🎉 New Year, New Intentions (Not Resolutions) 

Jan 6, 2026

What a year it’s been! When I look back over the last year, a famous Frank Sinatra song
comes to mind. It doesn’t matter what language you say it in, C’est la vie, Così è la vita,
or So ist das Leben, it all comes down to “That’s Life.”

This past year had its ups and downs: moments that were so tough I thought they’d
never end, and moments so good they left me on cloud nine. Last January, I decided to
change things up. Instead of setting New Year’s resolutions, I chose to go into 2025 with
intentions and goals—things I could continuously work toward and actually see come to
fruition over the year. There were places I wanted to see, more time I wanted to spend
with my family, and more time I wanted to devote to doing the things I love.

I realized that traditional resolutions often left me feeling discouraged when I didn’t
stick to them perfectly. I would get mad at myself, feel like a failure, and it took a real
toll on my mental health. Somewhere along the way, I lost the purpose of setting
resolutions in the first place; they felt rigid like things that had to happen. While they
were meant to challenge me to eat healthier, be more active, and become a better
version of myself, any misstep made it feel like I had failed myself entirely. I came to the
conclusion that resolutions were doing me more harm than good. Shifting to goals and
intentions gave me much-needed flexibility. When I strayed off course, it didn’t
feel like failure, it felt human. I could reset, refocus, and get back on track without
beating myself up. That mindset shift made all the difference.

Now, when I look back on the year that has passed, yes, the tough times stand out, but
they didn’t define my year. Were they hard? Heck yeah. Did I get through them and move
on to better things? Heck yeah, I did. When life knocked me down, I got back up, time and
time again. I took it one day at a time, one foot in front of the other, and kept going.
Looking back now, I can confidently say that life has never thrown me anything
I wasn’t able to handle.

As I reflect on the year, I’m choosing not to focus on the difficult moments it handed
me, but instead on the good times and the things that kept me going. When I think
about those moments, my heart fills with love and joy. The intentions I set at the start of
the year were honoured, even through the ups and downs and the goals I once thought
were far away were eventually reached. I didn’t get discouraged. I kept going. Even
though my path looked more like a curvy, squiggly line than a straight road, I made it to
the end of the year without feeling like I let myself down.

If you’re interested in switching things up and trying goals or intentions this year, here
are a couple of things that helped me along the way:

Keep things attainable.
Setting realistic, achievable goals made a huge difference. I kept things simple and
within reach. Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all. When goals are too far removed from
where we are, they can feel overwhelming and discouraging. Taking small steps toward
the end result is gentler on your mental well-being and allows you to celebrate small
victories along the way.

Be kind to yourself.
If your journey doesn’t go exactly as planned, or if you slip up, that’s okay. It happens.
Be kind to yourself; you’re only human. A setback doesn’t mean you’re out for good. Get
back up and keep going. If it weren’t for setbacks, growth wouldn’t happen. They remind
us of our strength and our ability to rise again. Give yourself credit—you’re doing better
than you think.

Whether you choose to set intentions, goals, or resolutions this year, choose what
works best for you. If resolutions haven’t worked in the past, try something different. If
goals or intentions didn’t stick, maybe a resolution will. What works for one person may
not work for another, and that’s okay. The important thing is to keep trying until you find
what fits. And if you decide that none of those approaches are for you, that’s okay too.
After all—that’s life.

Remember to be kind to yourself, practice self-care, and reach out for help if you need it.

• Contact CMHA South Cariboo for mental health support at 250-395-4883. The
  office is open Monday to Friday from 9 am – 4 pm.
• Call the Emergency Crisis Line 24 hours a day at 1-888-353-2273.
• Call the Suicide Crisis Line at 9-8-8. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week