It’s the first day of the Lunar New Year, and much of the world is welcoming the Year of the Fire Rooster–a powerful year characterized by the importance of loyalty, being practical, presenting yourself in the best way you can, and clear intentions. Today is also the New Moon, a perfect time for turning inward to look at what you wish to manifest.

Many of us set intentions when the calendar turned to 2017–have these faded or are they still glowing brightly? It’s easy for our resolutions to slip. Here’s an exercise to revisit them so this year is exactly what you want it to be:

Create your mantra for 2017: what three words represent what you wish to bring into the New Year? Pick an object to represent each of your words—tangibility and visualization helps us remember. Write your three words down and what each of them symbolizes for you. Keep these words somewhere close so you can carry your intentions with you throughout the year.*

Take time to sit quietly and turn inward to find the right words for you. Write about each of them and be specific about how you would like to incorporate them into your life. Then, make a monthly date with yourself on your calendar to revisit these words–take this time to record how you’ve shown up the past month and used these signposts to move toward your goals, as a reminder of what you want to bring into your life and focus on, and how you can incorporate them into your coming month. These reminder dates are just as important as creating the resolutions themselves. I regularly revisit how I’m showing up in the world through self-care, health, creativity, and productivity. It’s so easy to lose sight of our resolutions after the New Year–use this time too revisit and recommitt to yours.

Here are my guiding words for 2017:

FOCUS: This is a biggy for me. As a creative person, I have tons of ideas and tons of projects. I’m easily distracted by new inspiration. BUT, it’s time to get to the nitty gritty. I don’t want to stamp out new inpsiration, but I’m resolving to send more energy toward execution, finalizing, and fruition. Finishing projects, making them real, and bringing them into the world is important to me this year. This is where focus comes in–choosing what to put my energy into and taking the steps past creation to bring my ideas into being. 

INTUITION: I’m a big proponent of self-care and listening to the body. It’s too easy to push ourselves aside to get other seemingly more important things done. A priority for me this year is listening to my gut instinct–what I need most moment to moment, what projects to focus on, and what to do in every situation. When I show up for myself first and listen, I can then show up for others.

VIBRANCY: This is all about getting outside. Moving. Soaking up the sun. Digging in the dirt. Planting seeds and succulents and tending my garden. Hiking. Diving into the ocean. Warrior and goddess poses at sunrise and sunset. And, enjoying every moment on this planet. It’s about travel, both near and far, and being present to take it all in.

What Three words make up your 2017 mantra?

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*This exercise was inspired by this new year, new moon intention setting exercise a dear friend shared with me. If you came to my New Year’s yoga class this was the prompt I handed out at the end of class–revisit the words you brought forth in class.