Active Aging: Welcome to a New Year of good intentions, living in the moment

by Stacey Mason

Chances are, many members of the Stockbridge Area Senior Center, not to mention staff, and board members, made resolutions for the new year. The usuals are eating healthy meals, exercising more, being more active, etc. These are always great ideas, yet many drop them within the first month.

I’d like to propose a different way of looking at the new year and the clean slate we each get on Jan. 1.

Let’s shift our focus from resolve to intention. To resolve means to set and take action. Setting an intention is to look at your values, what has meaning for you, and how you choose to move through the world and then intently move in that direction. An intention feels less harsh or judgmental than a resolution. I’ve never had anyone ask me if I’m still working on my intention; whereas, many people question how one’s resolution is progressing.

An intention also feels much more personal. It’s about one’s value system. For example, I may set an intention of being more present and living in the moment. That requires me to listen more intently, recognize when I’m daydreaming, and focus more intently on the current activity. This is one example based on my value of relationship-building and connection.

A life built on living intentionally requires introspection and questioning: have you developed a set of values? What kind of world do you want to live in? What qualities do you want to embody?

As you practice answering these questions and setting intentions, your practice will evolve and change based on your current state of being and aspirations. This is why I prefer to set an intention versus a resolution. My intention can change daily based on my mental state and what I can accomplish on any given day. Setting an intention is more fluid and flexible than a resolution. It provides individual freedom from all the weight loss, eating right, get active ads that start yelling at us on Dec. 26.

One of my intentions this year is to write thoughtful, educational, and occasionally witty Active Aging columns. I’ll let the readers evaluate my progress as the year progresses. I hope you will move gently into 2025 with the intention of being compassionate with yourself and those around you.

I wish you a very Happy New Year!

Stacey Mason is the director of the Stockbridge Area Senior Center (SASC)—a great place to spend time. Visit stockbridgeareaseniors.org or call 517-480-0353 for information.

A life built on living intentionally requires introspection and questioning, being more present and living in the moment. Image credit: Nicola Abrescia on unsplash.com