! Stretch your brain in a new way this year! Try using the free app Duolingo to learn Spanish, French, Japanese, or countless other languages.
Budget.
Get your affairs in order. There are all kinds of apps and websites that can help you figure out your money.
Get some help. Why not try Intuit Mint’s app, it keeps track of everything going in and out of your bank account, as well as all of your credit cards. You can also ask your bank about their budgeting apps, most banks have an app to help you! And bankers are there to help you with your needs.
Try investing if you’re able to this year. You want your money to continue to grow, there’s an amazing new company that specialized in finance for women called Ellevest!
Consider therapy.
Put your Mental Health First. This year, why not try to unpack your mental health. And nowadays, you can talk to a therapist from home. You don’t even have to look at them if you don’t want to! I call my therapist over the phone and I find it a relief to not see her, I feel like we can talk about anything! 2020 has been a hard year, it’s good to have a sounding board for some of the things you’ve been going through.
Know Your Story.
Family History. Talk to your parents or grandparents about their lives, find photos from when you were young, and hang up those photos. You’re part of a shared history!
Find Your New Jam.
Play Upbeat Music. Find a playlist that you love, or make one!
Exchange playlists. Remember when you used to get mix tapes from friends? Now you can exchange playlists with friends! Make a playlist for that special someone or for your BFF and then see what they come up with for you!
Motivational Monday. Check out our weekly playlist available on Spotify. We update it every Monday with tunes to keep you dancing and happy throughout the week!
Podcast Life.
Listen to Podcasts. Sometimes you don’t have time to read a book, but you can always work in time to listen to a podcast. I love to listen to them while I’m checking my email in the morning, or when I’m cooking!
Weekly Woman. Have you listened to our weekly podcast? We interview women from all over the world about their lives, takes on womanhood, and dreams! We’ve talked to former Bachelor Contestants, Government Employees, a 2 Time Olympian, a Pilot, Professional Volleyball Players, and all kinds of other amazing women.
Body: Intentions to feel more confident in your own skin, to be healthier throughout the year!
Exercise More.
Take the stairs. We all know we need to exercise, but here are some tips and tricks that we can realistically accomplish! Why not try taking the stairs always? Forget about the elevator and go for the stairs, trust us, your booty will thank you.
Yoga. Practicing yoga goes at your own pace, you can make it as extreme as you like, but it’s so helpful in finding the calm and feeling better. It can help you relax your mind and strengthen those muscles. And right now, Down Dog Yoga, an app for your phone, is completely free! You can take classes at all different levels.
Take a class. I’m a big advocate of the exercise classes. I ONLY workout if someone is yelling at me to go faster and work harder. Take classes with your friends on zoom to keep each other accountable. During the pandemic I’ve tried online classes on the Peloton app, even if you don’t have a bike, you can try the classes of all kinds (yoga, strength, running, Pilates) for free for a month.
Lift Weights. I only started lifting weights this year, granted they are two pounds each, but my arms are on fire. My goal is to have Michelle Obama arms, do it with me! Switch up your routine with new gear.
Wear Workout Gear that you Love. Wear workout clothes that flatter your body! Research shows that what we wear can really affect the way that we feel and you want to feel good when you exercise! And it will make you want to exercise!
Book Doctors Appointments for the coming Year.
Try scheduling on ZocDoc! You know you need them, especially if you’ve been skipping out like me during the pandemic. It’s so easy and you don’t even have to call! You can schedule everything online, just make sure you enter in your insurance information.
Fuel for your Body.
Feed Your Body. When you cook for yourself, you’re able to understand everything that goes into your body and consequently, you eat much better. Take the time to cook this year, and set realistic goals to accomplish this!
Try a new recipe every week. Do you have an online blog you’ve been wanting to try? Or do you want to work through that cookbook that’s been sitting on your shelf? Go for it this year! Might I suggest this amazing cooking blog, I love all of her recipes and she breaks down Asian cuisine for your kitchen!
