Blogging Away Debt Our Journeys to a Debt-Free Life

by Hope

I took a much needed social media break over the holidays. I knew I was spiraling down a dark path emotionally, and I need to refocus. Who knew that disconnecting would be so hard? And leave me with so much time!

It was so good, so good. I highly, highly recommend. (And if so much of my work life didn’t involve social media, I might have chosen to do away with it completely. But alas, it is back – with restrictions and boundaries and safeguards.)

Instead of social media browsing and posting, I focused on personal mental work. And writing. I did ALOT of writing. And the biggest thing to come out of this past month is a list of intentions.

Resolution vs Intention

I’ve never been much for new years resolutions. And the few years, I did make them, well, I didn’t follow through. Like ever.

This years feels very different for some reason. And these intentions feel very different. Of course, I was curious, what is the difference between a resolution and an intention. Here’s what Googling told me…

According to the AARP…”Resolutions are often focused on smaller goals like trying to maintain good posture, exercising more or cutting down on sugar, according to Raab. But an intention has a broader focus and ‘often has to do with relationships, careers, self-improvement or a larger call to action, such as travel.'”

I really like this differentiator from ThriveYogaWellness.com – “an intention is more focused on creating abundance in your life.”

Year of Intention

This is going to be my year of living INTENTIONALLY. And I’ve started creating a list of those intentions and in come cases expectations. Some of them are finance related and some of them are not. And I plan to share some of them along the way. But I’m going to sit with them for a bit longer before I rush anything. But here’s one to kick the year off right (and I’ve been working on this for a little while now.)

Hope’s Intention #1: If it doesn’t serve me, it’s gone. No clutter from the past allowed.

I was cut throat this year when I put up the Christmas decorations. It’s probably one of the few places where I hadn’t let go of things for, well, maybe ever. I had all these ornaments that I’m sure had stories to them, but the nostalgia was that my mom gave them to me. I will never be able to ask her those stories. And I have other things that she gave me that I do know the stories. So they are gone.

I had a HUGE bucket of Christmas related stuff from my recently passed Uncle Frank and his late wife. I have just been toting it around for years. This year I chose a few things to keep, offered the remainder to the kids to choose from, and then donated the rest.

There are a lot more places in my home (and my storage unit) I plan to be this cut throat, but Christmas is where it started. And it felt freeing.

But it’s not just physical stuff…it’s time sucks, like previously mentioned social media, it’s habits, it’s mindsets. It’s everything. If it doesn’t serve me, then it is getting eliminated or replaced.

Will you join me in living your year intentionally?

Hope

Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.

Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.

Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.