5 Ways to Have an Intentional Year

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This post will tell you five simple ways to have an intentional year.

Each new year brings the same thing–people make New Year’s resolutions that they forget all about by the end of January. With this pattern and mindset, it’s no wonder you’re reading this post! Having a transformational year is all about setting the right intentions at the beginning of the month and reminding yourself of them throughout the year.

Create a vision board.

I love using vision boards to remind myself what’s important to me and what I hope to achieve in the coming year. Every December, I take out the time to clarify my intentions for the next year and turn them into a beautiful board. I have an entire post dedicated to the purpose of vision boards and how to create one that will help you manifest everything you desire. You can find that post here. (It’s definitely worth a read!)

Choose a “word of the year”.

Every year, I choose a word of the year (or sometimes, a few words of the year). For example, my words for last year were power and authenticity. Remembering these words throughout the year helped me stay focused on my intentions. You can include these words on your vision board, repeat them while meditating, or turn them into affirmations that you say or journal. (For example: “My authenticity is my super power. I am in love with who I am.”) Does this sound like something you’d try? Comment your word of the year below!

Set measurable, trackable goals.

Most people start a new year by setting goals, but do they really? Goals should be measurable and trackable, not just lofty dreams. Goals should also come with a plan. For example, “I want to eat healthier” is not a great goal. What does “eat healthier” look like in your every day life? How do you know if you’ve achieved this goal? See the problem here? A better goal would be “I’m going to incorporate a vegetable or fruit into every snack” or “I’m not eating fast food more than once a week”. These goals are more specific, so it’s easier to see that you’re actually reaching them. Also, don’t just set a goal and forget about it! I am a firm believer in tracking goals. When I want to save money, I keep up with how often I put money into my savings account. When I want to drink more water, I use my FitBit app to track how much water I drink. Make sure you are tracking your progress to completing your goals. Otherwise, you’ll end up like the 2/3 of people that give up on their New Year’s goals after less than a month. (You’re better than that, sis. You deserve to achieve those goals, and I believe in you!)

Journal and self-reflect

If you’re new to Natural Black Vegan, you may not know how much I swear by journaling! (I’ll link all my journaling prompts below) But, journaling is really beneficial if you want to have an intentional year. I journal for self-care, self-love, prayer, manifesting, and mental health. I also journal to remind myself of my goals, intentions, and affirmations for the year. And when you journal often, you can use older entries to see how far you’ve grown and changed (especially if you are on a personal journey or do shadow work). Write down your intentions, and reflect daily, weekly, or monthly to see if you are still in alignment with the woman you want to become.

• 20 Journal Prompts for Self-Love
• 10 Bedtime Journaling Prompts
• Journaling with the Moon Phases
• 60 Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery

Surround yourself with like-minded people.

If you want to have an intentional year, you need to surround yourself with people who support you and think like you. We don’t need any evil eye, any energy vampires, or any low-vibrational “friends” blocking our blessings! Think about it this way: if you’re trying to level-up, would you want to hang out with people who are content with staying down? No! Of course not. So, surround yourself with people who are about the same things you’re about, and you’ll all grow!