Goals. Resolutions. Intentions. There’s no denying that these words are thrown around like confetti during the start of a new year. Although they mean roughly the same thing, I find that the word “intention” is the most robust of the three, so that’s what I’m rolling with. Admittedly, I used to think that new year’s resolutions were dumb. “No one ever sticks to them anyway,” I’d mutter to myself. However, gradually, over time, I’ve found that setting realistic goals at the start of a new year can be incredibly powerful. After all, small changes can make a substantial differences in our overall wellbeing.

I’ll be honest: I’ve been kicking myself for not having this post ready to go on New Year’s Day. As I’m sure most of you can relate to, the month of December was a complete blur, and before I knew it, 2018 was here. Although writing this post has been on the forefront of my mind from January 2nd onward, the perfectionist in me fought back. If it wasn’t posted on January 1st, it’s no longer relevant, right? WRONG!

For the first time ever, I’m excited about declaring my intentions publicly. I’ve never been super vulnerable on this platform, and it’s about time I change that. There’s also something incredibly powerful about putting a pen to paper and writing my intentions down. If nothing else, putting my intentions out there for all to see will hold me accountable. With all of that being said, why wait until 2019 – another 358 days – when I’m ready to start crushing my intentions now, in this very moment.

Be okay with silence. Better yet, embrace it! If I’m alone, I find myself latching on to music, podcasts, and social media to fill the silence. Although these things will always have a time and a place in my life, there is something to be said for enjoying time with yourself and yourself only. Life is noisy both literally and figuratively, so I’m choosing to embrace silence for at least 30 minutes a day.

Continue to grow spiritually through yoga and meditation. 2017 was a year of tremendous spiritual growth for me. Although I had no intention of that being the case, I loved every second of it. For several months now, I’ve been going to yoga once a week and will continue to do so. When it comes to meditation, I’ve merely dabbled with it and hope to make it more of a constant in my life in 2018. My intention is to use the Calm app for guided meditation 10 minutes a day, 3 days per week.

Use oils for emotional support on a nightly basis. About a month ago, I started to use a set of essential oils referred to as the Feelings Kit. It contains six magical bottles of oil: Valor, Harmony, Forgiveness, Release, Present Time, and Inner Child. Applying them nightly while speaking affirmations into the universe has benefited my emotional wellbeing in a multitude of ways. However, over the past week or so, I’ve been using these oils less consistently and feel more irritable and less confident in result. Back to my emotional support oils I go! I intend to use them nightly from here onward.

Commit to a half-hour of no technology before bed. Whether it’s the blue light from our screens or the content that we engage in, technology makes it incredibly difficult to unwind, thereby compromising a good night’s sleep. Additionally, limiting screen time before bed allows us to engage in more meaningful activities. Diving into a good book, drawing a hot bath, or meditating (as mentioned above) are all excellent ways to utilize this time.

Allow for 8-10 hours of sleep. Some people can function on six hours of sleep. I am not and never have been one of those people. Instead, I am the best version of myself when I get between eight and ten hours. As problematic as that can be in a world where 24 hours in a day is not enough, I’ve learned that shifting my mindset is key when it comes solving this problem. When I get adequate sleep, I get more done in less time. Why compromise my precious sleep when I’ll spend the day lollygagging around anyway? Further, allowing for more sleep means cutting out the bullsh*t. Did I really need to stay up till midnight, scrolling through Instagram while binge-watching Bravo shows? Absolutely not.

Exercise in a variety of ways 3-5 days per week. Variety is the spice of life! I’ve found that I enjoy exercise the most when I switch things up. Luckily, the ClassPass app makes this super easy to do. After some experimentation over the past year or so, I’ve found that HIIT, yoga, barre, reformer pilates, and cycling are my favorite ways to get my heart pumping. Gone are the days in which I force myself to engage in exercise that I hate. (Ahem – running.)

Eat more plants. Ditch the meat, dairy, and gluten as much as possible. I feel so much better in every which way when I eat a plant-based diet. After all, food is fuel. I know how to eat healthy and I know how to make healthy food taste good. However, when it comes to food, self-control is something that I’ve always struggled with. So, this intention really comes down to being more mindful about what I’m consuming. Instead of mindlessly inhaling a mediocre cheesesteak at 2 am or grabbing a handful of stale cookies from the nurses’ station, I have to ask myself: Is it worth it worth the empty calories? Is it worth the sub-par taste? Is it worth how you’ll feel in several hours?

Limit alcohol intake to weekends and special occasions. In the moment, drinking to my heart’s content seems like a great idea. However, the following day – when I sleep the morning away, have a pounding headache, skip the gym, and eat terribly – makes me feel awful both physically and mentally. Loading myself with empty calories isn’t ideal either. Because I’m a social person and because social activities tend to revolve around drinking, limiting instead of abstaining is most realistic for my lifestyle.

Start saving money. For real. There’s no denying it. I’m a huge spender. Because I like nice things and work hard for my money, I’ve embraced the YOLO mentality for far too long. While I’ve “saved” over the past several years, it’s nothing to write home about and certainly hasn’t set me up for the future. Now that I’m rapidly approaching my thirties, it’s time to buckle down. This is scary to write, but here goes nothing: I will increase my retirement contribution to 10% and ensure that 20% of my paychecks end up in my savings account.

There you have it, ladies and gents! My 2018 intentions are officially on blast. If you feel so inclined, I’d love to hear about yours! May your 2018 be full of countless blessings. :)