Hello, Masha here from Masha Plans and today we’re talking about your New Year and how you can make it a complete success.

As we approach 2020, people start obsessing over setting up goals or new year resolutions. I found that this isn’t really the best practice

Setting up goals can be very limiting. As the year goes by, things might change, you may get interested in something different, your life circumstances might not be the same. Your goals, therefore, will also change.

However, it’s pretty difficult to admit that you have different goals now and want different things. You already set these ones at the beginning of the year, and it might feel like a failure if you give up on them.

New Year resolutions are even worse! Why? Because they’re usually made under a lot of pressure. Think about it. The new year is approaching rapidly and you need to fill out that page with all the good things.

In my experience, New Year resolutions are usually not what I really want. It’s the things I think I should do, but I don’t really put that much motivation behind them. As a result, by March they are well forgotten.

Can any of you reading this relate?

So, if goals are too constraining and resolutions are too generic, what do we do?

I say, set intentions!

WHAT ARE INTENTIONS AND HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?

While goals and resolutions are result-oriented, intentions are journey oriented. Instead of working on the visible results, intentions help you to change your mindset and work on a long-term game vs a quick win.

For example, let’s say your resolution is to read 50 books this year. Instead of setting yourself to this limit, work on changing your mindset. Set the intention of learning “I’m going to keep learning to keep my brain active and constantly developing”.

This doesn’t mean you’ll actually read all 50 books, it might be just magazine articles or TED talks. The important thing is the intention that creates a learning mindset vs concentrating on a measurable result. In the long run, changing the mindset will be much more beneficial for you!

HOW TO SET YOUR INTENTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Here are a few tricks you could use to make sure you set yourself for a successful year that will shape you into a better person.

• Dig into yourself

Your intentions will only work if it’s something you actually want, so first - dig into yourself and think of what you want yourself and your life to be.

• Create your mantra

Put your intentions into words. Make your statement short and sweet and make sure to think about it every day. Maybe create a lettering piece and add it to your fridge!

• Align your plan with your intentions

The next step is to make sure you follow your intentions. Check all your plans and activities against your intentions and make sure you follow the focus you set for yourself.

• Practice gratitude

This is a very important part of succeeding with your intentions. Being kind and appreciative will help you to move with your intentions. So be sure to add a gratitude log to your monthly spreads.

• Let go of negativity

Your thoughts have the power, so it’s important to let go of all things negative. All those times you didn’t follow through when you failed with the resolutions or didn’t achieve what you wanted. Leave all of this behind. This time you’re doing it differently and it will work out!

INTENTIONS EXAMPLES

To help you formulate your intentions in the best way possible, here are a few ideas.

These might not be exactly what your intentions are, but they should help you get started.

• I want to take care of my body the way it deserves
• I want to enjoy my life to the fullest
• I intend to trust the timing of my life
• I want to feel inspired
• I want to be more at the moment
• I want to practice love and kindness to myself and others

MY 2020 INTENTION

Intentions are something that really takes time to work through, so for my intentions, Bullet Journal spread I went with a very simple design.

The supplies I used are:

A5 Archer and Olive notebook (be sure to use code MASHA10 to get 10% off your order if you decide to get anything from Archer and Olive)

Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens

Tombow Fude Pens

White Sakura Gelly Roll

My word for 2020 is "Thrive", which for me means to improve my life and grow my business by leaving my comfort zone and doing things I’ve been delaying for one reason or another.

That’s why for my intentions I chose the phrase: this has to be the year you get it done. I decided to add it to my journal in the form of a lettering piece.

I started from writing down the quote and choosing the most important elements, the words that have to stand out. As you see I have three categories - first and second level of importance and supporting words.

The next step for me is choosing what kind of decorative elements I want to add and what kind of fonts I should use for each level of importance. As you see I went with something very simple, no special lettering skills required.

Then I brainstorm different ways I can organize the words in the composition and I create a final sketch. This is not the exact version I’ll have, but it gives me a good idea of a concept and of what I might want to add or change for the final piece.

Finally, I sketch it again to make sure I like my new changes and just go over it with the black pen. Now my intentions are well represented and it’s something I can look back at conveniently because it’s in my Bullet Journal.

You can also letter your intentions on cardstock or any piece of paper and use it as a wall decoration or just hang it over your working table, so you always have it in front of you.

I hope you’re ready now to create your own intention for the upcoming year. If you do, make sure to tag me and @archerandolive on Instagram, we’d be thrilled to know what you’re up to!