How to Create Meaningful New Year’s Intentions That Stick
For those navigating loss, change, and life transitions.
You Don’t Need to Become a “New Person” This January
Every January, the world tells us to reinvent ourselves: set big goals, work harder, be better, transform overnight. But if you’re navigating grief during the holidays, moving through the first Christmas without a loved one, adjusting to caregiving responsibilities, or simply trying to make sense of who you are after a season of profound change — the pressure to “start fresh” can feel overwhelming.
The truth is this: nothing is wrong with you for feeling tired, unsure, or unmotivated. Many people entering the New Year want meaningful change — deeper peace, steadier energy, more joy, more grounding — but they also need support, gentleness, and space to move at the pace of their body.
This is why New Year mental health isn’t about self-improvement. It’s about honoring what you’ve lived through and creating intentions rooted in who you’re becoming.
Some intentions don’t happen on paper — they happen in small moments of companionship, routine, and breath.
Meaningful change begins in the everyday.
Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail
Traditional resolutions often fall apart by February — not because we’re undisciplined, but because they’re built on unrealistic expectations and a misunderstanding of the nervous system. Here are a few reasons they don’t stick:
They’re built on perfectionism.
Resolutions often come from a place of “I should be doing more,” not “What does my body need to feel safe, supported, and grounded?” When perfectionism leads, burnout follows.
They skip over emotional readiness.
If you are grieving, caregiving, healing from trauma, or rebuilding your identity, your capacity is naturally different. Emotional readiness is core to follow-through. Without it, even the most earnest resolutions feel impossible.
They lack grounding in values.
Goals such as “exercise more” or “be more productive” don’t mean much when your heart is in a tender place. Values — connection, rest, creativity, courage — offer a deeper anchor for sustainable change.
They’re created in isolation.
Most people try to do everything alone. But meaningful change grows inside relationship, presence, and accountability — the very things grief often interrupts.
Why Intentions Work Better Than Goals
Intentions are different from goals. They are not about achieving a perfect outcome — they are about aligning with what matters most.
Intentions:
Are rooted in values
Support nervous system regulation
Allow for flexibility and compassion
Honor your whole self — mind, body, and spirit
For someone navigating grief or major life transitions, intentions create spaciousness. They help you reconnect with the parts of you that still desire meaning, purpose, and connection, without forcing yourself into a rigid plan.
Intentions are also powerful for people drawn to somatic grief healing, body-based grief healing, and trauma-informed grief support, because they support healing from the inside out.
How Coaching Supports Sustainable Change
Whether you’re entering the new year after experiencing loss, caregiving burnout, a major move, or a quiet season of identity shift, support matters. A trauma-informed, compassionate coaching space helps you:
Slow down and listen to your body’s readiness.
Together we explore what’s possible from where you are — not where you think you “should” be.
Identify values that reflect the life you want to create.
This might include spaciousness, presence, courage, belonging, or tenderness. Values give direction without pressure.
Break intentions into small, doable steps.
Instead of “be healthier,” we ask: What is one sustainable practice that helps your nervous system feel supported?
Receive accountability that feels warm, not punishing.
Sustainable change grows through encouragement and connection — not criticism.
Explore somatic and embodied tools for resilience.
Intentions created through an embodied lens become easier to hold because they aren’t living only in your mind — they’re integrated into your breath, posture, routines, and rituals.
Many clients find that coaching feels more accessible than traditional therapy for personal growth because it focuses on forward movement, gentle structure, and grief-informed practices. It also pairs beautifully with online support spaces like Zoom grief support groups, online workshops, and even future grief healing retreats.
Creating Intentions That Stick: Gentle Paths for the Year Ahead
Here are a few values-based, compassionate intentions especially meaningful for people navigating grief, transition, and renewal:
An Intention for Nervous System Support
“I commit to one daily practice that helps my body feel safe.” This might include breathwork, gentle stretching, time in nature, or grounding rituals you learned in somatic grief healing sessions.
An Intention for Connection & Belonging
“I will let myself receive support in small ways this year.” This might look like joining a Zoom grief support group, attending an online workshop, or allowing friends to check in more regularly.
An Intention for Grief and Trauma Healing
“I honor my grief by making space for it without judgment.” For many, this includes journaling, establishing small rituals, or working with a grief coaching online program that provides compassionate guidance.
An Intention for Meaning-Making After Loss
“I will explore what brings me comfort, curiosity, and a sense of aliveness again.” This may involve creative practices, volunteering, gardening, writing, or gentle movement.
An Intention for Softening Perfectionism
“I choose progress over perfection — small steps, kind pacing, and honest self-reflection.” These intentions reflect New Year’s resolutions that stick because they meet you where you actually are — not where your grief or transition says you should already be.
A Gentle New Year Invitation
If you’re longing to enter the new year with more steadiness, clarity, and support, you don’t have to do it alone. Whether you are navigating the first Christmas without a loved one, moving through grief during the holidays, or simply reshaping your life after change, coaching offers a compassionate space to explore who you’re becoming.
Together, we create values-rooted intentions that feel doable, sustainable, and aligned with your healing.
If you’re ready to start the year with grounded, personalized support, I invite you to schedule a free discovery call. Let’s explore what you need, what’s possible, and how you can step into the new year with more clarity, connection, and care.
Dawn M. Geoppinger, Trauma-Informed Grief & Embodiment Coach
Dawn M. Geoppinger is a Trauma-Informed Grief & Embodiment Coach based in Portland, Oregon, with a strong foundation of over two decades of professional experience in public administration, education, and the nonprofit sector. She specializes in grief education, somatic movement, breathwork, and mindfulness, integrating evidence-based approaches such as somatic practices, post-traumatic growth and woman-centered principles to help clients reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and honor the full spectrum of loss and healing. Through her practice, The Embodied Grief Journey™, Dawn provides compassionate, expert support both in person and online—creating safe, nurturing spaces for individuals to explore grief, resilience, and embodied healing.
If this new year feels tender, uncertain, or quietly full of possibility, you don’t have to walk into it alone. Whether you’re grieving, navigating a life transition, or simply longing for intentions that honor your nervous system, coaching can help you move forward in a way that feels steady and embodied.
Together, we shape intentions rooted in your values — the kind that support your healing rather than overwhelm it.
If your body is whispering that it’s time for support, I invite you to schedule a free discovery call.
Let’s gently explore what you need and what’s possible, so you can enter the new year with more ease, clarity, and connection.
