2021 Goals and Intentions

As the year is ending, like most I have been thinking about goals for the New Year. I remember every year, almost all of my goals revolve around self-improvement which isn’t bad, but I was thinking about this new year’s goals. I wondered whether my goals were shallow. The goals of being fitter, reading more, and doing more were just tasks. I am not saying I won’t have goals like that on my list, but I think there is more to our goals. I would suggest that we should have goals but we should also have goals with specific intentions that cause us to be better overall.

I’ve kept thinking about goals for this year, and instead of choosing to do more, I want to choose to have goals regarding being. I do not just want to look back at my year and be proud of the accomplishments, but I want to be proud of the person I am setting my intentions to be. It is easy to accomplish a task, but it is harder to take a look at yourself and focus on growth and wholeness. I do not want to just accomplish items on a list that show how hard and tough I am, but I want to look back at this next year and say I choose to be and to choose to be softer each day- important note, I am still going to have goals that are things such as running a marathon, being able to swim long distances, etc.

How do you accomplish these goals?

I think we can find a multitude of healthy goals in scripture, but we can also set intentions for our year and base goals off of them. The first thing I am doing is writing a list of intentions for 2021, and the word intention is discussing the plan, goal, or aim.

Sabina’s Intentions for 2021

I will choose to step into the unknown and do things that scare me.

I will choose to be softer and not toughen up because it is easier at the moment.

I will choose to trust God with the unknowns and next steps.

I will choose to have joy, love, and hope regardless of what is occurring because I know God is for me.

I will choose vulnerability and to allow others to see the tender side of me.

I will choose to be present a

t the moment, and enjoy it as the fleeting gift it is.

I will be brave and vocalize my needs.

I will allow and accept my humanity.

I will treat myself with love.

I will choose to believe the best about myself and others.

I will define and value myself based solely on who God says I am.

I will sit with feelings, and appreciate the beauty that humanity brings.

I will choose to let God fight my battles instead of picking myself up from my bootstraps.

I will choose to speak to myself as I would want others to speak to me.

I will choose to exist imperfect and all, and find the beauty in being.

These are my intentions, which means my goals will align with them. I will not be perfect at it, but I will be aiming my efforts into being more of this. As situations that I am unsure of occur, I will choose to be brave enough to be bad at something or to make a mistake. In moments when things hurt, I will choose to be honest with my pain and express my needs. I will choose to fight against false narratives I believe, and realign my thinking with what God has said. As I brave another year, I want to come out of 2021 different, not just fitter, but softer. I want to be more secure in God and myself. I want to love people better and love myself better. I want to be more in love with God and have deeper security in him. I want to be bolder in being vulnerable and open. I want to choose goals that are to help me accomplish my intentions. I encourage you to do the same.