052: Sailing into New Year with Soul-Led Intentions & Vision
Jan 10, 2024
Sunny Lamba
Do you set resolutions or pick a word of the year? Or do you get very intentional with your New year Goals?
On this episode, embark on a journey of self-discovery as I, Sunny Lamba, guide you through the intimate process of setting heartfelt intentions for the New Year. Forget the fleeting allure of New Year's resolutions; this episode promises to equip you with the insights needed to craft a life aligned with your deepest values.
I shared my own transformative experiences and reveal how embracing my emotions, personal health, and mental well-being is top on my intentional list for 2024! Plus, get ready for an exclusive vision board workshop announcement and the opportunity to secure a one-on-one coaching session with me to bring your vision to life.
I'll walk you through the delicate dance of aligning your deepest desires with action, harnessing the nurturing power of feminine energy, and the essential role of community and partnerships to hold you accountable.
Do you set resolutions or pick a word of the year? Or do you get very intentional with your New year Goals?
On this episode, embark on a journey of self-discovery as I, Sunny Lamba, guide you through the intimate process of setting heartfelt intentions for the New Year. Forget the fleeting allure of New Year's resolutions; this episode promises to equip you with the insights needed to craft a life aligned with your deepest values.
I shared my own transformative experiences and reveal how embracing my emotions, personal health, and mental well-being is top on my intentional list for 2024! Plus, get ready for an exclusive vision board workshop announcement and the opportunity to secure a one-on-one coaching session with me to bring your vision to life.
I'll walk you through the delicate dance of aligning your deepest desires with action, harnessing the nurturing power of feminine energy, and the essential role of community and partnerships to hold you accountable.
Today we are talking about setting intentions for this new year, so let's dive in. This is Flophantic Me, a self-love podcast for South Asian women. A place where we celebrate self-love even when we feel imperfect or flawed. A safe space where you can be raw, real and authentic. And here's your host, self-love and mindset coach, Sunny Lamba. Welcome to the first episode of 2024.
Sunny Lamba:
I'm your host, sunny Lamba, and because it's the first episode of the new year, I wanted to talk about resolutions and goals and intentions and all those cool things that are pretty cool but also feel like a lot of pressure. But before I get into it, I want to tell you guys that I am doing my most amazing, most awaited and so many of you asked for it the workshop around vision board. We are going to get together, we're going to do a meditation, set our goals which come from our soul Instead of looking outside at social media and other's goals. We're going to go inwards and we're going to set our goals that come from our soul and then we're going to create a vision board. So the link to register it's in the show notes. It is on Monday, january 15th, so there's only a few days to go. Make sure you sign up. Also, I'm giving a 30 minutes free one-on-one coaching to take that vision and come up with a plan, or to help you set some kind of steps or smaller goals, so that you're on your way to hit those goals.
Sunny Lamba:
And now let's dive into our topic of the day. First things first. I want you to know that this time of the year you see everyone setting goals and I think I'm a little late because it's already January 10th A lot of people have already posted about their goals and resolutions and intentions, but if you haven't, I want you to let go of that pressure. Because of social media and Instagram, we see everyone coming up with cool word of the year and setting their intentions. And, on top of everything, while here I am, I haven't even made my vision board yet for this year, and that's okay, because Christmas time and holidays, the kiddo is home, and then I went to Montreal the first week of January and I didn't get time to do all that, and that's okay. I saw a food blogger post on her page that she actually sets February first as her year beginning and she takes the January to take time to really reflect back at the last year and then set her intentions for the new year and that works for her because her December is very busy. She's a food blogger. So what works for you? You have to look at that. If you think that your December is very busy and you don't have time to reflect and set intentions, it's okay. And if you want to set your intentions in January, it's okay. And if you want to set your intentions in June, at the beginning of summer or in fall, when kids go back to school, that's okay as well. Whenever you set your intentions, come back to this episode, because I'm going to give you a ton, a ton of valuable tips. But first of all, do not feel the pressure. It's your personal reflections and your personal intentions when you do it whenever it suits you.
Sunny Lamba:
And now let's talk about this whole idea of setting intentions. We all know the word resolution. We have all done that, been there, failed badly, fell face forward and next year again thought okay, let's set some resolutions, and again failed. Resolutions didn't work for us. And then came the trend of setting a word of the year. I tried that. From last three years I've been setting a word of the year and that didn't work well either. And now the trend is to set intentions. We're going to go with the trend here.
