Happy New Year!

I'm back from an unannounced holiday break - sorry to slip away like that, but I needed to unplug, and unplug I did. It was rather heavenly, and reminded me how important it is to disconnect from time to time... it makes connecting that much more meaningful. But I'm back, and revved up for 2007.

As much as it makes sense to mark the arrival of a new year with goals for the year ahead, something about New Year's resolutions has always felt a little superficial to me. It's so cliche, but every January, you see the gyms fill up, you see the smokers quit, and then - how long til the gym is empty? How long til the smoker buys that next pack of cigarrettes? I know that's a cynical view, and of course some people do actually stick to their resolutions, but it feels like we put all this pressure on ourselves to improve come January 1st, and most of us crumble rather than soar.

An alternative to choosing a resolution is setting an intention, and that's what I've decided to do this year - with the full recognition that my intention will likely shift in the months ahead. An intention is a concept from yoga: you set an intention before you begin your practice - to let go of stress from work, for example, or to be more grateful, more open to change, etc - and then you let your intention guide your practice, as you move mindfully through a series of poses. In this way, mind, body and spirit are brought into alignment.

An intention is different than a goal, and its applications extend beyond the yoga mat. As my yoga teacher explained in a workshop yesterday, an intention is a state of mind that you aspire to cultivate, whereas a goal is more like a specific task you work to accomplish. So you may have the intention of being more decisive in 2007, for example, and the goal of making a decision about whether to go to grad school.

So, what's this have to do with Creative DC? Well, I believe creative living and mindful living are close cousins, and that the more intentional we are, the more creatively fulfilled we can be. When we know what we want, spiritually or creatively, and we use that knowledge to guide our actions, we are more likely to find fulfillment.

So if you find that the concept of New Year's resolutions doesn't quite sit right with you, see if setting an intention might be a better fit. What state of mind do you want to cultivate - not in all of '07, per se, but in the near future? And then - what goals spring from that?

'Here's wishing you all a creatively fulfilling '07, with days full of moments you savor, and adventures that stretch and inspire you.

Happy New Year!

-Amanda