They often come with the vibe that there’s something wrong with us. Bear with me, if you’re thinking this is going a bit awry already! When we decide to make a New Year’s resolution, we look at our lives and look for areas in which we can improve. Often look over our lives with a critical eye and we see where we believe we’re lacking, e.g., not doing enough exercise, swearing, or something we need to do better at e.g. eat more fruit. New Year’s resolutions come with the energy that there’s an area of our lives which needs improvement and so it needs fixing. This means we’re starting the New Year with the energy that we’re not good enough, that if we do this resolution and succeed in it, then we’re going to be better people, healthier, more successful and so on.

What if we changed the term New Year’s resolution to Soul Intention? Instead of using the phrase, ‘I should do x’, which feels quite tight and heavy in our bodies, we could use the word ‘choose’ which gives a feeling of spaciousness and consideration of ourselves. By doing this, we are rewriting these intentions from a place of sovereignty. (Being sovereign means standing in inner authority -self-led and belonging to yourself).

Resolutions can be rooted in the energy of not enoughness (I know I made that word up, but it feels so right in this context), that we need fixing. An alternative view is that we’re embracing that we’re not perfect but we’re staying present with ourselves on our journey to who we are becoming.

We can start the journey to soul intentions by letting the body choose. Ask ourselves, “what feels nourishing this year or what feels heavy and forced?” And we start to make the choices that broaden and open our hearts to new experiences and grow like the magical beings we know we are.

Instead of one soul intention for a year, maybe we could think of it more like a cycle and we could set soul intentions for each season of the year, depending on how those energies are currently affecting us? Instead of these big, all-encompassing intentions, they could be smaller and more manageable.

For this year, I cut out a selection of words, and I’ve chosen my word of the year. I had a pile of cards upside down, and I picked one at random and the word which I picked up was the word ‘flourish’. In January, I’m going to mind map this word and see how I can incorporate it into my life so that I can flourish in areas which have revealed themselves to me.

An even more radical idea is why don’t we release the pressure of January altogether? January is a continuation of winter, and our nervous system needs this gentleness, this going within. It’s not like there’s a starter’s gun on January the first and we all must get going with our intentions or resolutions. It doesn’t work like that. This rushing and pressuring and pushing ourselves towards being better people sets us off on the wrong foot. Our nervous system needs us to be kind to it after the holiday. It sets us off feeling like we’ve got to succeed in whatever areas straight from the outset. Then, if we break our resolution, we may end up feeling like a failure. I should also invite you to consider the belief that it’s OK to change your mind, change your intention to something else, or abandon it if it doesn’t resonate anymore.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: greg-rakozy;

What you may find is that if you’re rebellious and don’t set a New Year’s resolution or intention, you might find your intention reveals itself to you when the time is right, when you’re ready to listen.

Instead of a resolution, how about creating an affirmation? (An affirmation is an intentional statement you choose which helps shape how you relate to yourself, your inner self, and your life. E.G. “I follow what nourishes me” or "I am open to new heart-expanding experiences” or “I am enough”. Whatever pops into your head will be the right affirmation for you.

Whatever you choose, you could anchor it by lighting a candle, then placing a hand on your heart while you read your intention/affirmation. Visualise the intention landing in your body like a flow of golden light. Trust that it's going to come to fruition.

Wishing you a magical 2026 with everything you wish for and more.