Intention for 2026: “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.” – Eckhart Tolle.

One thing I’ve learned recently is that there’s a big difference between setting goals and setting intentions.

From The Empowered Dynamic: “Here are three differences between goals and intentions:

1. Goals are focused on the future. Intentions are in the present moment.
2. Goals are a destination or specific achievement. Intentions are lived each day, independent of achieving the goal or destination.
3. Goals are external achievements. Intentions are about your relationship with yourself and others.”

I think of intention as more than a lens, or a new perspective… It emboldens our vision, whatever that may be.

New Year’s goals often ask, What do I want to achieve?
Intentions ask: How do I want to be with my life?

As I look toward 2026, I’m less interested in forcing outcomes and more interested in choosing the quality of energy I bring into each day.

Intention for 2026: How I Want to Feel

I want to feel unhurried and like I’m enjoying the moments as they come. 

That’s not to imply that life will suddenly become less full, but it’s choosing not to live in a state of constant internal urgency. I’m letting go of the idea that everything meaningful has to be optimized.

I want to feel:

• Grounded in my body

• Calm in my nervous system (this is a big one!)

• Trusting in divine timing, often more than my own

Freedom, for me, begins internally—when my breath slows, and my thoughts stop running ahead.

How I Want to Move Through the World

I want to move intentionally, not reactively.

This means fewer automatic yeses. Fewer explanations or moments of overriding my own wisdom to keep the peace or meet an invisible standard.

I want my movement to feel:

• Thoughtful instead of obligated

• Guided by resonance, not pressure

There’s a quiet power in moving at the speed that feels right for me. I’m practicing letting that be enough.

How I Want to Relate to Life (and to Others)

In 2026, I’m choosing a different relationship with effort.

I’m no longer interested in forcing relationships that don’t fit easily. I want to relate to life from a place of sovereignty—where I can stay open without absorbing what isn’t mine.

This looks like:

• Being compassionate without carrying others’ emotions

• Staying connected to loved ones while still making time for myself

• Giving from a place of joy instead of duty

I’m learning that freedom doesn’t mean detachment. It means discernment.

The Intention I’m Carrying Forward

My intention for 2026 is simple, but not small:

To live in alignment with my inner yes.

And to let my life expand, not because I pushed harder, but because I made space.

To trust that clarity comes from presence.
That power comes from honesty.
And that the most meaningful shifts often happen quietly.

Intention for 2026: A Gentle Invitation for You

If you’re reflecting on the year ahead, here’s a question for you:

How do you want to experience your life in 2026, not just what do you want to accomplish?

There’s no rush to answer. And intentions reveal themselves when we listen.

And sometimes, choosing how you want to feel is the most freeing decision you can make.

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