What I Want More of in the Year Ahead

Every December seems to arrive with the same question. What do you want to accomplish next year? It is a reasonable question, but I have started asking myself a different one. What kind of life am I creating while I chase those accomplishments? Intentional living asks me to think beyond goals and pay closer attention to the person I become along the way.

I still believe in ambition. However, I no longer believe that a meaningful life should feel like one long race. Instead, I want my calendar to reflect the same values I claim to care about. If I say I value curiosity, rest, community, and joy, then my days should leave room for those things.

More Presence, Less Performance

This year, I want more mornings that begin without rushing. I want more meals shared with people I care about. I want more conversations that challenge me to think differently and more writing that tells the truth instead of simply chasing attention.

Likewise, I want my travels to leave me wiser, not just busier. I want to spend more time listening than collecting passport stamps. I want to remember that growth often happens when I slow down long enough to notice what everyone else walks past.

That hope connects naturally with my reflections on women and rest, slow travel, and community resilience. Each one reminds me that the pace of our lives shapes the quality of our lives.

Choose Tools That Support Your Values

I enjoy sharing resources that make life easier. Sometimes that means taking a few quiet minutes with Calm. Other times, it means planning a meaningful experience through GetYourGuide. Those tools can support the life I want to build, but they can never make my choices for me.

Ultimately, intentional living depends less on what I buy and more on what I choose to protect. My attention, my time, and my energy remain my most valuable resources.

A Softer Kind of Ambition

I still dream about writing more books, traveling farther, speaking on bigger stages, and creating work that makes a difference. At the same time, I no longer want success that asks me to ignore my health, postpone my joy, or sacrifice every quiet moment along the way.

Instead, I want ambition that leaves room for laughter. I want work that strengthens my relationships instead of replacing them. I want goals that challenge me without convincing me that exhaustion is something to celebrate.

Ask Better Questions Before Making Bigger Plans

As this year comes to a close, I find myself asking different questions than I did a decade ago. What gives me energy instead of simply demanding it? Which relationships deserve more attention? Which stories still need someone to tell them? What kind of woman am I becoming when no one is watching?

Those questions feel more valuable than any list of resolutions. They invite honesty instead of performance. More importantly, they remind me that every ordinary day shapes the life I am building.

That is what intentional living means to me. It means choosing a life that reflects my values instead of simply displaying my achievements. If I can do that a little more often this year than I did last year, I will consider it meaningful progress.

You might also enjoy exploring DG Speaks Travel, browsing DG Speaks Culture, or discovering more personal reflections in DG Speaks Stories.