Sunny Lamba:
However, if we look at it from the psychological perspective and how our brain works, intentions actually work better, the reason being that resolutions are a specific end result I want to lose 10 pounds it's a specific end result, while intentions are an overall way of living, while resolutions are an end goal intentions. End goal Intentions are also more qualitative instead of quantity. You're saying I want to lose 10 pounds, I want to run 10 kilometers, instead of a number or a quantity. We are looking at a more qualitative way of living, so improving the quality. Resolutions also come from a lack mindset. I don't have this, I want to have it. The only intentions are I already have this, but I want to have, or I want to do it better. I want to increase it. So, if they come from the abundance perspective, I also feel that resolutions are very strict, while intentions are more adaptable, and I'll give you some examples of intentions and then maybe that would help you see how they are more adaptable.
Sunny Lamba:
I feel resolutions are very masculine, while intentions are very feminine, and what I mean by that is that we live in a masculine world. Actually, I should say we live in a world where masculine energy is overpowering the feminine energy and the quantity of setting goals by a specific time, and the whole idea of being productive and doing, doing. Doing is a very masculine energy, while the feminine energy is more soft and compassionate and about the quality of things, and that's why I think this whole idea of setting intentions really felt good to me. So let me start by sharing my intentions for 2024. And then I will go into a step by step process of setting your personal intentions and then we will talk about how to stay true to your intentions and how to overcome the mental blocks when they do come up.
Sunny Lamba:
My intentions for 2024 are first, being in tune with my emotions, so focusing on my emotional well-being. Number two I want to be the healthiest version of me, and you see how I'm not setting a number goal that I want to lose this much weight or inches. Just I want to be my healthiest version, and that means some mental and emotional health. Number three I want to make my mental health a priority. I have done a lot of work on myself. I've done a lot of healing over the last three years, a lot of personal development, but a side effect of all that healing is also that a lot of trauma has come up in the last year, or actually last six months, so I want to focus on my mental health. I've also realized lately that I might have ADHD, although I had my doctor's appointment and we did an inventory or some kind of questionnaire, and it feels like I am kind of on the spectrum, but not High enough to be diagnosed. But I am on the spectrum, so I want to research on that. I want to go back to therapy, keeping that as a focus.
Sunny Lamba:
My another Intention is being more mindful and spending more time in nature. We I live in Canada and it's cold and for four months we are kind of stuck inside the house, so I want to be able to take that time out in nature and, instead of making excuses, I'm gonna use my tubes and mittens and jackets and boots and go out. Maybe not when it's snowing, though. I Also want to be very mindful of the things I am buying, to see if this is something that I'm just buying because Of or I really need it, and how it's gonna add to the quality of my life Within the family. My biggest intention is to spend more quality time. My husband and I used to go on regular weekly dates but with our schedule change with my son's basketball, that hasn't happened. So I want to go back to doing that. But instead of just going to a restaurant, I want to do different things, like and I don't want, I was gonna give it away, but my husband listens to my podcast and I have booked a secret date and I don't want to give it away. So I'm not giving examples, but I want to do things where we connect with each other more and and the last one I have here is to do with my business and this podcast.
Sunny Lamba:
For the podcast, my intention is to really really connect more deeply with all of you. I am so grateful for each and every one of you who takes the time out of your busy life to listen to this podcast, and it's my intention to make it worth your time, to make you feel valued and to give you value so that you can take that back into your life and Create a more joyous, fulfilled life that is Intentional and more mindful for my business, I want to connect with the soul of until now I have been running business using all the strategies from business coaches and more from the perspective of my prefrontal cortex and what I mean is that more from the perspective of Masculine energy and what works and what doesn't work. But I want to go, step back and go into emotional brain and connect with my business from from my soul and Connect with my clients from my soul, so really tune into the feminine energy. These are some of my Intentions and it feels so good because I'm not putting the pressure of a number, but more of a lifestyle change so that every time I am Feeling low I can be more Cognizant of my emotions. That was my first intention and when it comes to Exercising or eating healthy or mental health, I know that it's my intention to be my healthiest version and it kind of becomes a way of living.
Sunny Lamba:
Now let's talk about how to set your personal intentions. Well, first things first go back to the last year and see what worked for you and Reflect on that year. What worked, what didn't work, what lessons did you learn? What things were not really Connecting to you, what was it that you were doing but you didn't feel happy in it? So you know, also emotionally reflecting back, not just reflecting back at the numbers and the dollar value of your business, or but also how you felt the happiness factor of it. So connect back with that.
Sunny Lamba:
Number two you gotta identify your core values. If you have not done that until today, the only thing I want you to take from this podcast is to go and figure out what are your core values. You can Google core values chart and print out this chart and Sit down with a pen and paper I and identify your core values. What is it that's most important to you? How do these values shape your life? How important it is for you to be in alignment with your personal values? And what I mean by values is things like acceptance, accomplishment, cheerfulness, diligence, community firmness, financial independence, fun, joy, generosity, being gentle, giving. So what are the things that matter to you and are you being true to those values?
