I stopped making new year's resolutions years ago for myself and my work. Instead, I have adopted a pattern of setting and re-setting continuous intentions, which feels more expansive and less constraining. It also means I can re-set those intentions through continuous review and monitoring as an evolving process without having that sense of failure in the resolve I had when in a different mindset. It means I can better appreciate the journey I am on rather than stressing about what I have to do before the next stop.
However, the start of a new academic or calendar year, or some other anniversary or cultural celebration, does provide a stimulus to think and reflect about what we have achieved or experienced, and what lies ahead. At this particular time of year the focus is often on closing out work in progress, having a sense of completion by the end of the year, moving things off our guilt pile (we all have them) and de-cluttering. And then we start all over again.
But it is also a key point at which we connect with others. We acknowledge individually and collectively about what we have experienced and achieved in the year and the barriers we have overcome or continue to hold us. What if we made an intention to really tune in to those conversations, to listen and be fully present to them? How might that impact on those relationships themselves and the work that we will do together in the new year?
If you hold an intention to be a better listener, come and talk to me about it. I will be running a workshop on listening skills shortly so do let me know if you would like to be included. There you go, I have made my own intention! That wasn't too hard.
