Mapping Intentions: Why Resolutions Fail and How to Craft Your Intention
Each January, many of us set sail with hopeful New Year’s resolutions. We chart bold goals and imagine calm seas ahead, believing this time will be different. But within weeks, most find themselves adrift. The tide of everyday life pulls us back toward old habits, and we begin to tell ourselves stories of failure: I always give up. I can’t change. There’s no point in trying.
But it’s not that you’ve failed. It’s that the map you were given—the goal-focused resolution—was never designed for the unpredictable waters of human change.
Why Resolutions Drift Off Course
Studies show that only around 9% of people feel successful in keeping their New Year’s resolutions long-term. About 23% quit within the first week, and 64% give up within the first month. Most resolutions fade not because we lack willpower, but because we set lofty, rigid goals without a clear sense of readiness, compassion, or personal meaning.
Resolutions often sound like: “I’ll exercise every day.” “I’ll eat better.” “I’ll be more positive.” They focus on doing rather than being. There’s little space for reflection or flexibility—no understanding of what fuels or drains us. And when life inevitably shifts, our goals capsize under the pressure of perfection.
Intention: A Different Kind of Compass
An intention is not a rule or target. It’s a compass—something that helps you find direction when you lose sight of the shore. Intentions invite awareness rather than control. They expand, rather than narrow.
When you set an intention, you aren’t demanding change; you’re inviting it. You’re saying, “This is the quality I want to travel with.” Words like ease, balance, courage, joy, or trust become guiding beacons—reminders of who you wish to be, not just what you wish to do.
Intentions hold space for compassion. They let us drift, reorient, and return, again and again, without judgment.
The Role of Art: Seeing Beneath the Surface
When we think, we stay in the realm of ideas—logic, planning, and words. Thinking is doing, but it’s also limited to what we already know. Art opens another kind of knowing. Through image, colour, and movement, we begin to see what’s been hidden beneath the surface.
Art offers a bridge to deeper aspects of ourselves—those we can’t reach through ordinary states of mind. When we draw, paint, or sculpt, we make the invisible visible. Our inner desires take form. Symbols emerge that help guide the way forward.
Sometimes, what comes through soothes us—a reminder of comfort, connection, or calm. Other times, it challenges us, revealing tension, emptiness, or longing. These images invite inquiry rather than answers. They ask: What do I need right now? Where in my life am I being challenged, and what might help me navigate this part of the sea?
Art doesn’t solve the problem—it illuminates it, giving us an image we can dream into and a place from which to begin.
Vision Mapping Exercise: Bring Your Guiding Word to Craft Your Vision
Sit quietly and allow yourself to sink into your body. Each breath allows you to soften and relax a little more. Relfect on how your year has been; the ups, downs and inbetweens. Ask yourself the question: What do I need more of? What do I need less of? Invite an intention. Return and journal to capture any words that came through. Look over what you have writen and circle and words that have energy or charge. Choose one of these words to be your guiding word (for now.)
If no word came to you, cast your eyes on the word cloud below and see if any words jump out to you. Remember, words can change if they need to.
Once you’ve chosen your guiding word for 2026, it’s time to bring it into being.
Write your word in the centre of a page and begin to adorn it through mark-making, colour, collage, or imagery.
There’s no right or wrong way to do this — let your materials and movement flow. You might use watery blues, textured papers, or soft pastels that remind you of shifting tides and hidden depths.
As you work, imagine your word as a compass point — a guiding light in changing waters. Let your hands follow its rhythm. Notice what shapes or colours emerge and where your attention drifts. You’re not just decorating a word — you’re dreaming into it, discovering what it might reveal about your path ahead.
When you feel complete, take a few deep breaths. Step back and simply see what’s arrived.
Journalling Prompts: Reflect and Navigate
Use these prompts to explore what surfaced through your artwork. There’s no need to answer them all — follow what feels alive for you.
What drew you to this word? Why now?
As you created, what sensations or emotions did you notice in your body?
What colours, images, or marks seemed to repeat — and what might they be trying to tell you?
If you discovered a message in a bottle from your word, what would the message be?
What does this word invite you to trust in yourself or let go of?
Where might this word guide you if you allowed it to lead?
What support or structure will help you stay aligned with this vision in daily life?
How can you return to this image when you feel adrift or uncertain?
What message does the artwork hold for your next step forward?
Getting Real: Mapping Where You Are
Art is great as it bridges the realm between imaginary and reality. However, before we can navigate forward, we need to look honestly at where we are. This can be uncomfortable — the low tide where everything is exposed. But without awareness, we keep circling the same waters, expecting a new destination.
Write down the simple, everyday activities: waking up, brushing your teeth, commuting, cooking, working, social media scrolling, socialising, resting etc. Next to each, give it a rating from +5 to -5, depending on whether it gives or drains your energy.
When you look at your list, notice what surprises you. Are you mostly in the plus, the minus, or somewhere in between? Are the things that deplete you necessary, or could they be done differently?
In transpersonal art therapy, we sometimes call this life-giving and life-depleting energy. The balance is never perfect, but awareness gives you choice. Some activities that seem draining—like cleaning, cooking, or organising—can ultimately restore energy, while others that feel generous in the moment—like always saying yes, overworking, or rescuing others—may quietly erode your reserves over time.
This isn’t about self-blame; it’s about clarity. Once you see where your energy flows, you can start to redirect it with intention.
Journalling Prompts: Identifying Energy Drains
Which parts of my day consistently leave me feeling drained or frustrated?
Where do I notice tension, stress, or resistance in my body during the day?
What underlying beliefs or motivations might be driving me to do these draining activities?
How do these activities benefit me, even in small ways?
Are there ways I could adjust or reorganise these tasks to conserve energy or make them more fulfilling?
If I could redesign my day to be the best day I’ve ever had, what would it look like from start to finish?
What activities or moments would give me the most energy, joy, or sense of accomplishment?
How can I realistically start incorporating more of these energising moments into my daily life?
The Deeper Waters of Change
True change rarely happens overnight. Unless you’ve experienced something profoundly life-altering—a sudden loss, a near-death experience, a revelation—transformation tends to move like a current: steady, rhythmic, sometimes hidden.
Most of us want quick results, but the art of sustainable change lies in small, mindful adjustments. Saying no when you need rest. Leaving work on time. Putting your phone outside your bedroom at night. Creating small rituals that help you transition between effort and ease.
These choices are acts of radical self-care and personal agency. They’re how you begin to steer your own ship, rather than letting others pull your course.
From Word to Action
A word alone is not enough—it needs to live through you. Once you’ve chosen your guiding word, let it inform your actions. If your word is nourish, ask how you might bring nourishment into daily life. If it’s boundaries, consider what containers or rituals could support that. If it’s flow, where could you allow more movement and less resistance?
We are the agents of change in our own lives. The word is the anchor, but we are the wind and the tide that move it forward.
Begin Your Journey
If this reflection stirred something in you—an awareness of where your energy goes, or a longing to move with more purpose—I offer one-to-one Transpersonal Art Therapy sessions through Mark and Movement. Together, we explore the inner landscape with creativity as our compass, helping you rediscover joy, clarity, and direction.