Sunny Lamba:
Number three set specific intentions Based on your vision and your values. You have to see how you can set those intentions. They should be very clear, but also make sure they are in all areas of your life and they are a general, overall idea of how you want to show up in that specific area of your life. But also make sure that they are flexible enough that you can adapt them to change when needed. The next step is to now take those intentions and create a plan of action. Again, I want you to stay in the feminine energy. Don't sit down and start making flow charts and start setting numbers and goals. Instead, let's say your intention is to be more in tune with your emotions.
Sunny Lamba:
I created a emotion chart. I know I told you not to create charts, but this one is very cute, with a lot of different colors, so it's very feminine. It's not like a black pen and a graph, but it's very colorful and I used all pinks and yellows and greens for happier emotions and purples and blues for the darker emotions. And every morning I take my cute colored pen and I fill it in and then, before going to bed, I fill it in again At the end of the month. It gives me kind of a picture of where my emotions are at, and when I do that, I also, along with that, write two lines in my journal why I was feeling that way. That is more a feminine approach to setting that intention and having a plan of action.
Sunny Lamba:
Here is the second example. If your intention is being more mindful, then maybe you want to set alarm on your phone where, two times in a day, or three times in a day, you are going to take a digital break, 10 minutes break from all digital devices, no TV, no cell phone, nothing, and just and just sit with yourself, maybe close your eyes, maybe journal, maybe just gaze out the window or go for a walk. So these are a little small action steps that you can take to make sure you are living the life in alignment with the intentions that you have set for yourself. Number four is establishing accountability, because we are all creatures of habit and no matter what we tell the world and ourselves that we are going to do this, our subconscious brain is going to take over. When we set intentions or goals or resolutions, we are using the prefrontal cortex, which is the front area of our brain Think of right behind your forehead, which is the executive functioning, the decision making part of our brain but when it's time to take action, it is the more subconscious brain, the emotional brain, the limbic brain, which is kind of situated behind our ears. That is the brain that takes over, and that's when we don't take action. We say different things but we do different things. We are not walking the talk, we're just talking but not doing the things, and that's when we need an accountability partner and hence the reason I have my membership in which the women the group of women that I have they can hold each other accountable. We hold each other's hands and we work together on things and we hold each other accountable and ask the difficult questions.
Sunny Lamba:
You said you were going to be more mindful. Still, you spent 12 hours a day on the phone. I hope not 12. And if you need information on the membership, I will set that up in the show notes as well, or send me a DM on Instagram at Sunny underscore lamba Inside the membership. These are the things that we talk about. I help you set your goals, set your intentions, but from that feminine energy which is in alignment with your soul, and not because you saw someone else at that goal. So you set it for yourself too.
Sunny Lamba:
Next step in setting intention is being more mindful and patient. So when you are feeling that you are not really doing things in accordance with your intentions, it's okay and you be more compassionate with yourself and you step back and see if that's not the intention you want, maybe you need to change it or maybe you need to figure out a way how you can be more intentional about your intentions. Next step is to make sure you're celebrating. I did a whole podcast episode about celebrating yourself. Celebrating your progress, even the smallest things, is the perfect way to give evidence to your brain that you got this and you are moving forward. And when your feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt comes up, these small celebrations are going to help you move forward. I hope these steps help you set up your intentions.
Sunny Lamba:
Let's recap. Number one reflect on the past year. Number two identify your core values. Number three envision what do you want from this year. Number three set your intentions based on your values. Number four create a plan of action. Number five find an accountability partner. Number six be mindful. Number seven celebrate your progress.
Sunny Lamba:
And now I want to give you some practical tips on how you stay true to those intentions. Well, first of all, regular check-ins. As I gave you the example of my emotions chart, that is a regular check-in. Every morning, every night, I'm checking in with myself how am I feeling? And I'm not overdoing it by checking in five times a day, because then I am setting myself up for failure. Maybe later on I get there, or I think twice a day is perfect. Set time, set aside time once a day, maybe once a week, a few times a month, to check in Are you really staying true to your intentions? Number two, of course, visual reminders, and that's where our vision board workshop comes into play.
Sunny Lamba:
As I'm standing here recording this podcast, I'm looking at my last year's vision board. It's right in front of me and I'm seeing the things I achieved. And my last year's vision board was also based on the intentions instead of goals and resolutions. And I'm looking at it, and one of the intentions on here is I am creating the life of my dreams. So I look back in 2023 and see was I living the life of my dreams? Well, not what I have for my big, big, big, audacious goals, but from my day-to-day perspective, I was. Another one here is I am raising my vibration. So what I did is I took my intentions and I changed them into. I am affirmation statements and it says I'm raising my vibration. Was I? Yes, every single day I was meditating. I'm not saying I was meditating every day, but what I'm saying is that every day, I was doing things to raise my vibration, for example, meditation, or being more mindful, or laughing, or taking the time to put the music on and dance or taking the time to sit in a warm bath. These are the things that were raising my vibration.
