Designing a year you’re excited to live

By Sarah

Do you believe in New Year’s resolutions? I’m not a fan.

I feel like they can often make you feel like there’s something about your life – or yourself – that you need to “fix”, and if you don’t stick to them, there’s a sense of failure.

For the last few years, I’ve picked a word at the start of a new year that acts as a guide or a touchstone for me to keep coming back to what I want in my life during a certain season, and that’s usually as far as I go with things like this.

But then! The other day I saw an Instagram Reel that changed my mind. A framing that felt so practical and manageable – like it would be supportive rather than diminishing.

So, for my skills share, I did a session with the team based on an adaptation of this.

If you’d like to do it too, here’s how it went:

Personal intentions

Our personal lives don’t neatly switch off during working hours. How we feel, what we’re carrying, and what we’re excited about all show up at work too.

These personal intentions are about creating anchors in your year – things that support your energy, growth and sense of meaning.

1. Your MISOGI – the one thing that matters most

A MISOGI is a Massively Important, Somewhat Audacious Goal.

It’s the one thing that, if you did only this for yourself all year, would make the year feel meaningful.

That could look like:

• Running a marathon
• Starting a podcast or creative project
• Taking a solo trip

This isn’t about productivity or optimisation. It’s about intentionally creating space to do something you’ve always wanted to do.

What idea keeps coming back to you, year after year?
What would future-you thank you for starting now?

One important rule: if it matters, put it on the calendar. Good intentions, without time dedicated to them, tend to stay theoretical.

2. Mini adventures – things to look forward to

Big goals are important, but so is joy.

Mini adventures are intentional experiences you plot in your year ahead. They can be big or small, cost money or no money, be solo or shared.

Think:

• A weekend away
• A concert or festival
• A hiking day
• A creative workshop
• A long lunch you actually plan in advance

The goal isn’t extravagance – it’s anticipation.

Choose four mini adventures, ideally one per quarter, and roughly place them in your calendar. Having something to look forward to can change how an entire season feels.

3. Helpful habits – small, sustainable change

Instead of New Year’s resolutions, we focused on winning habits.

A winning habit is:

• Small enough to keep
• Supportive rather than punishing
• Designed to make life easier, not harder

The most important rule: only one new habit per quarter.

That might look like:

• Q1: A 10-minute walk after work
• Q2: No phone for the first 30 minutes of the day
• Q3: Weekly meal planning
• Q4: A monthly digital declutter

Ask yourself:
Where do my days feel unnecessarily hard?
What would help me feel more grounded?
What habit would remove friction rather than add effort?

This is about consistency, not perfection.

You could stop here… or, you could stack a couple of professional intentions on top of your personal ones like we did. In keeping with the vibe, we kept it small and cute.

Professional intentions

Once the personal foundations are in place, it’s easier to think about work in a calmer, more intentional way.

The aim here isn’t to add pressure – it’s to reduce noise and focus energy where it matters most.

1. One professional intention for the year

Instead of a long list of goals, choose one professional intention. This isn’t a task list. It’s a direction.

For example:

• Do fewer things, better
• Improve stakeholder relationships
• Become known for reliability and follow-through
• Develop depth in a specific skill

Ask yourself:
What would make this a successful year at work for me?
Where do I want to grow – not just perform?
How do I want colleagues to experience working with me?

2. One professional habit

Just like in our personal lives, small habits at work compound over time.

Choose one habit that would make your workdays calmer, clearer, or more effective:

• Weekly planning on a Friday
• Blocking focus time in your calendar
• Clearer meeting agendas
• Asking for feedback more often
• Ending meetings on time

Again, small is good. Sustainable is better than impressive.

Holding it lightly

These intentions aren’t contracts. They’re guides.
Some will evolve.
Some will shift.
Some will surprise you.

The goal isn’t to execute everything perfectly – it’s to have something to return to when things get busy or messy.

Something about the way this stranger on the internet (whose handle I don’t know – sorry!) framed this really appealed to me. It challenged me to think about something big and audacious I’ve been wanting to do for years. But the softly-softly approach to new habits made that piece feel manageable. So manageable that I might actually do it…

How about you?