Setting intentions and goals for 2020

Last year I took a mindfulness course led by a former team lead who had switched careers at Microsoft. We had four in-person all day sessions and at the end of each session we would set intentions for the next few months between classes. Intentions are different than goals, as goals tend to be a fixed outcome and intentions focus on the present moment and don't necessarily have a set plan like a goal. So even though some of these have fixed outcomes, I really intend to focus on the intent and how I'm feeling in the moment about each of these things.

One of the things I found with focusing on intentions is that I tended to be much kinder to myself if I hadn't been as diligent about my intentions. And for 2020, being kind to myself is a big focus.

Tech/Professional: #

• Speak at 6 conferences or meetups
• Start "Mai Tais With..." VideoCast/Podcast focused on all aspects of tech & digital
• Design and build an open source Solo Traveler's guide
• Blog more
• Deep dive into some aspect of CSS
• Give a talk about introversion and inclusivity in the workplace

Personal: #

• Continue to practice mindfulness
• Triple my Pure Barre attendance
• Demo some mountain bikes and head out to the trails with friends
• Buy less and buy more sustainably.
• Read more. I read 9 books last year, which was woefully below my goal. But many of them were 700-1000 page novels.

Taking that mindfulness course was one of the most impactful things I've ever done and I'm looking forward to tackling the new year with a new set of tools I didn't have before. I'm calmer, less anxious and more level-headed about things. I approach things differently compared to a year ago. There are a lot of resources available on mindfulness and I encourage you to look into it if you're trying to slow down and take care of yourself.