Setting Intentions, Planting Seeds

We all blinked and it’s now mid-January. We said goodbye to 2022 and began to make promises of the new year to come.

Now, we are nearing that part of the first month where those promises are tested and tested again. We ask ourselves if it’s really worth trying that new hobby or if eating spinach every day is actually a healthier option - yes and no [x] - or if reaching out to old high school friends to drum up old memories is unintentionally making you feel like you’re glad you left your hometown.

No matter where you are, know this: you need to continue to center your growth. Trying new things, integrating healthier habits, and repairing old relationships is centering your growth BUT SO IS quitting something that doesn’t fulfill you, switching things up to make room for variety, and deprioritizing relationships that no longer serve you.

You’ve come so far, continue to allow yourself grace to grow.

When you think about “growth” what do you think of? Is it a tree outside your window, spreading its branches across the street, or maybe it's a family member who seemed to have gone through super-puberty between Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings? Note there is no wrong answer here.

For now, let’s think about growth from the beginning - let’s plant a seed. When setting intentions, making plans, or trying something new you are planting a seed. Once you plant a seed you are also saying to the world, “I’m centering my growth”. You’ll water and nurture your seeds and wait for sprouting.

But here’s the thing, not all seeds take root. Not all seeds mature if they do. And yes, some seeds bloom wildly while others take their time. That’s nature.

In nature not all seeds work and grow perfectly, why would we hold ourselves to perfection? Let’s forget the shoulda, coulda, wouldas of those seeds lost and instead focus on what is serving us, what is centering our growth (wild or not).

Does a routine help you feel empowered in your day? [x] Great!

Do rituals and traditions help you feel grounded? [x] Wonderful. Plant that seed.

Does deprioritizing over-productivity and reprioritizing rest feel like a more purposeful use of your time? [x] Excellent. Seed planted.

Look for what’s going to be most conducive to your centering. What is necessary for your growth?

Try this mini-exercise with us: Cultivating your growth.

Step 1 - Pick your soil by deciding what area you would like to grow in. Ex. “I want to work on my overall mood”

Step 2 - Plant the seed by setting an intention for yourself. Ex. “I will seek out therapy”

Step 3 - Water your seed by figuring out what it would take to set the intention into motion. Ex. “I need to look at my budget and insurance options”

Step 4 - Expose the rooting plant to sunlight by making yourself vulnerable to action. Ex. “I will begin contacting therapists in my area”

Step 5 - Engage in the plant’s growth by monitoring and reflecting on your processes. Ex. “Now that I have been in a few sessions, do I feel this is centering my growth and working for me”

If at Step 5 you need to change things up, head back to Step 1. Repeat as often as needed.