New Year, Same Me: Setting My Intentions for 2023

Happy New Year, all!

I know January is nearly over, but I’ve finally sorted out what I want my 2023 intentions to be.

So, welcome to my annual tradition of reflecting on last year’s intentions and setting new ones for the new year.

New Year’s resolutions vs New Year’s intentions

To me, the fact that 80% of us giving up on New Year’s resolutions within the first month isn’t our fault – it’s the problem with resolutions in the first place. A resolution implies a firm answer or level of certainty that we don’t always have. That was made even clearer by the 2020 pandemic. Because there is so much pressure to have this certainty about our New Year’s resolutions, it can feel like a much bigger failure if we don’t achieve them.

Intention, on the other hand, is a mental state. When we intend something, we have it in mind as a goal, and our intention is then our commitment to achieving that goal in the future.

I gave up resolutions and started settings intentions in 2020 and never looked back.

Reflecting on 2022

Here’s how I did with the four intentions I had for 2022.

1. Keep growing The Britt Blog

While I didn’t gain many new subscribers in 2022 (ok, I didn’t gain any) I did hear a lot from people reading and following The Britt Blog.

One in particular was a former work colleague, who shared that reading my blog had been helpful to her own journey in asking for help for an eating disorder.

I broke down ugly crying in my kitchen while reading her message. It meant more to me than page view analytics ever could. It told me I was on the right track for achieving what I wanted for this blog in the first place and motivated me to keep going.

2. Expand my skillset

I wanted to grow my tech expertise in 2022, but it just didn’t work out. However, I surprised myself by signing up for a Women’s Coaching Specialist certification program. I’d never considered myself a person who could coach, because 1) I’m a high-functioning introvert and people exhaust me and 2) the fitness industry – especially for women – can be downright toxic.

The course I chose is like no other fitness coaching certification I’ve seen. It’s centered entirely on the diversity of women’s experiences, and begins teaching coaching and mentoring skills before even touching nutrition and physical movement. So I’m still expanding my skillset – just not in the way I originally thought!

3. Continue to build strength and athleticism

4. Strengthen mental resilience as part of prioritizing my mental health

In the spring, I joined the first-ever eating disorder recovery support group in Jordan. I’ve never done group therapy before, and I remember telling the group in our first meeting that I was “terrified but excited but terrified.”

Since it was so new, we all learned together as we went. We’ve all had good days and hard days as a group, but it’s been so validating and healing to know that I’m not alone in my recovery. Building my support network like this was a huge benefit to building my resilience in a really tough year.

My 2023 intentions

And now, here are my intentions for 2023:

1. Expand The Britt Blog

I wrote some heavy stuff last year. I’m proud of that, but also want to expand my writing a bit more. I want to feature some guest bloggers to help me diversify The Britt Blog and help it stand out.

I also want to know what you want to see more or less of. What kinds of posts do you get the most out of? What will keep you coming back and even telling other people about the blog?

2. Hit new training goals

I’m claiming 2023 as The Year of the Pull-up. It’s going to happen. I want to do at least one before my 40th birthday in June. I also want to deadlift 1.5x and then 2x my bodyweight.

Watch this space!

3. Complete my coaching certification

Becoming a certified Women’s Coaching Specialist aligns with a growing passion I have to be a better resource for women seeking out movement as a tool in their lives. Diet culture and toxic fitness culture can make food and movement nearly impossible to enjoy, and I want to be part of the change to shift that narrative.

I’m excited to not only learn a lot from this course, but also see where it takes me.

4. Keep trying new and uncomfortable things

This one has a bit of a story. Last month, my husband and I hiked about half of the Grand Canyon’s South Kaibab Trail while visiting my parents in Arizona for the holidays. It was windy and freezing, and we needed crampons to make it down the first 100 meters of the trail because of ice. Cold is my nemesis, so I complained. A lot.

However, the breathtaking views quickly shut me up.

If I’d chosen what felt most comfortable in the moment, I definitely would’ve been back at our hotel curled up in bed. But then I would have missed the chance to experience the Grand Canyon’s size and beauty this way.

I realized I wouldn’t have done most of the cool things I’ve done in my life if I only did things that made me comfortable. I wouldn’t have traveled as much, wouldn’t have gone overseas for my Master’s degree, and definitely wouldn’t have learned to scuba dive.

So, I want to keep getting out of my comfort zone in 2023. After 2022 being a bit of a slog, I think this will be an important boost in my ongoing mental health journey.

Specifically, I want to start driving in Jordan. We also recently started indoor rock climbing at Climbat gym here in Amman, and I want to continue pushing myself past my fear of heights.

What are your intentions for 2023?

Focusing only on what we want to happen in 2023 can give us resolutions that we feel pressure to meet. But by reflecting on how we want to live and feel in 2023, we can start to form our intentions for the year. So instead of a resolution to lose weight, we make an intention to get stronger because we want to feel more confident, protect our bones, live more independently, etc.

What are your intentions for 2023?