How to set your intentions for 2021, according to London’s new year coaches

It’s still important to set your 2021 resolutions, even in the middle of a pandemic, say new year coaches Selina Barker and Vicki Pavitt
Project Love Final
Project Love
Selina Barker|Vicki Pavitt17 December 2020

We made it to 2021. Hurrah! Never has the world been happier to shut the door on a year and put it behind us. 

No one can deny that 2020 was a tough year for pretty much every person on the planet - and with so many unknowns as we start the new year, you’d be forgiven for feeling that setting intentions, dreaming and making plans for 2021 should be postponed until things have returned ‘back to normal’.  

But don’t let last year’s struggles and these times of uncertainty put you off following your dreams and designing a life you love in 2021.  

Founders of Project Love, Selina Barker and Vicki Pavitt
Project Love

You might not be able to plan trips and holidays just yet, but there is a lot you can do to bring more joy and happiness into your life this year, according to new year coaches Selina Barker and Vicki Pavitt. 

The best friends, podcast hosts and founders of millennial self-development platform Project Love are on a mission to help women embrace the next year with the help of their best-selling Goodbye, Hello Journal - and this year is no exception.  No matter how uncertain things seem, it’s still important to reflect and work out your intentions going forward, they insist. 

But how to start? From scheduling in happiness dates to focusing on pandemic-proof dreams, here are their top tips on how to set your new year resolutions in a strange year. 

Fill your life with the things you love

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It sounds so obvious. Of course you want to fill your life with the things you love! But the truth is, most of us don’t prioritise our own happiness, particularly when we feel like we’re in survival mode, like so many of us did in 2020. 

Instead, we tend to prioritise work, family, friends - even doing the laundry - over our own needs and happiness. The solution? Make this the year where you start to put yourself and your happiness right up there on your list of priorities.  

Write down all the things you love to do, in particular the things you love to do from home or outdoors, such as baking or going on a run (making it pandemic friendly!). And then make time for those things in your life.  

Schedule them into your calendar and then stick to those happiness dates with the same commitment you would with a doctor’s appointment. Make 2021 the year where you really start to invest in your own happiness.  

Focus on how you want to feel

So much of what we dream of and desire boils down to us wanting to feel a certain way. So ask yourself how you want to feel in 2021. Then make a list of all the things you know help you to feel that way on a day to day basis.  

For example, if you want to feel more peaceful in 2021, you might know that spending time in nature, listening to peaceful music, having a candlelit bath and listening to guided meditations all help you to feel that way.  

How to find the right meditation for you

From Japanese sitting meditation to  mantra meditations and visualisation techniques 

Now take that list and commit to weaving those things into your life by scheduling them into your calendar. You might decide to start the day having breakfast listening to peaceful music instead of the news, or you could schedule-in Tuesday as your candlelit bath night. Perhaps every weekend you could schedule in at least an hour walking in your local park.  

These things might seem small, but if they help you to feel the way you want to feel in 2021, then they will make a big difference.

Practice an attitude of gratitude

Wellness queen Gwyneth Paltrow is among figures who swear by the powers of keeping a gratitude diary
Getty

There have been countless studies on the benefits of gratitude. Wellness gurus from Gwnyeth Paltrow to Oprah Winfrey all swear by its benefits increased productivity to more fulfilling relationships.

In the face of uncertainty and hardship, gratitude can act as a powerful way to help you maintain perspective, build your resilience and not get sucked into a downward negative spiral.  

If you’ve never had a go at writing a gratitude list, start by writing down five things you’re grateful for at the end of the week. Put an alarm on your phone as a reminder to help you create the habit. 

If that feels good, have a go at writing down three things you’re grateful for at the end of each day.  

Set an intention to learn something new

The Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021 Journal
Project Love

Learning new things and growing is an essential part of feeling fulfilled, whether it is learning a new skill, a new language or new recipes. 

Don’t think about what you ‘should’ learn, think about what you want to learn. What would feel like a fun challenge? What would you like to be able to say ‘I can do that!’ by the end of 2021? What would you enjoy learning? 

Now get out that calendar again and decide when you’re going to dedicate some time to this new learning adventure.  

Focus on a dream you can turn into a reality (even during a pandemic)

We saw people bring all sorts of dreams to life in 2020, even in the depths of lockdown. Don’t assume that making your dreams come true has to wait until things are ‘back to normal’. Focus instead on the dreams you can bring to life right now.  

#Summer2021: the blow-out fantasy trips to book next year

Dream holidays may be on hold for now, but why not book one of these fantasy trips for 2021? 

Even if you focus on the small dreams, the experience of bringing your dreams to life is one of the most fulfilling human experiences there are. So make sure this year you give yourself that experience: let yourself dream and then choose which dream you’re going to bring to life first.

We know 2020 was a challenging year for everyone, but don’t let that stop you from allowing yourself to set intentions for 2021 that will fill it with the activities and experiences that make you come alive. We need to do that for ourselves now more than ever.  Project 2021 starts now. 

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