Take an online cooking class. Are you not that familiar with the kitchen? Or do you want to sharpen up your skills? Try an online cooking class! They’re fun to take with friends over zoom, coordinate what you’re going to make! Try Sur La Table’s amazing line up!
Put Yourself First.
Self Care Mondays. Or whatever day you want! Self care is so important! What are the ways you’re taking care of yourself this year?
Bubble baths. Take a bubble bath, I love to bring a book in the tub and light my favorite candle. I always end up more relaxed. We even have an article about making bath bombs this month!
Make a Flower Crown. We have a great blog article about all of the crafts you can make with flowers. They smell great and make you happy too!
Plan for the Future.
Plan a Vacation. I know I need that planned relaxation after this crazy year! I know I probably won’t be traveling for a while, but I can still plan! Where do you want to go after the pandemic? Make a plan and go for it! It can boost your happiness by just thinking about it.
Stay Hydrated.
Drink up. You know you need to drink more water. Remember, you’re supposed to get 8 glasses a day! Why not set an alarm on your phone telling you to drink water? I forget otherwise!
Give it Away!
Donate Old Clothes. DO NOT KEEP THOSE TOO TIGHT JEANS. They don’t fit, get rid of them. You don’t want to keep them as a way to “slim down.” It will just make you feel bad and you want clothes that make you feel good about yourself. You can send your clothes to ThredUp to make room for those clothes that will hug your body in all the right places.
Soul: Intentions to feed your soul, to find solace in the world, to find meaning.
Meditate.
Find moments to breathe. We have a meditation series to help you keep breathing this year, therapist Rebecca Lantry helps us to meditate.
Write it Down.
Journal. My therapist suggested that I start journaling so I could better understand my thoughts, and of course, she was right! I journal so I can understand how I’m feeling from day to day. It’s good to look back on the happy days and the sad to get a better picture of what’s going on.
Talk to Friends.
Host a Game Night on Zoom. Play Pictionary or try Jackbox games! You’ll end up laughing the night away and it’s perfect to play with the relatives you don’t know very well.
Make a goal to talk to 3 Friends Each Week. This can be by phone or just reaching out over text. It’s hard right now to see people and to connect with friends, every one is feeling the Pandemic Fatigue, reach out!
Help Your Community.
Volunteer. Research has actually shown that when you pitch in regularly, you’ll have lower stress and blood pressure, so get helping today! Is there a place that you love to go that needs help? What about your local library? Or a school in your area? Do you love the theatre? Think about what brings you joy and how you can help!
Get More Organized.
Buy all those Boxes. The Container Store exists for a reason. Buy those containers for everything that you own. I’ve been slowly going through all my pantry items and putting everything in mason jars. It makes it easier for me to see what is there, so I don’t waste any food, and I love the aesthetic!
Watch Marie Kondo and live Marie Kondo. Now is the time to go through your closets and decide what sparks joy. We’re in a pandemic and half the country is on lockdown, decide what’s important for you!
Join a Club.
Find your Hobby. Joining a club is a great way to meet new people, especially during a pandemic. I’ve loved getting to interact with new people over zoom at different events.
Try joining a Women’s networking group in your area. There are all different ones, but a group that’s all over the USA is Ellevate! They have all kinds of events from a Podcast Book Club to Leadership Events to Wine Tastings. I even went to a Wine and Yoga event (before the pandemic).
Buy ALL the Plants.
Be a Plant Mom. Indoor plants can lower stress levels and plants just make you smile. Why not buy a couple of plants and see for yourself? I’d suggest trying an easier plant to start off with, an orchid or a succulent, just water them when they’re dry! There are also all kinds of plant subscription services, so you can get the plants you want delivered to you each month! Try The Sill, they have all kinds of plants even I can’t kill.
There are all kinds of intentions that you can set for the coming year, we want to hear about what you choose to do in 2021! And we’re here to help you stay on track with all of your goals, thank you for being a part of the Sisterhood.
