Well friends, here we are, two months into 2023. How are those New Year resolutions looking? Hard pass? Distant memory? Grab your coffee, pour your wine, we’re gonna get vulnerable about a sustainable way forward for 2023.
Spoiler alert, when it comes to new year resolutions, I’m not a fan. First of all, I’m still in hibernation mode post holidays and don’t tend to find my zest for life until the daisies pop up.
Second, the “new year, new me” mantras send me into a full shame spiral, and I’m just not about subscribing to this notion that I’m broken or need to be fixed.
Third, I find setting big, lofty annual goals tends to set one up for failure - we may start strong climbing up that hill, but, a few weeks in, the stamina wanes, snacks are gone and we’re off the good path.
But I’m getting ahead of myself…
A BRIEF TRIP BACK TO 2022
2022 can only be described as a growth year for me as I leaned into coaching and consulting on the Front & Center side AND launching The Cohort Collab as a full-service brand and marketing collaborative.
Whew…if that sounds like a lot to you, you’d be absolutely right.
I’m so proud of those moves, but (here comes the vulnerability part…) I absolutely limped through the end of 2022 feeling exhausted and untethered. What’s the point of all that success if the joy is overshadowed by the process?
Confess, I felt relieved instead of excited about what was accomplished, which, for me, is a huge red flag.
REVERSE ENGINEERING
2022 leaving me “rode hard, put up wet” was a problem, and I needed to face it if I wanted to sustain both professional and personal growth into 2023. If we’ve ever been in a “workshop” conversation, there’s a good chance I’ve mentioned reverse engineering a path towards the solution.
Ding ding ding, we have a winner, I just needed to apply my own advice! What if instead of boxing ourselves into static resolutions, we ilet our active intentions guide us towards our goals?
MY INTENTIONS - Calm, Curiosity, Connection, Care
I started by picturing what I wanted life to look like in this new year with a focus on how I wanted to feel versus what I wanted to accomplish - pouring a glass a bubbly and jotting this down was *chefs kiss* on clarifying priorities.
From there, instead of listing out to-dos (of which, I am queen), I wrote out intentions that would guide me towards more of what I wanted to feel. Where reverse engineering meets vibe check…
Here’s where I landed. Resolutions out, intentions in, let’s do this thing.
CALM - I’m not going to go, go, go until I drop. Instead I intend to be more grounded, present, and available to calmly show up for my clients AND myself. Energy feeds energy, y’all.
CURIOSITY - a cruel side effect of hustle culture is that sometimes you look up and realize you haven’t left your bubble. I’d fallen away from seeking out new experiences and being open to new things because I was in survivor mode. I intend to let those things in and apply new experiences into the value I offer.
CONNECTION - I talk to people all day, every day, it’s a huge part of what I love about my work. But…am I actually connecting? It takes a village to do this thing, and I intend to nurture both my professional and personal relationships to truly tap into those invaluable relationships.
CARE - “self care” is a buzzword for a reason. Coaching and consulting with clients is such a personal journey, and by caring for myself as a prime asset, I can offer better solutions and connections. In short, the better I am, the better I am able to show up, so I intend to prioritize care for myself and others.
Now, your turn. Tell me about your intentions for this new year and how the walk is treating you so far.
Interested in learning more about Front & Center and how we focus on creating a life you love on your terms? Let’s chat.
