Intentions for 2019

It’s not been a typical start to the year for us. No sooner had New Years Day passed than we found ourselves selling our house, most of out furniture and packing up what was left to begin a year of adventure. A month into 2019 and my feet have hardly touched the ground. Yet in many ways this has already been a big year. This year we’ve decided to change the status quo that we’ve had for the last four years and start a new journey.

The central tenant that guides my life is to live with intention. We sold our house with intention, we’ve planned our travels with intention and we try and live the day to day of life with as much intention as we can. Sure the specific intentions change from time to time but we use them to guide us in how we choose to live.

At the (almost) start of a new year I thought I’d share a few my main intentions for 2019 with you here:

Be Together

I’ve listed this one first as it is such a central part of why we have chosen to sell everything and travel this year. We have been watching the last few years fly past at the speed of light, our children getting older by the second, and we wanted to dedicate this time to spend together as a family. Yes there will be times that living as a family of four in a motorhome will be a challenge but it will also be such a wonderful chance to experience new things together and soak in this precious time in Sophia and Arthur’s lives.

Less Screen Time

In 2018, despite my best efforts, I often felt my phone creep into my daily life more than I’d really like. Instead of reading, I’d scroll through Instagram, instead of looking at what was happening around me I’d be on WhatsApp and (though I’m ashamed to admit it) sometimes instead of focusing on my children I’d be responding to emails on my phone. In 2019 I’m focused on using my phone as a tool not a pastime/extra limb. Already I’ve found myself spending more leisure time without my phone and I’ve made a rule for myself that when I’m with my kids I don’t have my phone with me.

Nourishing myself

Over the last few years I’ve fallen into so many habits that deplete me rather than nourish me. Grabbing convenient but nutritionally devoid foods, never exercising and giving very little thought to my need for mental and emotional space. All these things are so easily done during early motherhood but ironically that is often when we need this nourishment the most. I’m implementing this in small ways. Starting my day with something healthy to eat often means I continue to eat well throughout the day, starting my day with a short meditation and yoga session, keeping my BKR water bottle topped up, all go a little way to making me feel a bit better in my body and mind.

I’d love to know what intentions you have for 2019 and how they are working out so far.

image by Natasa Leoni