A Different Way to New Year

The start of a new year often brings with it a pressure to dream big, set ambitious goals, and sprint toward them. But what if this year, we did things differently?

What if instead of rushing forward, we slowed down, checked in with ourselves, and aligned not just with what we want to achieve, but how we want to feel as we work toward those goals?

This year, I’m taking a more intentional approach, and I’d love to share a few practices that have helped me embrace a gentler yet deeply purposeful entry into 2024.

1. Checking In With Yourself

Before setting any goals, take a moment to ask yourself:

• How do I feel right now?
• What has been weighing on me, and what has been making me feel alive?
• What do I truly need this year—physically, emotionally, spiritually?

Give yourself permission to honor where you are, not just where you think you should be. This practice helps ensure that your goals are rooted in your current reality, not external pressures.

2. Moving Slowly to Build Momentum

The rush to accomplish everything in January often leads to burnout by February. This year, commit to moving slowly and sustainably. Break your goals into small, actionable steps and focus on one thing at a time. We do, after all, have a whole 365 days- we can take our time!

Slowing down doesn’t mean stagnating—it means building a steady foundation that can support you for the long haul.

3. The "Becoming Board" Activity

Instead of creating a traditional vision board filled with outcomes like new jobs, homes, or achievements, try a “Becoming Board.” I loved this idea, shout out to Karin Nordin (@karinnordinphd on IG). She references this as "tiny snapshots of what you want your DAILY life to look like".

Here’s how it works:

• Focus on how you want to feel day to day—peaceful, inspired, grounded, joyful—and find images, words, or symbols that represent those feelings. What do you want your day to look like.
• Include representations of the qualities you want to cultivate: resilience, curiosity, connection.
• Reflect on the containers that hold you: relationships, rituals, and environments that nurture your heart work.
• It is our job to create those images in daily life, and you can take your OWN photos to use them.

Here is an example from her instagram (full credit to @karinnordinphd) and how she is taking a picture from a magazine around how she wants her daily life to feel & be, and then her picture of her coffee and cozy blankets.

A Becoming Board shifts the focus from external achievements to the internal journey, making room for growth that feels authentic and fulfilling.

4. Setting Goals with Heart

Goals are still important, but this year, approach them with a balance of structure and softness. Think about goals that:

• Align with your values and passions.
• Support your well-being, not just your productivity.
• Allow for flexibility and self-compassion when plans shift.

For example, instead of saying, “I’ll launch my project by March,” try, “I’ll take three meaningful steps toward launching my project by March.” I have recently started using Asana with our team at Mamaya Health (I have SO MUCH TO LEARN), but I am loving being able to write out the details and subtasks that get the larger project complete. The small check-offs along the way remind me of the progress we are making.

One of my biggest red flags and telling signs of when I am off track is when I see a significant misalignment with my values & my actions. Sometimes I am quick to notice when this occurs, and other times it takes me being outside of my values for a moment before I realize what has happened. In both scenarios, calling myself back into alignment is key. Taking accountability when I have stepped off my path, and ensuring I acknowledge to those around me that occured, and how I am working to realign. This happens to all of us, and it is essential to know what our values are that hold us in this life, and what our red flags look like (for me it is losing sleep, anxiety that is difficult to manage, being irritable), and what supports or containers need to be in place to realign & get back on track.

5. The Containers That Hold Us

Lastly, as you work toward your goals, consider the containers that support your journey. These will also hold you in your heart work & values:

• Daily Rituals: What small practices ground you each day?
• Support Systems: Who can you lean on for encouragement or guidance?
• Spaces: How can you create physical or mental spaces that inspire and energize you?

These containers are just as important as the goals themselves—they’re what hold and sustain you as you pursue your heart work.

A New Year, A New Way

As we step into 2025, let’s embrace a different kind of new year. One that honors not just what we achieve but how we feel along the way. Actually, lets encourage each other and celebrate each other more when we have created a life that allows us to feel ways which support us in being our full, best version of ourselves- and LESS celebrating of what we achieve. Achievements are great too, but not when they have broken & caused harm to us along the way. Let’s prioritize intention over speed, connection over perfection, and becoming over arriving.

Here’s to a year of moving slowly, checking in, and growing into the people we’re meant to be.

How are you approaching the new year differently? I’d love to hear your thoughts and any practices that resonate with you.

Happy New Year—and happy becoming. ??