Sunny Lamba:
So create that vision board and if you don't know how or where to start, join the vision board workshop. We will together create your goals. First, we will look back at your last year. We will help you understand your values and create goals based on that, and then we will together create a vision board. I'll give you a template also to create a digital vision board, so make sure you're on there. It is only $20. If $20 can help you set your vision for the next whole year, I mean it's totally worth it and there'll be an amazing group of women on there.
Sunny Lamba:
Next one is to have mindful practices In order to stay true to your intentions. Make sure that you're connected with your inner self and you're being mindful. You're journaling, you're taking the walks, you're taking the steps that slow you down, so that you stay connected to those intentions. Another big one is to focus on the why. Why did you set up that intention? It's the same when you're doing goals or resolutions or word of the year. Why was that intention? Even on that paper or on that vision board? Your why keeps you grounded. Your why is the best thing when you're not feeling motivated or when you are not feeling in alignment with your intentions or you're not walking the talk. That's when your why comes in handy. You go and look at that why and that helps you refocus and move on.
Sunny Lamba:
So let me give you some examples on how I am going to stay true to my intentions being my healthiest version, and a part of that is choosing nutritious foods, drinking more water, engaging in physical activity. I already work out five days a week, so I'm going to continue doing that. But I also realized over the holidays I wasn't lifting weights, I was only doing my yoga, which I love. I love yoga. I can do it all five days. But I also want to do the strength training, because strength training is the best thing for postmenopausal or perimenopausal women For everyone actually, but I am talking about me here, so I want to make sure that I switch it up and add the weight training or strength training into it.
Sunny Lamba:
My third intention was to take care of my mental health and as a part of that, I am seeking therapy by the way, if you know of a South Asian therapist who helps with ADHD or focus or anxiety. I would really be grateful to you. So send that my way. You know how to reach me on Instagram, at Sunny underscore Lamba.
Sunny Lamba:
But what I have already incorporated in order to stay true to this intention is that I'm listening to a podcast. It's called I have ADHD. It started my first book, which is called your Brain is Not Broken, so I'm going to educate myself Basically. That's my step number one. Yes, I will seek help, but I'm also going to educate myself. And then my business and podcast. So for the podcast, I'm going to ensure that I reach out to whoever listens to the podcast. Podcast only tells me the number of people, but sometimes I know that you have listened to it because you let me know. I will reach out to you and ask you what else do you want me to talk about? Because I want to build deeper connections with all of you. So I'm going to take the time to do that and then bring those topics that you talked about Even in my stories. If someone comments on something, I will be more intentional of jotting that down, doing the research on that topic and bringing that topic on this podcast.
Sunny Lamba:
Similarly, with my business, I have unfollowed a lot of Instagram hacks and how to grow your Instagram, all those pages, and I am focusing more on my soul led business. How do I want to connect with my business? What do I want to talk to my audience about today? And that is an intention and that's what I'm doing. And, at the end, I want you to take time to set your intentions. If you already set your intentions for 2024, I want to hear about them. And if this podcast has inspired you to make some changes to your intentions more positive changes or if it has helped you to tweak them maybe come from the place of a more feminine energy or if it is helping you to come up with a plan of action, how are you going to stay true to those intentions? Let me know when you tell me that my podcast helped you with some smallest thing ever. It makes my day and it helps me create that deeper connection with you which is my intention for this.
Sunny Lamba:
Lastly, I want you to know that, no matter what intentions you set, whether or not you're setting intentions if you're not, it's totally okay but being very mindful of your day to day life is the best way of living, to add those little moments of joy to your life. Those little pockets of peace in your day are the best intention you can create for yourself, and then taking that and building that up into a big, huge goal for yourself is the way to go. Take time to connect with your feminine energy, because we're surrounded by masculine energy. Take time to meditate, take time to go for a walk, to connect with the fellow women, other women, entrepreneurs or other women in general to be a part of the community. My membership is an amazing place, an amazing community of women. Connect in there, come join us so that we can all live this joyous, happy, intentional life together.
Sunny Lamba:
Let me know how this episode helped you. If you think this can help someone else, share it Also. Take a screenshot and share it on your stories in Instagram or Facebook. Don't forget to tag me at Sunny underscore lamba and, on that note, have an intentional amazing 2024. This is Sunny signing off. Until next time, keep loving yourselves and stay Plothentic. Thank you for listening to the Plothentic Me podcast. Did you relate to something or had an aha moment? I would love to hear your thoughts. Connect with me on Instagram at Sunny underscore lamba. Screenshot this episode and share it on social media or just send it to your friends. You can also sign up for a newsletter so that you can get weekly tips and tools. Until next time, keep loving yourself and stay Plothentic.