The Power of Intention: Guiding Your Growth in 2025

January 2025

Hello, Community – To our LA community members, I hope you and your loved ones are safe. It’s devastating to see the destruction caused by the wildfires. I called LA home for 4 years, and to know that many of the places that held so much beauty and meaning for so many people are now gone is heartbreaking. If there is any way I can support, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Last newsletter, I shared The Wheel of Life + Priority Ranking exercises to help you pause, reflect, and gain a holistic perspective on the different aspects of your life, so you could gain clarity on what’s most important to you. Hopefully, this helped you set specific goals and pinpoint where to focus your actions.

In today’s newsletter, I want to share another yearly practice I have that helps to set the tone for the year…

The Power of Intention: 

Guiding Your Growth in 2025 

Each year, I choose a word that reflects my intention for the year. An intention is different from a goal.

Intention: These are broad, overarching themes that apply to multiple areas of your life. They represent the purpose behind your actions, align with your values, and serve as a source of emotional and mental motivation. Intentions can guide you in staying accountable and focused.

Goal: Goals are specific, measurable, and action-oriented, often with a desired outcome in mind.

Intentions and goals work together. A clear intention acts as a compass, guiding you to set goals that align with your values and direct your energy toward what truly matters.

In 2023, my word was Release. Last year, my word was Openness. This year, after much reflection, three words kept swirling in my mind. Rather than choosing just one, I decided to embrace all three: Strength, Playfulness, and Blossoming.

Strength – This year, I’m prioritizing strength training. I’ve never considered myself a "gym person" or someone who lifts weights, but after getting injured this summer while marathon training (and, let’s be honest, getting older), I realized I couldn’t avoid it any longer. I joined a gym with a simple goal: go 1-2 times a week. Starting small builds both the habit and my confidence.

But Strength goes beyond the physical. I’m also focused on building a stronger, more resilient mindset, having the strength to let go and trust more, and continuing to strengthen my emotional and spiritual life.

Playfulness – Last year, I often felt like I’d lost my spark. Joy, a core value of mine, took a backseat as Anxiety (much like Riley’s in Inside Out 2) took the reins. Caught up in “doing” and feeling a lot of pressure,  I struggled to enjoy the moment.

This year, I’m giving myself permission to play more. I want to rediscover the fun, the wonder, the awe, and the freedom that comes with playfulness, whether in big moments or small ones. Playing is one of the best ways to reconnect with yourself and others—just watch a group of kids at play. They’re fully present, lost in the joy of the experience. It’s this freedom and flow that I want to bring back into my life, because there’s nothing more fulfilling than a truly good play experience.

Blossoming - This year, I'm ready for the seeds I've planted—both literally and figuratively—to bloom. I've spent time nurturing growth in my life, and now I’m embracing the flourishing that comes with it. Like a wildflower garden, my vision for this year is about vibrant, untamed growth. For me, blossoming is about allowing my full self to emerge with confidence.

Wildflowers symbolize resilience, freedom, and hope, thriving even in challenging conditions. They remind me that personal growth often emerges after overcoming obstacles and that growth doesn’t need to follow a set path—it’s about blooming authentically and embracing the unexpected.

During a recent journal session, I created a mantra that ties into all areas of my life:

I have the strength to let go and embrace the unknown, allowing myself to be more playful and open to what blossoms.

I got to put this mantra to the test during the Disney World Half Marathon last weekend. My race plan was different this time as I’m still on a conservative return-to-run plan, so I wasn’t sure how it would go. But by embracing the mantra, I had one of my best race experiences. I ran with my RunDisney bestie, whom I met two years ago at this same race, freezing in the last corral. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch and now find ourselves in the first corral—hard work truly pays off!

We wore matching themed outfits (Donald and Daisy Duck as Mouseketeers), embraced the rain with stylish ponchos, stopped for character photos, laughed, and soaked in every magical mile!

As we step into this new year, setting intentions can serve as a guiding light, helping you align your actions with your values and purpose. Whether it’s about strength, playfulness, blossoming, or your unique focus, embracing intention can lead to meaningful growth and fulfillment.

I invite you to reflect:

What word (or words) represent your Intention for the year?

How can this word (or words) show up in different areas of your life?

What specific Goals can you set to bring your Intention to life?