Photographs: Pexels
Text: Ophelia Wu
I wonder where all the time went, and suddenly, we are here in 2024. It wasn’t too long ago that we were counting down to what was supposed or expected to be the roaring 20s in 2020, and here we are again another year.
There are always New Year resolutions; I don’t know about you, but I never followed through or even remembered what I intended to achieve. So much for resolutions. Instead of beating myself up for being unable to reach a goal or make progress, I’ve decided to make it easier by setting intentions.
An intention is a will, a want, a wish, an intent to set a path on something. It might not weigh the same as a resolution or a goal, but every goal starts with an intention. It’s like planting a seed; many conditions and obstacles must be considered for a healthy and beautiful plant to grow. Like any goal, our intention is the seed; the rest will depend on many things over time. There’s no plant without a seed; similarly, there is no goal without an intention.
An intention can be something simple like cutting out chocolate for the next month, or it can also be the wildest dream you ever wanted. They’re essentially the same because you’re setting yourself on that trajectory. How it manifests, how long it will take, and in what way or form it will be out of our control, but that’s also fun because sometimes, things take a better form or pathway than we expected or hoped. That’s the unknown part but also the beautiful part of life. However small or big is your intention, don’t underestimate the power of it. It might be the most effortless thing you’ve done, landing a place you never thought of reaching. The intention always counts and weighs so much more, not so much the action. For example, in court, someone who killed a small animal without the intention might be considered manslaughter or negligence. However, with the intention, it is a murder. The result for the poor animal is the same, but the consequence and outcome for that person can differ.
"An intention can be something simple like cutting out chocolate for the next month, or it can also be the wildest dream you ever wanted."
Think about what you want to happen or do in the new year - where you want to be. Take it slow and break it into little chunks. Instead of just the New Year, every day is an opportunity to set an intention. All you need to do is to be clear about what it is and think about how you will feel as if you already got that, or living that life you want, and then just let it go. Just because you have set an intention doesn’t mean you can’t change course or your mind anytime you want. This imaginary seed in your mind will take you to places, so be careful what you intend to do. It’s heaven and hell between one fine line of our mind and thoughts.