Intentions for Year Thirty

I turn thirty in a few weeks. For some, this number is scary, daunting, and depressing, but for me, I am truly excited and looking forward to this decade with an open mind and heart.

Many of my friends have already turned thirty, and instead of a eagerly looking forward to their special day, like they had done in the past, they completely dreaded it. When I observed this pattern, I decided that I was going to try to change their mindsets, while also reaffirming mine.

We recently celebrated three thirtieth birthdays at once, so I gave my friends an assignment to prepare beforehand. I asked them to write down their intentions for their thirtieth year, and we discussed our thoughts over dinner. I didn’t know who would actually do it, but to my surprise, everyone had something to say. The conversations that exercise sparked was really wonderful and eye-opening. It gave us insight into each other’s lives on a level we had never gone to before.

It’s so interesting what one question can unlock in a relationship. We learned so much about each other in minutes, and I gained a newfound appreciation for each of them in unique ways. Asking open ended questions and looking at a situation in a different light can makes all the difference. Saying, “I am turning thirty, my twenties are over, and I am getting so old” sounds so dispirited and sad, but saying, “I am turning 30! Here is a list of my intentions for my next decade and what I am going to accomplish” sounds so inspiring and optimistic.

Our minds are powerful and we cannot underestimate the abilities it has to impact our lives. We have the power to decide whether we will breed positivity and growth or fear and anxiety. We are not the result of our circumstances, but rather how we react. Growing old is inevitable, but many who reach a certain age start to focus on the negative instead on the positive, and in turn start looking backward instead of forward. Growing old needs to be celebrated more because the more years we are here, the more we learn to enjoy what life has to offer in more abundant ways.

I want to encourage everyone, no matter what your age, to come up with a list of intentions for your years ahead.

To get you inspired, here is mine:

1. Take time to go outside and be in nature as much as I can
2. Schedule phone calls with family and friends in my calendar and treat it as an important task
3. Sing more
4. Start creating content for my blog and stay focused on my end goal
5. Just be me and put less pressure on myself in every day life
6. Continue to make myself a priority, and schedule daily acts of self care
7. Start morning pages and meditation to release anxiety and spark ideas
8. Reduce social media usage
9. If it’s not a “hell yes”, say no to invites
10. Plan “Goddess” days with my favorite ladies to rejuvenate, inspire, and support each other  – I learned this term from Melissa Ambrosini 
11. Stop judging myself and others
12. Practice being more mentally present in my everyday actions and conversations
13. Talk less, listen more
14. Focus less on the future and more on the now
15. Establish “no phone hours”  at home
16. Stop caring how other people perceive me
17. Avoid being defensive and try to understand alternate points of view
18. Be kind to myself, especially in front of my girls

 

This is a lengthy list. It is in my nature to get excited about things and get carried away, but often times that leads to a loss of focus. While I listed many ideas, I am only working on a few at a time. I recommend starting with a few and growing it as you start to check off line items.

This is going to be a great! I hope you feel inspired and ready to make positive changes to improve your quality of life.

 

 

Wish you health & happiness,

Brittany