Episode 91 - Intention word of 2025
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Mel: [00:00:00] Welcome to Permission to be Human, the podcast. I'm your host Mel Findlater, mother, coach, and curator of Permission to be Human, the company and community. If you're a mom, know a mom, or want to be a mom, and you crave getting out in the world to make a difference, then you're in the right place. This is a space for moms like you to connect with yourself, your purpose, and your big audacious dreams.
Because when you feel your best, you can better you, your family, and the wider world. Let's do this.
Hello? Hello and welcome to 2025. Woo. There's a new year. It's really hard to believe that 2024 went so stinking quickly. And yet, so slowly all at the same time, isn't that how it is, right. I think, especially [00:01:00] when we're mothers. But it is 20, 25 and I hope that you have made it through. The holiday season. That you had a nice new year's Eve, whether that meant. Going to bed nice and early with your kiddos or allowing them and or yourself to stay up past that midnight mark.
I hope that it was what you wanted and needed it to be. And now we're in this new space and this new world, and we are. Invited into this opportunity to.
Start a new to have a blank slate and.
Well, you know, that's only. As accurate as it's going to be. Right. We are who we are. Our life is the way it is. And this is an opportunity to really, I think, set an intention. Many people set new year's resolutions this time of year. I do [00:02:00] not. No longer. Do I do that many people do what I'm about to propose which you can actually find a ton more. About in episode 34, which is last year's. Alternative to new years. Resolutions. Episode that I did.
So that was episode 34. And you'll hear all about the intention that I set for 20, 24 in that episode. And I thought that we would start this year the same way, and I'm pretty sure that's the way every year is going to start on this podcast. But also for myself, it's been really useful too.
Sits back, lay down often and simply reflect on what do I want in this year to come. And I encourage you to do the same thing. What do you want? 2025 to be.
And with new year's resolutions, it often leads us into thinking [00:03:00] about things that we. Want to change. About ourselves or. Often ourselves. To be honest. Or a situation, but. You know, we're we want to stop doing something in our start exercising more, or, you know, and there are things that don't less. They're often not led by self-compassion. Where an intent is a totally different mindset.
So. I find it very useful. And this is purely an invitation for you to think about the same thing. What do you want? 20, 25 to feel like. Right. What do you want to focus on? What do you want to.
On December 31st. 2025, the end of this year. What do you want to look back and be really proud of?
You know, And. First to give you some examples. I just had a [00:04:00] little listen myself to episode 34 to see. What I was saying last year, and to really recheck in with my words and. I mentioned in there that, so my word for 2023 was first. These not one word. I never follow rules. It's very rare, even when they're my own.
So. My, and my two words for 2023 are, were be seen. And I really focused on getting myself out there. That's the year that this podcast started. And I think I was really successful in like putting myself out there in the world.
Last year 2024.
I had three words. Don't worry this year, doesn't have four. But my words for last year and my intent for the entire of 2024. I was act with purpose. And I really wanted to lean into the action part of it. [00:05:00] I felt like I was really wanting to move and take action and do last year. And. The purpose part being. You know, don't do mindlessly, but actually really tap into what my purpose in the world is and who. I want to be in the difference that I want to make. And it was fascinating because I look back at that now I'm like, oh, that is exactly what I did. I did tons of action in this last year. I made lots of decisions.
I started the courage club. I started, you know, I continued with this podcast and shifted and adapted it as I needed. Aye. Really tapped into, like, who am I and what am I going to do? And I got so much more clarity about. Really what my purpose can actually look like in tangible action and started practicing that we'll practice it all year long through the podcast. Through the courage club and many other ways.
So. [00:06:00] Act with work. This was 2020 fours and there was a lot of action involved in that. And I got a lot of momentum. And as we now start out 2025, and if you've listened to previous episodes during this season.
I am not in a space of action in this exact mode. And when I think about what I want this year, too, B. It is. It is shifting. Not shifting away from action, but shifting away from. The hustle. The inner drive that I have to do, do do all the time. Because that's exhausting. And, you know, I was reflecting with my husband just last night about this and. I have been, you know, I have three jobs. Right. I have. Being a mother, which is essentially a full-time [00:07:00] job. I have. My work and everything that we're talking about here, in terms of like permission to be human, doing the podcast, setting up the projects, doing all the things. And then I have my inner work, which is like a huge piece of work and something that I've dug into quite a lot in the last year as well.
And is starting to take a lot more of my energy as I heal and grow and adapt and, you know, really come into who I am and let, let the feelings be felt. And. It's exhausting. To do, do do. Alongside all that. So I decided that my word for 2025 is. B. Simply be. So instead of going up to forwards, I went from two to three. Two one. My word is, is B.
Or if you want two words for it, simply be. And. To me, that's about really. [00:08:00] Stepping back. And taking the hustle out of it. And I have a feeling that action will happen. And. You know, things will, things will always happen, but productivity is not. The intention of this year.
In fact, I'm going to completely step back. So this podcast will run. I'm figuring out what that's gonna look like. Well, I.
