A More Meaningful Way Forward for the Year to Come
December Reflections: Choosing an Intention, Not a Resolution
Moving From One Year to the Next, Thoughtfully
December Reflections: Choosing an Intention, Not a Resolution
December often arrives quietly.
After a year of movement, effort, change, and adaptation, the pace begins to soften. The light fades earlier. The body asks for more rest. There is a natural invitation to pause—not to assess our worth by what we accomplished, but to reflect on how we lived.
This time of year often brings pressure to sum things up.
What did I achieve?
What didn’t I finish?
What should I fix next year?
But there is another way to enter the new year—one that feels more humane, more sustainable, and more aligned with how healing actually happens.
An Invitation to Reflect, Not Evaluate
Rather than measuring the year by tasks completed or goals met, it can be deeply grounding to ask different questions:
How did I treat myself when things were hard?
How did I show up in my relationships?
When did I feel most alive, most present, most connected?
What helped me return to myself again and again?
These questions shift us from performance to presence.
From productivity to meaning.
Why Intentions Matter More Than Resolutions
Resolutions tend to focus on outcomes:
Do more.
Be better.
Fix something.
Intentions focus on how we live:
“I intend to return to the present moment again and again.”
“I intend to show up in my relationships with more patience and curiosity.”
“I intend to listen to my body with respect.”
Intentions are not about control.
They are about orientation.
They give us something to return to—especially when life feels messy, unpredictable, or imperfect (which it almost always does).
Fulfillment Lives in the Ordinary
So much of modern life teaches us that fulfillment comes after achievement.
After the goal is reached.
After the work is done.
After we become “better versions” of ourselves.
But real fulfillment tends to show up somewhere else entirely. Health and fulfillment grow in the ordinary moments we tend to overlook.
It lives in moments like:
Cooking a simple meal and actually tasting it
Going for a walk without tracking steps or productivity
Having a long, unhurried conversation with someone you care about
Sitting quietly with a cup of tea
Laughing, resting, breathing
These moments matter—not because they lead to something else, but because they are life itself.
Taking care of yourself doesn’t exist so you can produce more, achieve more, or push harder.
It matters because you matter. And when the nervous system is supported, the body is better able to heal, adapt, and restore balance.
Striving Without Attachment
There is an ancient wisdom that reminds us:
We are meant to act, to engage, to participate—but not to cling to outcomes.
We do the work because we are alive.
We show up because we are able.
We move, create, care, and connect because it is a privilege to do so.
When we loosen our grip on the “results,” we create space for:
Surprise
Wonder
Awe
Play
Genuine presence
We allow ourselves to be shaped by the process, rather than defined by the product. Long-term wellbeing is built through consistency, awareness, and compassion.
A Gentle Closing for the Year
As this year comes to a close, you might consider setting aside resolutions altogether.
Instead, ask:
How do I want to live?
What do I want to return to when I forget?
What helps me feel connected—to myself, to others, to life?
Let your intention be something you can practice daily, imperfectly, with compassion.
Because fulfillment doesn’t come from getting life “right.”
It comes from being present for it.
As this year draws to a close, there is no requirement to overhaul your life or your body. There is only an invitation to listen, reflect, and choose care that aligns with who you are and how you live.
Somatic and nature-based therapy exists in this space—supporting recovery, movement, and quality of life through thoughtful, individualized care. Whether your intention for the new year is to live with less worry, feel more at ease in your body, or simply understand yourself better, that intention matters. And whenever you feel ready to begin or continue your therapy journey, support is here- at your pace, in your time.