Expert Tells Us All About Setting Your Intentions for the New Year
We can all agree 2020 was a total doozy, right?
Tbh, we've never been more happy to say goodbye to a year. And with 2021 just around the corner, we've made it our goal to make it our best year yet.
But how do we make sure we don't fall short? We spoke with lifestyle and spiritual coach, Emily Rivera, all about setting your intentions, how to meet them and ensure success. Interested to hear what she had to say? Keep scrolling for our full interview with Emily where she tells us all about setting your intentions for the New Year.
Sweety High: The new year is quickly approaching. How important is it to start 2021 on a positive note?
Emily Rivera: Every year carries the momentum of infinite possibilities. Within the majority of our society, there is a deep desire to step into something new and more expansive in the 365 days that are to follow. It's the perfect time for all of us to ride the collective wave of positive expectation, and for it to add to our personal momentum. It's important to start the year on a positive note, as this collective momentum will add and amplify where you're at. If you're positive and nourishing that which promotes your joy, best and highest, then that is what this momentum will amplify and promote in your movement forward.
SH: What are your tips for setting your intentions for the New Year?
ER: An expansive way I have explored setting my New Year intentions has begun by me looking 10 years into the future. I let myself play big, free of limitation. I write down all the things I'd like to do, see, and enjoy, plus all the people I'd like to meet and who I would like to become. Feeling into the idea that all things are possible and nothing is off-limits—I smile and enjoy the process as often as I can I see it in my mind. From there, I circle the items I wrote down that I can accomplish within the year, and then I list all the steps I can think of that would support the success of each of those one-year items I chose. Then, I complete the exercise by setting a date on my calendar, for when I will begin to take the steps I identified and seal it with a supportive form of body movement, like dancing, going for a run, stretching or walking.
SH: What are the benefits of having a clear vision when setting intentions?
ER: The benefit of having a clear vision is that it's the best way to give the conscious and unconscious a directive on where to go and how to follow. It also engages your intuitive faculties to promote accessibility to the best steps and paths to take. By manifesting your intentions, that which is desired can more quickly become part of your reality.
SH: Is there a general rule of thumb when setting intentions or one that you like to live by?
ER: It's important to set intentions based on the future version of yourself. The person that we are in the moment is changing and becoming wiser every day. When we work on creating our intentions from the perspective of a future version of ourselves, we aim higher and open ourselves up for further and more expansive possibilities.
Personally, I have a conversation with myself, in which I decide to set aside all limitations and expectations from my past. Next, I invite myself to open up into seeing bigger and better than I did yesterday, so that I can pull myself up into new levels and potentials that my future self is inviting me into. I then imagine myself five to 10 years from that moment and explore what my future and much wiser version of myself would encourage me to create, welcome, work on, do, change, heal and become to enjoy my best and most delicious life possible.
SH: What is the best way to set intentions, and why?
ER: There are three great ways to set intentions. One is journaling or getting it down on paper. This engages the intellect, conscious and unconscious, which promote your availability to success and seeing the intentions more clearly.
The next is a vision board or a creative visual representation of your intentions. This engages the creative spark within, which promotes manifesting, flow and support for seeing the intentions as more accessible.
The third is visualization, aka giving the intentions further roots into creation and accessibility of the mind, by seeing all the intentions come to life and into fruition with as much grace and ease as possible. This reason is a powerful one, because research has shown that if an individual can see an intention or a potential in their mind, it makes it more real and attainable.
SH: What is the best way to stay aligned and focused when working toward your goals?
ER: Once goals and intentions are set, it's very important to get clear in the why. Why are these goals and intentions important? This fuels the purpose, motivation and clarity. Once this is done, it's best to break the goals into smaller milestones. Procrastination, distractions and delay usually occur when an intention, goal or task seems too overwhelming. Once your intentions and goals are broken down into smaller milestones with set timelines, the work and actions required to attain the goals become manageable and easy to complete. Breaking the goals into milestones also helps with alignment and focus.
SH: What is the biggest misconception when it comes to 'new year, new you'?
ER: That life will get better and more expansive just because it's a new year. But change, expansion and potentials for a new you and a new year require awareness, decision and action.
Be aware of where you are in life. What's working and what isn't?
Make a decision to change what isn't working.
Identify what steps need to be taken to create the life that is desired and commit to taking them.
SH: Do you have any advice for making 2021 your year? How do you have the ultimate comeback?
ER: Create a life story that pulls you into your best and highest daily. You are ultimately the gatekeeper—the one in charge of making life happen. Take time to create and cultivate a life vision that inspires you to commit to it daily.
Plan on posting about it? Use one of THESE inspiring quotes as Instagram captions for your New Year's pictures.