Living With Intention: Resolutions for Mind, Body, and Soul

Dear Reader, 

Happy New Year! I feel as though I have never been so ready to leap into a new year. For me, 2024 felt like the year when I finally started to make a mental shift into adulthood. At 23, it’s humbling to admit that, but I’m learning to extend grace to myself and take pride in the progress I’ve made.

The most transformative shift last year was trading my smartphone for a simple flip phone. I’ll delve into the details in a future post, but here’s the gist: I went from being hopelessly tethered to my device to nearly cutting it out of my life altogether—and the difference has been profound. Freed from hours of mindless scrolling, I’ve rediscovered my love for reading, sharpened my focus on academics, and become less selfish with my time and energy.

Since September, this shift has not only opened up hours of my day but also created a mental stillness I hadn’t realized I needed. Without the relentless stream of digital noise, I’ve been able to explore new interests, hone better habits, and reflect on what I truly value. It feels as though my thoughts have room to expand, and I’ve started to see the contours of my identity more clearly.

One small but significant habit I’ve adopted is carrying a notebook in my pocket where my phone used to be. It’s a place for thoughts, ideas, and observations—things that might have once been lost to distraction. This simple change has also taught me the power of lists. Among those lists is a set of resolutions I have made for the year ahead, shaped by the clarity and growth I’ve experienced over the past few months. I thought perhaps I’d share with you these resolutions—not only as a way to hold myself accountable but also to encourage anyone considering similar changes. These resolutions are aimed at fostering growth in every area of my life: mental, physical, spiritual, and financial. Truthfully, they all need a bit of a makeover.

The first habit I want to cultivate is starting each day with intention. This means waking up at the same time every morning, jumping out of bed with the first alarm, and beginning the day with prayer. Inspired by the St. John Society’s “Leap of the Tiger,” this practice emphasizes starting strong and setting the tone for the day. Another goal tied to this is giving myself ample time to get ready and prepare for the day—a habit I’ve neglected as a college student. My current record is waking up just 10 minutes before a commitment and still arriving four minutes early, thanks to a whirlwind of efficiency. Needless to say, this isn’t a great habit and will be getting left behind in 2024. 

Next, I’m making a significant change to my diet by cutting out gluten and sugar. I’ve known for years that I have a very mild gluten allergy, but I’ve never felt the need to eliminate it. Sugar, on the other hand, has become a weakness. Rather than trying to moderate my intake, I’ve decided to go cold turkey—similarly to how I handled my phone addiction. My hope is that these changes will not only improve my health but also curb mindless snacking, a habit I’m ready to let go of.

On a more enriching note, I want to deepen my relationship with poetry and literature. I have several poetry collections gathering dust on my bookshelf, and it’s time to bring them to life by committing to reading one poem every day. Alongside this, I’m setting a modest goal to read two books each month: one recreational and one spiritual. While this feels achievable, I’ve intentionally kept the bar low to ensure it doesn’t interfere with other responsibilities.

One of my biggest resolutions this year is to attempt a low-buy year. I discovered the concept through a YouTube video, which sent me down a rabbit hole of research. The idea is simple: limit purchases to essentials, with very few exceptions. This means cutting out impulse buys like clothes, dining out, coffee runs, snacks, and even foods that satisfy cravings but lack real nutritional value. Many practitioners of low-buy years go so far as to set limits on how many “unnecessary” purchases they are allowed to make throughout the year. These limits are commonly as low as a mere 5 items.  

This resolution feels daunting, but it’s a step I feel compelled to take, especially in light of preparing to graduate college and step into financial independence. To set myself up for success, I’m creating a detailed list of what I can and cannot buy, along with a few permissible exceptions. I may write a dedicated post about this later, as I think it will be an interesting experiment to document. And yes, for those who read yesterday’s post, this resolution sadly means my beloved coffee shop study sessions will be on hiatus in 2025.

On a smaller scale, I want to work on improving my handwriting and posture. These are simple, practical goals, but ones that feel worthwhile.

Finally, I plan to fully embrace the habit of keeping pocket notebooks. What began as a practical replacement for my smartphone has grown into a practice I genuinely enjoy. I intend to keep two notebooks: a catchall notebook for thoughts, ideas, and everyday details, and a Zibaldone notebook—a more curated space for philosophical musings, quotes, and reflections.

I’ve never been this excited to begin my New Year’s resolutions!  While they’ll undoubtedly bring challenges and the possibility of failure, I believe the desire to pursue them is already a hopeful sign of the growth I’m striving for.

Cheers to a blessed, productive, and fruitful year,

Anna Maria