New Year, New Intentions, New Word
For the last several years, rather than setting resolutions or goals for a new year, I’ve been choosing a word that in in alignment with my Intentions for the year ahead. As I’ve done it, I’ve found the word to be a touchstone for resetting my focus and creating motivation to stay in grounded and forging ahead when times are hard.
2024 was a huge roller coaster for me. It started out with an intention to SIMMER.
You see in the previous years my intentions were to live live with Purpose - which was a call to SLOW DOWN and be intentional. The next year my intention was to Engage - to meet new people, get out of my pandemic bubble, to reach out and to engage with life in an active way.
By the time I got to 2024, I found myself in a pattern of putting on the brakes to rest, or in a “full steam ahead” pattern - to the point that I needed to rest because I was so BUSY (Can you say burnout?).
So, Simmer was a way to not turn up the heat to the point of boil - or turn off the burner altogether, but to keep a slow momentum - a gentle bubbling of energy and activity.
When my mom unexpectedly died in June 2024, simmer truly became a way of life - a reminder that I shouldn’t try to do more than was necessary. That I didn’t need to build new offers, or actively try to do anything but grieve, focus on my family and my own needs, serve my current clients, and to finish my Alexander Technique certification requirements.
Returning this fall to a full studio, on-boarding new clients, continuing the Wholehearted Singer Vault, creating new AT packages, and actively offering AT workshops to other music studios, groups, and organizations was where I found a sense of forward momentum while still creating the space I needed emotionally and mentally.
So now, as reflect on 2025, I’m looking to continue to find FLOW in my personal and business life.
For me, Flow is an extension of simmer… it’s finding the path of least resistance (like water, when finds itself stuck, will find the place where it can continue to move forward - not with fight, but simply by seeking a sliver of space where it can find movement.
Flow is also an interesting concept that relates to being absorbed in an activity that is just challenging enough to keep you coming back for more - but not so challenging that you feel frustrated.
Being in the flow while practicing any activity - yoga, singing, playing an instrument, tai chi) is when you can keep moving forward with joy - often losing track of the time because of the flow state one has achieved.
Have you sent intentions for this year around your music making, your dedication to growth and learning, your desire to find more ease and groundedness?
Have you considered a word that you can come back to to keep you moving forward in a gentle and kind way?
If you have a word or intention, I’d love to hear about it!
Go ahead and send me an email at Amy@wholeheartedsinger.com and let me know how Your Instrumental Body can help support you.
