This is my favorite tradition that gives me a centering anchor all year long. If you have been in my community, you know that I have been practicing this ritual for years! And if you are new, welcome!
Grab your journal, put on your favorite creative jams, pour your favorite drink and let’s get cozy…
Selecting a word or short phrase, also known as my power intention, is one of the most powerful tools I practice, year after year. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with all of the individual "things" I could do or should do in 2024, my power intention helps me cut through the outside noise. I am able to make more focused decisions based on my authentic needs and wants. I have a clear sense of my priorities. Whenever I feel stuck, I re-ground into my power intention to help guide the way.
As we all know, life doesn’t go as planned. But anchoring into a power intention offers a beam of light to help guide the way. This last year was a doozy. I am beyond grateful for my power intention because it gave me strength and direction to keep showing up to my life and taking charge.
Do you have your own favorite new years ritual? If not, selecting an empowering word or phrase is a great way to clarify and prioritize your desires and wants -- supporting you living and loving your life, no matter what’s occurring.
My 2023 power intention had two pillars: “deep listening & patience.” These words helped me navigate some choppy personal and professional moments. Deep listening gave me courage to introspect on a whole new level and explore parts and pieces of me that needed some healing and TLC. I felt like I scuba dived into my inner world and was able to connect to parts of me that I have abandoned. Connecting to these pieces gave me new life and energy. Patience inspired me to speed walk a marathon, in Athens Greece and learn how to maintain focus, maintain pace and have fun on longer journeys. I get to remember life is not a sprint. It is a journey. A journey I want to be present for. Having patience helps me soften into the moment and accept the pleasant, unpleasant and neutral moments just as they are.
I am so grateful for this year’s power intention for all the ways I have learned and grown. I notice that a part of me wants to hold on to them for next year (I notice I have felt this every year!), yet I remind myself that they are still within me. They don’t disappear. They transform. They are embedded in my muscle memory, and now I get to make way for a new area of focus.
My 2024 power intention is…. SouL. This word came to me through this reflection practice I have below. I noticed my mind wanted me to pick grace, but when I sat with it that word felt more like a should. It didn’t feel like it fully encapsulated what I wanted to embody and help guide me in 2024. My power intention of SouL means I am connected to that deeper whisper within. It’s not my intuition, even though my intuition and SouL are very close to one another. Instead, SouL is the place of creativity, spiritual expression, pure authenticity and nutrient dense love. It’s an inner glow that beams silently with so much wisdom.
As I set my power intention for a new year, I get to pay attention to what SouL feel like in my body, what activities help me tap into these words and how I get to choose my power intention on a daily basis. These words get to be the lens through which I experience life over the next 12 months. How exciting!!!
Now it’s your turn. What is your one word or phrase you want to embrace in this new decade as your power intention?
To support your reflection process, walk through these steps and see what you discover:
1. Journal the prompts below:
What are you celebrating from 2023?
What are you grateful for from this past year?
What didn’t work well?
What are you committed to practicing in 2024 based on all you have learned this last year?
How do you want to feel in 2024? (Describe in full detail). Notice if any imagery comes alive in how you want to feel. See if you can describe it in detail.
What would your life look like if you gave yourself full permission to do, to be or to say anything?
2. Reflect on what you just wrote, and circle all of the words that stand out to you. Now, narrow it down to one, two or three words (no more than that or it just turns into a laundry list). Pay attention to what word(s) support how you want to feel and be in 2024.
3. Ask yourself: Does this word (or words) create an empowering phrase for me? If yes, you got your power intention for 2024!
If not, narrow your word choice down by closing your eyes and breathing each word in and out. Notice which word stands out to you the most and note whether it brings you tingles, opens your heart, creates some fire in your belly or makes you smile. What word(s) help inspire the year you want to live? These are typically signs that you discovered something meaningful.
4. Once you have your power intention, take a few minutes to journal why this word/phrase is important to you. Get super clear here.
5. Now, create a visual for your power intention. Whether it is a fancy drawing or a post-it note, place a visual of your power intention where you will see it on a daily basis.
5. This year I am adding a bonus step. Pick a song that encapsulates your power intention. Let it be an anthem you can come back to again and again. A song that makes your body move and reminds you why your power intention matters. (Take a listen to mine 2024 Power Intention Song)
Take note as the perfect word or words come alive for you! Please share! (in-person, email, social media, snaps, grams, by phone, or in the comments below!)
If you did this activity last year, take a moment to reflect and connect. See what dots aligned and what you might want to do differently this upcoming year.
5. Use it or lose it. Let's start integrating your power intention into your life right away. Join me for my Intention Setting Party workshop to help you take your Power Intention to the next level.