Intention Setting
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
by Kelly McGinn
Happy New Year! Don’t you just love the start of something fresh? It’s like we can start over or let go of the old and welcome the new. We can bury bad habits and attempt to live in a better way. That’s what I tell myself toward the end of each year, anyway. “Kelly, this year you’re going to be your best self!”
There was also a big end of the year celebration for me too. I turned 50 this year or 25 twice as someone told me! With that I am indeed aspiring to do my best and especially be mindful of everything in my life as I move into this new chapter. Last Sunday, my star word (if you didn’t hear Pastor Erik’s sermon, give it a listen on Pinnacle’s website) was “wholeness” which has made me ponder on what that word means for me, personally. Does that mean that I should live a whole and complete life as opposed to only a half, three quarters? Is that a sign from God that I am not living up to my potential? So many questions, but I think that’s the reason for the exercise… to get us thinking. “Wholeness,” huh?
Another amazing thing that I experienced just recently was a meditative experience called “Intention Setting” by a local counselor, Katie Furio. A group of about ten of us started with a piece of paper divided into three sections. Each section had a title: Reflection, Letting Go and Moving Forward. She asked us many questions for each category to get us thinking about the year ahead. Here are a few she included:
“What moment had the biggest impact on you in 2024?”
“What was the thing that you were most excited about in 2024?”
“If you could choose one thing to release from your consciousness, what would it be?”
“Which habit would you like to change in the new year?”
“If you won $500,000,000 tomorrow what would you do?”
As the group wrote our answers we shared if we felt compelled. At first, I was a bit intimidated by my answers, but then I started to realize that we all had similar answers. We all shared that worrying about our kids and parents was one thing that was accomplishing nothing though we do it constantly. We all also agreed that setting proper boundaries with work/life balance is crucial to a happy life. Giving back to the underprivileged and community was also agreed upon as an important source of wholeness. But, a lot of these important behaviors don’t just show up. We mindfully have to make sure they happen. So, with that, I don’t want 2026 to arrive and I didn’t find my wholeness. I have taken to my calendar to plan, engage and make this year whole. Let’s go!