Well, I, you know, lean into this for the first few months, especially. I will likely, you know, sit down and try to bulk batch a whole bunch in a day. So that actually then I can.
Just leave it for awhile and sit back and then be able to tap in when my energy. Wants me to. And in this season of winter right now. My body simply wants to be. And I want. Two jobs instead of three. And ideally each of those jobs take [00:09:00] turns as well. So I'm not trying to do both at the same time. So I will always be the mother. Right. And it's been fascinating, even in the last two weeks, give you my purse, self permission to, to drop the work stuff.
I have felt. Less. Restrained less conflicted, less resentful because I'm not trying to do a million things at the same time. I just leaned into the one thing at a time. I helped my son who needed to be home a lot more. I. You know, got us ready for the holidays and. I feel so much more nourished for it.
And so I want a year of that. And that doesn't mean doing nothing. There'll be some do that happens in order to be, but it will follow. The energy cycles that I have each month with my own cycle that I have throughout the year, [00:10:00] based on. You know, You were very similar to nature. Like winter is when we shut down and we want to nourish and retreats and rest. And then, you know, in the summer I might be like, Hey, let's go.
Like, I'll be, maybe I'll be full of energy. Who knows?
The point being that I'm allowed. I allow myself to simply be with in whatever those. Things are to not push, but to simply listen and notice. The poles that come my way. See how long they last. Are they only during, you know, my ovulation periods in the month and then I'm exhausted for the rest. How can I plan? My life so that there is actually less to do during those times when I'm I want to rest.
And really leading with compassion and compassion for myself. And not getting that right. [00:11:00] Every time. And in having to say no more often in order to make that happen. And all the stories, like how. With that, that culture is, has taught me and us as women.
To allow myself to, to be joyful, to allow myself to play, to allow all of the feelings to come. To allow myself to do the work. That.
Is really checking in with myself, healing things. Growing things. Letting the feelings come. I am basically a, an HSP, a highly sensitive person in a world that doesn't really accept that very much. And well, I had a beautiful childhood in so, so many ways and I've grown up. In, in a wonderful family. Aye. Have somehow throughout that life. Being taught that. [00:12:00] Feeling, isn't a thing we do. And. As someone who is highly sensitive and feels very strongly, I think I've gotten really good at pushing that down.
So now it's time to. Let it come out and that's going to be hard. It has been hard already. And it will be really hard. And part of this is giving myself the space to. To do that. So I have ideas of what it might look like. I might. I'm reading, I'm going to reread the artist's way. And follow the tasks that it has you do in there. Which are very much like you journal as soon as you wake up and you. Create something each day, you do some art of some sort and art can be. Our typical, you know, Thought of what that looks like.
Put it could also be. You know, anything that you create, it could be. Creating a space, creating a room, painting a wall. [00:13:00] You know, or. Whatever. It is about creating. And so I'm probably going to do that and, and allow myself to just kind of like decide as I go. Which is such a novelty. And I, I say all of this with the knowledge that. I am in such a privileged position to be able to do that. To be able to.
To be able to step back from. From work as much as I want to need to.
And. Not many people can. And I've had that privilege for a long time and I haven't really like taken advantage of it. I've always forced myself to do, to do so. Now I want to step back and be. So that eventually the do will come. The do will come with the energy. [00:14:00] And so that's what I'll be doing. That's who I'll be being in 2025. And so I'm curious what your word is.
What do you want to. Be like. This year, what's your focus? In life. For 2025. Do you want to focus on. Leaning into motherhood. Do you want to focus on slowing down? Do you want to focus on.
Some work. Or purpose. You know, It can be so many different things. And the important part is. It's something. It's a way of being. And it's something that you can look out through the year and say, oh yeah, Just check in, like, is that. Am I doing what I wanted to be doing? Am I being who I wanted to be being?
And what could I do to get back to that word? And is it still the word that I want? It's okay. You're allowed to change your [00:15:00] mind.
But there you go. That's the intention word for 2025. Happy new year. Welcome to 2025. I am excited for what is to come and who we shall be together. And. In our families and in the world. And I wish you the best.
Mel: That is it, folks. This has been Mel Findlater on Permission to Be Human, the podcast, and I am so glad that you have joined us here today and hope that you have taken away some tidbits that will help you go away, connect with your big audacious dream, and make that massive impact in the world that you are dying to make.
If you liked today's episode, please, please, please like it, share it. Think of one person. Think of one person that you think would also like it and send it on over to them. Let's [00:16:00] get this out there and more moms feeling like themselves. Inspired, dreaming big, and out there being them. Please do head on over to find me on Facebook with permission to be human or Instagram or you can even Off me an email and say hello.
Have permission to be human, always, at gmail. com. Say hello and let me know that you listened. What did you like about it? I would love to hear. If you didn't like it, I don't really want to know. Ha ha, just kidding, you can share that if you want. I would love to know, however, Who you are. Let's connect.
Let's find out what you want more of. I want to hear from you and I want to make it what would be useful to you. As always, remember that you have permission to dream big, permission to feel big, and permission to be you. [00:17:00] You have complete and full permission to be human.
For real, you do.
