I’ve talked a little about my work before, I work for a charity who supports adults with learning disabilities, but the culture within the charity encourages a lot of self reflection and personal growth. At times that can be challenging, but within that challenge, good things can grow.

I was having one of my regular supervisions with my new boss a couple of weeks ago, and he asked me what my work intentions were for 2024 and I was stumped. It’s been a while since I had a job which asked that of me, and it occurred to me that I hadn’t set any professional goals for myself possibly ever, and in my personal life, apart from some vague New Year Resolutions, I had no goals either. So, with 2023 coming to a close, I’ve decided to set some intentions for 2024.

What does it mean to set intentions?

Intentions are lived each day, and are about your relationship with yourself and others. They are not hard targets to aim for, KPIs or external achievements, they’re about bringing you more of the good things in life, the things which spark joy, or help make you a better person.

These things may sound daft if you’re used to a corporate world or hard targets, goals and KPIs, but they are, to my mind at least, vitally important for creating personal happiness, job satisfaction, a good balance between work and life, and striving to be a better parent and a better human.

My Five Work Intentions –

1. Say yes to opportunities to develop myself
2. Look at working towards a coaching or mentoring qualification
3. Streamline my work processes and bring our systems up to scratch
4. Learn to say no and to delegate where I can
5. Make reflection a daily practice

My Five Personal Intentions –

1. Move house and create a warm and loving home for my family
2. Focus on quality time with my son
3. Go on holidays with the people I love
4. Continue my gentle health kick and get fitter and healthier
5. Spend more time with friends and less of my own time working

There are other things I want to achieve and do. But if I can surround myself with the people who love and care for me, and make time to see them instead of working so much, then my heart will be fuller and my work/life balance will feel more comfortable.

So today I set these intentions and I commit to working towards achieving them. These are not resolutions, but achievable things which could change how my life feels. I know with the support of colleagues, friends and loved ones, I can take the steps towards making my work and my life balanced and fulfilling. They will also hopefully help to make me a more rounded person, a better mum, partner and friend.

What are your intentions for 2024?