2023 Intentions for Self-Improvement

January 2, 2023

Signed Samantha's 2023 intentions for the year an imagine of an organized office and office chair

he New Year in recent years has meant setting my self-improvement intentions rather than resolutions. I am a believer that New Year's resolutions can set you up for failure. I cannot tell you how many years in a row "floss more" was on my resolution list, and do you think I ever did it? No chance. For the record, I've started flossing substantially more now, but it hasn't been a resolution for several years. That's a simple example that explains why I love setting my self-improvement intentions for the year rather than my resolutions.

Signed Samantha's 2023 intentions. A bench decorated with beautiful pillows and a throw

Reflecting on 2022’s Intentions

Last year my intentions were excellent (I’m so biased!). I can proudly say, I lead my life using these intentions in 2022. I got a lot better at setting boundaries and not feeling guilty about it, laughed more, and had more fun. There were certain things I had to do to get to these places – I got myself on anti-anxiety pills, I worked on getting outside more, doing what I loved, voicing my needs, and more. This all helped me live by my intentions and get to a place where I am truly comfortable and happy in my life going into 2023. I’ve shedded the weight of being concerned with how other people act or react and what people think of me. It’s so liberating and I can say for one of the first times I feel lighter and happier. I’m going to continue these intentions into the new year but let’s also look forward and see what my other intentions are for 2023.

Being More Present

This one will be hard for me: being more present. It’s something I’ve already been working on for months. I find it challenging between having a full-time job, this blog, spending quality time with my family, and keeping the household in order. My brain is often going several thousand miles a minute to keep it all straight. Sometimes it’s so much I feel paralyzed and not present whatsoever. It takes every ounce of me to pay attention to something, focus, and get into the moment, but once I do, I get so much more out of it than being in outer space thinking of all of the other things I have to do. The biggest driver for me to work on being more present is Sloane – she always notices when I’m not completely focused with my undivided attention to her.

Signed Samantha's 2023 intentions include getting more rest when needed hence the bedroom pictured with a cozy bench at the end of the bed and Samantha sitting on the bench.

Listen to My Body and Focus on Health

While last year came with many positives, there were also a lot of health struggles. This year, I intend to focus more on my physical health in ways that are manageable to me. I won’t be able to work out every single day but I can listen to my body and go to sleep at an appropriate time. I could also not consume mac and cheese for lunch (as the empty bowl sits next to me). Whenever I feel like I have time or capacity, I can also try to squeeze in a quick workout. There are easy ways I can incorporate this into my life and ideally, not end up with some ailment typically contracted by folks substantially older than me.