5 Intentions I’m Setting for 2022
I’ve had bad experiences with making New Year’s resolutions. Most of my resolutions were tied to weight loss. I was always chasing some sort of unattainable body metric and getting down on myself when I didn’t accomplish it. I care about what I put into my body and how often I move it, but I want to set foci that are well-rounded and inclusive of as many interests, desires, and passions as possible without the pressure of checking them off of some sort of itemized list.
This year, I’m setting intentions. Intentions are foci applied with purpose . They remove the guilt resolutions typically bring on when they’re not met exactly. They’re all about best efforts as opposed to numeric accomplishments.
Each one of my 2022 intensions centers around my mind, body, and financial wellness. If I manage to apply them expertly, great. If I don’t, well—there’s always the next day, week, or month to try again. I’m just trying to better myself for myself. And that can not be tracked in the conventional sense. I want to celebrate the small wins or best attempts because I rarely do and I’ve come to learn they matter just as much as the big wins.
Buying Less
I’m not quite at the point where I can commit to not buying anything new for a year’s worth of time. I have to be practical or else I'll only set myself up for failure. So, I’m allowing myself to indulge in no more than three new staple purchases a month.
If a month goes by without me purchasing anything new or if I purchase under my 3 staple limit, the following month will not be used to make up for it. I’m not rolling over purchases like I do minutes. If I miss my chance to buy something new one month, there’s probably a good reason and I’m honoring it.
Sending Out Monthly Newsletters
If you haven't heard already, Mary’s LIttle Way has a newsletter in the works! During my holiday break, I wasn’t able to add any content to MLW and it didn’t sit well with me at all. Creating helpful or inspirational content while fostering connections means a lot to me and to my sanity.
I’m going to focus on adding unique and exclusive real time content to my newsletter throughout the month in hopes of releasing one at the same time, every month. The first one is set to drop the last Friday of this month and (hopefully) every last Friday for months to come. I want to focus on nurturing this small community being built and continue to connect and converse with those who make it a point to engage with me and my content regularly and meaningfully.
Checking My Financial status
I’m going back to doing what I used to and that’s checking my financial status on a weekly basis. When I was spending money on clothes like it was nothing, I never wanted to check my bank account or credit card balances. I didn’t need to check what I already knew was a mess. Now, I’m excited to see where I stand financially. Focusing on saving my money as opposed to spending it on an excessive amount of apparel and shoes has drastically improved my financial status.
Checking my financial status more frequently has little to do with tracking how much money I’m saving. Checking in is serving as a sort of motivation to keep me doing what’s proven to be successful in terms of saving. This new style mentality of mine has my savings showing out and I honestly never knew it was possible. Whew, the growth y’all.
Writing Down Impactful Words and Phrases
I’m going to make it a point to write down specific words or phases that stand out or hit me impactfully as I read. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been reading and wished I had written down a phrases or a word that hit me especially hard and meaningfully. Using my phone is fine, but reading is the time I use to take a break from it.
I have my sights set on this journal from Etsy. I have terrible handwriting. So, the journal will only serve as a phrase and word tracking mechanism. I’m not quite ready to enter into the world of bullet journaling just yet. I’m not saying never, but it’s more of a never than a even a maybe at this point.
Using My Reusable Starbucks Thermos
Admittedly, I visit Starbucks at least two to three times a week. This wasn’t always the practice, but working at home exclusively for almost two years afforded me a midday medicine tea and the change in scenery SB offered.
I make it a point to recycle the SB cups after I use them, but I want to take it a step further. I want to eliminate my SB one time cup usage indefinitely. I picked up one from a Target about 4 months ago and love it. I intend to use it in lieu of a SB provided cup. The hardest part for me is not giving up the convenience the cup brings, but rather remembering to grab my thermos before I head to Starbucks.
I hate that I have to go inside to use it, but it’s worth it considering I’m minimizing my waste and I’m able save $0.10 on my drink every time I do. It’s a small incentive, but an incentive I’m for nonetheless.
