I'm 37! Here are my 5 intentions for the year

I have been trying to think of a less grasping, less capitalist word for "goals"? Dreams? Directions? Desires? Hopes? Commitments? Intentions? Yes, I think "intentions" will do. It captures the trajectory of motivation without the attachment to outcome. So, this post is about my intentions in my 37th year.

On hindsight the last two years of my life have followed a certain specific pattern. Every year, just after my birthday - that old brush with mortality! - I would get a big jolt to my system, and then I'd try to implement a big change or three.

When I turned 35: my big change was to quit my job to become both a freegan and a freelancer. 

And then at age 36, a new project: to split the once-conjoined spheres of work and creativity. I dabbled in unskilled labour. I tried to create for myself; I thought of writing a book.

And now that I'm 37? Time, once again, to discard last year's intentions - lest these mouldering things become habits - and dream new dreams. Therefore here are my 5 guiding intentions for this year.

1. Yoga

I have lately begun to appreciate the wider meaning of the Sanskrit term yoga - "to yoke", or "union" - that is, as more than merely a physical exercise. In particular I want to incorporate pranayama (breath) and asana (posture) into my life, not just during yoga sessions.

Another yogic concept to work in is ahimsa (non-violence) which can impact almost everything from your diet to the way you treat people (yourself and others) - even the attitude with which you live.

All that said, I also have a yoga (qua exercise) intention: to learn ashtanga yoga.

2. Pets

Jon and I have tried a number of pet-related things in the past year - bunny boarding, bunny grooming, pet and housesitting, pet emergency healthcare - and now it is time to consolidate them all. I plan to buy a domain and house all our experiences in one place.

I plan to also try new ways to work with animals this year, like pet grooming, dog walking, day care, etc. Working with animals is definitely something I want to do in the long term but I feel no need to rush it.

3. Art

I have this vision of myself as one who never leaves home without a journal, pen, and colour pencils - and after buying a small backpack from Decathlon, I am now her! Personal transformation for $10. It is now only a matter of time before I become that person sitting on a camp chair at the Louvre, sketching a Rembrandt.

I'll draw something at least once a day, even if it's the same thing (usually the cat or bunny or my lunch), and work my way through at least one drawing course (Peter Jenny's Unlearning to Draw).

4. Books

This one is easy: just keep showing up at my job at the bookstore and continuing to read Good Books. 

Also a slightly newish thing I'm trying to do is to collect used books and sell them on Carousell, which in my mind qualifies me as a "used book dealer".

5. Nature

Don't know if it's just me, but the concrete and tarmac and construction seem to bear down on us like never before. I want to make more time for nature in the following ways. 

There's "nearby nature" - places I can visit on any ordinary day, even for just 5 minutes, to feel renewed. Then "faraway nature" - places that take some planning to get to, but that I can go to once a week or so. Finally, there's "nature abroad" - allowing my future travel itineraries to gravitate towards national parks rather than cities.

I think I'll come back to this post quite a lot in the coming year. The world outside of employment is so big - the possibilities are infinite when you have time at your disposal - I am easily distracted. The trouble is not filling your time, but deciding what's really worth your time vs. what to forgo.