It has become popular for people to choose words to describe their goals for the year. This year, my word is going to be “intentional.” I want to be more intentional about how I spend my time and what I focus on, shifting towards things that bring me joy and make me more available to my daughter.
Intentional: Defined
According to Merriam-Webster, intentional is defined as “done by intention or design.” Some common synonyms for the word include conscious, deliberate, purposeful, and willful. So, instead of doing things on a whim or without planning, I’ll take my time and be intentional with how I move forward.
What It Means to Me
It’s more than that though. Since giving birth to my daughter I have avoided things that feel like a waste of time. My time is valuable. I could be spending it with my daughter, watching her continue to grow. So, when I’m not doing that, I want to be using my time to the fullest. This means being more intentional about how I spend my time. For instance, I need to make certain things higher priority during her resting hours instead of scrolling endlessly on social media. That way, when she wakes up from her nap or simply wants to spend time with me, I’m there to do it.
I’m also going to be intentional in other ways. We are working to be more intentional with our money and how we spend it. There are things we are doing (like cleaning out closets and minimizing expenses) that are helping us be more intentional about how we spend. For example, we definitely didn’t need a dozen streaming subscription services. Trimming some of those down can help us save for more important things.
Another way we hope to be more intentional in 2022 is with our health. Towards the end of my pregnancy and since my daughter’s birth we’ve spent so much money on eating out. Instead of spending money on fast food or eating out daily, we are going to put money towards our health and wellness. For me, this will take the form of private yoga sessions once a week. My husband is going to look into martial arts classes. Rather than throwing it away on junk food, we will be more intentional with our money and put it towards improving our body and mind.
Final Thoughts
When it is all said and done, financial resolutions and your “word of the year” only work if you have a plan to put behind them. To be more intentional this year, I am journaling daily, I’ve deleted many social media apps off my phone, and I’ve added more books to my TBR list. We are surrounding ourselves with people and things who are positive, intentionally working to create a happy, healthy life for our family.