Why setting a one word intention is more fabulous than new years resolutions
Each new year I set an intention, a theme really, usually distilled to one word, a word that represents not just a goal, but a deeper feeling, an energy, or a theme that I want to invite into my life.
Choosing a word for the year is a ritual of clarity. It’s a distilled intention, a way of focusing on what truly matters. Yet this year, I found myself struggling to settle on a single word… so many directions to explore, so many ways I wanted to feel, so much I want to achieve and experience in life and business. How could I narrow it down to just one word?
But then, while sitting on the beach on new years eve I found my word in the most nostalgic way!
As I was chatting to my teenage son about the new year and intentions, a little sugar fairy (ok I think they are actually called thistle seeds but we always called them sugar fairies) floated past and as I have always done since being a kid, I said (yep out loud) ‘Oooh a sugar fairy, quick make a wish’ I closed my eyes despite being very aware of my son’s raised eyebrow, and I wished for clarity around what my word for 2025 would be. The one word that encapsulates all the things I had been thinking about, all I wanted to call in and all I wanted to let go…It came to me in a flash: Ease
And this is my wish for you too.
No matter what life throws at you this year, may you move through with ease.
What Does Ease Mean to Me?
It is a simple word —almost too simple. But when I reflect on it, it’s exactly what I need for 2025. After the past few years, where life at times has felt chaotic, demanding, exhausting and thanks to my experience with a spinal disc injury - painful.
What if, instead of always striving harder, doing more, and pushing through, we allowed ourselves the grace to move through life with more ease?
Ease is defined in the Oxford dictionary as:
To make or become less severe, difficult, unpleasant, painful.
In a world where hustle feels like the norm and suffering a constant companion, ease can be the antidote to overwhelm. This year I am letting go of unnecessary heaviness, both physically and emotionally. Whether it’s managing stress, navigating relationships, or simply creating space for self-care, I allow things to unfold with more fluidity and much less force.To move or to make something move slowly and carefully in a particular direction.
Life is not a race; but it feels like it is supposed to be for so many of us! Ease reminds me to move through it slowly and with intention. To step aside when hustle culture comes knocking on my door…and it will because we are all so acclimatised to rushing…it feels odd to go at a slower pace. But with ease guiding the way we can be more present in each moment, we can enjoy the ride instead of rushing to the destination.The quality of needing little effort or not being difficult.
I think this says it all :)The state of being comfortable or relaxed, free from worry or pain.
For me this looks like space for peace, joy and playful curiosity, embodying ease means allowing ourselves to simply “be” without the relentless drive to “do.”
The idea of choosing one word to focus on for the year is not just a personal tradition, but it is a powerful practice in mindfulness.
Choosing one word for the entire year becomes the lens through which choices, actions, and growth is viewed. It becomes a question I ask myself when making decisions about what I say yes to and what is a no from me.
The world often tells us that success and happiness come from striving, hustling, and achieving. But what if success and happiness could also come from surrendering? What if we allowed ourselves to simply be, to flow? What if we allowed ease?
How You Can Use Ease as Your Word for 2025
If the idea of embracing ease resonates with you, I encourage you to think about how you can weave this energy into your own life this year.
Here are a few ways to invite more ease into your daily experience:
Slow Down: In a world that celebrates hustle culture and constant doing at speed, try to slow down. Take your time with decisions, with conversations, and with your daily routine. Take breaks between tasks, breathe and create moments of pause.
Let Go of Perfectionism (*Note to self): Ease doesn’t require perfection. Let go of the need to always do things perfectly. There is no such thing. Trust that progress is enough, that you are enough exactly as you are!
Normalise Rest: Allow yourself to rest without guilt. enough said!
Seek your Glimmers : Ease is rooted in being present. Seeking your glimmers is a practice in mindful gratitude, notice the tiny little moments that light you up, that make you feel safe and connected and give yourself permission to linger there a little longer.
Set Boundaries: Sometimes, ease comes from knowing when to say no. Establish boundaries that protect your energy and your time. When you say no to things that don’t serve you, you make room for more ease.
As we float into the new year, I’m sending this wish to you: no matter what life throws your way in 2025, may you move through it with ease. May you find the space to breathe, to relax, and to approach each challenge with calm confidence.
Let this be a year where we chill out a little! A year where we choose ease, not as an escape from difficulty, but as a mindful, intentional way to live with more balance, more presence and more joy!
✨ Happy New Year! ✨
