New Year Intention Setting Writing Exercise
December is a great time to consider a New Year writing practice. Looking back on the year that’s about to end, you may start to wonder what you want to invite into your life at the new year.
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There is something about a New Year that makes us take stock of our lives. Make resolutions if you want, but what if you just decided to accept that you are fine as you are? Rather than making a big promise to change, I prefer to take a moment to pause and reflect and do this simple writing exercise on New Year’s Day. It’s a great exercise to help you get clarity on where you’ve been, and where you want to go.
Keeping a journal is such a powerful practice. So powerful that the Harvard Business Review recognized journaling as a valid way to heal trauma.
Before you can manifest your dreams and goals for the new year, you have to identify them. You don’t have to know HOW you will manifest them, you only have to know what your heart wants. Once you identify that with clarity, the universe will find strange and surprising ways to support you in realizing your dreams.
New Year Writing Practice:
Step 1
Block out an hour or 2 to do this. Do a 15-30 minute free write on everything that comes to mind about 2022. Ask yourself:
What were the highlights?
What didn't work out so well?
What was downright painful that I'd like to change?
What was heavenly that I want more of?
Don't filter, screen, manipulate or ignore what comes to mind. Don't show this to anyone! It is for your eyes only. That way you'll be sure to be 100% honest. Get down on paper the truth about what happened for you over the past year, so you know what you're working with.
Step 2
Go back and highlight, underline, or circle the moments or insights that feel "charged." Charged means there is energy when you read it, either in a positive or negative sense. When there is a charge around that topic, then highlight it. Make a list of these moments on a new piece of paper.
Step 3
Now go through that list, identify what your hopes or intentions were in these situations and categorize each item. Whether a thing worked out well or didn't, check in with yourself to find out how important that thing is to you. Then, either rate it as something that stays on your list of aspirations for this year, or that you will let go.
Step 4
For the items that didn't work out so well but that you want to keep, outline 2-3 ways you could approach your goal with fresh insight. For things that continue to work, and that you want to keep, are there ways to keep evolution inspired? Hint: you can do free writes for each of these questions.
Step 5
Ask yourself this question for each situation: What do I want? Write your list of aspirations for 2025. You don't have to know how you're going to manifest these things. All you need to know is what you want to manifest. Once you identify precisely and in detail what it is you'd like, your subconscious starts acting on your behalf. It acts on your behalf when you give it negative messages as well, so be careful what story you tell yourself! But here is the most important part:
Write the list in the present tense, as if you are already living the reality!
It's a bit sneaky. You're tricking your neurons into believing you.
Then let them go
One thing I should note on this process: It's important not to talk about it too much. Don't fritter away the energy of something that is important to you by chatting idly about it with those who may or may not care. Conserve your energy to put it to use towards manifesting your heart's wishes. In other words, keep your attention on the present moment.
Keep it simple
Sometimes I think we make things way too complicated. There is wisdom inside us, if we simply listen. This exercise is not about making a Santa list of things you want and then sitting back and waiting for your gifts to come showering down - this is deeper than the "law of attraction" theory. This is more about aligning with your true heart’s desires, which are reflections of your divine spark’s presence. Ego may trick you into believing you want certain things that don’t align with your inner wisdom. These things may or may not show up, but they probably won’t make you happy in the long run. Your heart desire will make you happy, so you are looking for the heart connection as you do this exercise.
This exercise allows you the choice to change course, let go and allow your deeper wisdom to show you the way to your heart's true desire.
What Is Your Heart’s Desire for 2025?
Once you finish this journaling exercise, write down no more than 5 priority issues you want resolution on, and what you would like. Keep the language simple and actionable. Make it specific, focused and directed.
Put the list in an envelope and seal it. Write on the envelope, to be opened Jan 1 2026. Put it somewhere safe and then forget about it. Seriously. Don't try to do what you wrote on the list. Just forget about it.
Next year, open the envelope on New Year’s Day and feel the magic.