Note: It is hard to believe that it is 2017 and hard to believe that it has now been over a year since I blogged consistently. Here’s my first attempt at blogging monthly this year! It was a good reflective practice for me and I want to get back into it. Enjoy!

in·ten·tion·al – adjective;
1. done on purpose; deliberate

In 2015 I started my one word tradition with mindfulness, and it really guided my habits to make me a more mindful person. In 2016, I chose wander and although I never got around to blogging about it, I did enjoy being a little more adventurous and maybe I can recap it in a future blog post.

It was not easy to pick one word to guide my actions and focus in 2017. The past year has been exciting and full of challenges. I was promoted at Elon into a new job that I love and started supervising full-time staff for the first time. I taught a section of Elon’s first year seminar (Elon 101). I accepted a bigger leadership position in the Junior League of Greensboro that takes up a lot of my time (but is also a lot of fun!). I am dealing with an injury and can not run as much as I used to, but I picked up a new workout routine (Kayla Itsines BBG) that brings me a ton of happiness. I have this habit of doing the most; of doing everything. I am filling my days with things that make me happy, things that make me smile, things that make others happy, things that I hope are making a difference, BUT when I sat down to really think about all I have accomplished and all that I do, I wondered: am I doing all of these things with purpose?

“That was the day she made herself the promise to live more from intention and less from habit”

During 2017 I will be more intentional about:

making decisions for me
strengthening relationships
making memories (not just for the gram)
becoming a better person
reading one book a month
reflecting on life before it passes me by
blogging once a month (to help with the reflection thing)
not just living through habit

I will:

Eliminate the “fluff”
Do what matters
Be conscious, willful, and purposeful
Spend less time mindlessly scrolling through social media, and spend more time on my health, wellness, and professional goals
Pay attention
Do one thing at a time, less multitasking
Live an intentional life

I am excited! Did you choose one word for 2017? Make new resolutions or set ambitious goals? If so, please share in the comments