One joyful thing at a time
Your one word intention is like your compass, which you can use to explore your life one area at a time
My compass is joy
In the first instalment of Year of the Habit I shared an invitation to set an intention for the year with just one word.
I chose ‘joy’, which felt like an intuitive choice after a long time of feeling less connected to the people and experiences I care about. It took all of five seconds to land on, and as a general point, this is something I want to encourage myself to do this year: not overthink and take action instead.
This approach deserves its own focus in the series, but to cover this quickly, in most circumstances doing vs thinking is not intuitive to me. I like thinking and reflecting and musing, and while that’s enjoyable, it often keeps me living safely in my head and living less out there.
This predisposition to thinking first is something the authors of ‘Designing your Life’ understand well. Instead they encourage a bias to action and to build (vs think) your way toward the change you want which, as a process, they say is much more fun and grounded in real-life.
‘There is no sitting on the bench thinking about what you are going to do. There is only getting in the game.’
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, authors of Designing your Life
Take your compass and get moving
To take action, then, setting a one word intention is a great way to start. You have a compass with one point rather than a detailed SMART goal to get bogged down in, and each time there’s an opportunity to move towards that point - whether that’s a way of being that’s hopeful or serene or creative - you can check if you’re going in the right direction and course correct if you need. Am I approaching this conversation with hope? Do I have enough space in my day to create? Is this activity taking me in the opposite direction of serenity?
In the last month there have been times, like when I’ve rushed through a meal, or haven’t made it outside to see daylight, or found myself scrolling up and down my to do list, where I’ve caught myself and in those moments thought, ‘Hang on, could I be doing this thing more joyfully? Is there even any joy to be had in doing this activity?’
Your intention can be a great guide, but it needs one focus at a time
And it has worked, in that I’ve begun to notice more how I approach all sorts of activities, and sometimes I’ve even adjusted my behaviour. That might be leaving my phone in another room to stop me scrolling, or in the case of getting outside, making a commitment to go for a daily walk. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t appraised every daily activity, but when I’ve taken time to slow down, notice and feel more joy in the process, I’m more inclined to build my way towards a more joyful way of being the next time the opportunity to scroll less or walk more arises.
So having a one word intention can work and I think if you were to choose your word and simply apply it to day to day moments, you could get some way towards the sort of change you want.
However on its own, it requires an almost constant appraisal of actions and a masterful level of mindful attention that, at least for me, has huge potential to fall by the wayside on busier days. It’s also more reactive than proactive. I’m responding to things in the moment, but I’m not necessarily changing or forming any longer term habits. For all the connection to people and experiences I’ve lost, my joyful intention may eventually help me return to them, but I think I could make that return quicker and longer-lasting.
Which areas of your life do you want to be more intentional towards?
This is where my second invitation to you comes in. Your one word compass is hopefully serving you well, but now choose an area (or areas) of your life where you’d like to use this.
I hesitate to say ‘areas’ as this can invite a lot of reflection and can get very expansive very quickly, so my recommendation is to use something like The Wheel of Life exercise (a classic among coaches) or the equally as good Love-Play-Work-Health Balance dashboard from the ‘Designing your Life’ team. These tools allow you to take a step back and survey the terrain you’d like to explore.
To be clear, we’re still steering clear of goal territory, but we are getting a bit more specific on the areas of our lives we would like to explore being more intentional.
You might be thinking, ‘How many areas? Should I try to change them all at once? How do I know which area’s most important?.’
If we turn to the advice of James Clear of Atomic Habits fame, he strongly recommends to focus on one thing at a time, rather than have a portfolio of change on the go. This is someone who has devoted his life’s work to finding the best, evidenced ways to form habits.
‘The best way to change your entire life is by not changing your entire life. Instead, it is best to focus on one specific habit, work on it until you master it, and make it an automatic part of your daily life. Then, repeat the process for the next habit. The way to master more things in the long-run is to simply focus on one thing right now.’
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits
How do you know where to start? Well, maybe see where your energy takes you. When I did this exercise I came up with around 15 possible areas. Rather than getting stuck considering what the right order might be - remember, we’re building vs overthinking - I gauged where I could do with the most change during a cold, dark January which for me, was getting back to the daily walks I’d enjoyed in the balmy Spring of 2020. And so far, compared to having broadly joyful intentions, I’ve found many more joyful moments when I’ve had a specific focus, in this case through joyful walking.
I’ll share more on the joy of walking and how I’ve made this a regular habit next time, but for now, why not reflect for yourself:
How has my one word intention guided me these last few weeks?
If I were to apply this intention to an area or areas of my life, what would they be? In which situations do I want to use my compass?
Which of these areas do I want to focus on first? Which area feels most fun or energising to explore now?
Next time from Year of the Habit…
More on returning to my joyful walking self, and the other selves I’m keen to reacquaint myself with this year.
