You’re Not Meant to Be the Same Every Year — Exploring Intentional Change
We often expect ourselves to stay steady—same values, same goals, same person. But life changes us, whether we choose it or not. The beauty lies in choosing *how* we change. Intentional change means evolving in ways that feel true, not forced.
Why Change Over Time Is Normal (and Good)
- Growth & learning: Each year brings new experiences that teach us things we can’t un‑learn. They shift our perspectives, values, priorities.
- Adaptability & resilience: As you face different situations, you build strength. Change forces flexibility—which helps when life gets unpredictable.
- Identity development: Identity isn’t fixed. Psychological research shows identity evolves, especially through late adolescence and young adulthood. It deepens, becomes more complex.
- Values get refined: What mattered to you five years ago might not hold the same weight now. Priorities shift for a reason—and that’s part of your growth.
- Greater self‑awareness: Change helps you learn what parts of your old self were chosen, inherited, or accidental—and what parts you want to carry forward.
What Intentional Change Looks Like
- Reflect regularly: set aside time to think about what matters now vs what used to matter. Journals, walks, conversations help.
- Reevaluate your goals and values: are they still relevant? Which goals energise you vs which feel imposed or outdated?
- Experiment: try new hobbies, meet new people, read new ideas. Sometimes change starts with small “yes’s.”
- Let go: saying goodbye to old habits, beliefs, or roles that no longer serve you is part of evolving.
- Celebrate the version of you now: even if you’re different from who you were, that doesn’t mean you lost value—it means you gained insight and maturity.
- Set boundaries: sometimes change means stopping things (activities, relationships, routines) that hold you back from growing into who you want to become.
When Change Feels Scary or Confusing
Evolving isn’t always smooth. There may be moments of loss, insecurity, or confusion—especially when parts of your old identity fade. That’s okay. Here’s how to move through the fear:
- Acknowledge the discomfort. Recognising that uncertainty is part of growth helps reduce fear.
- Seek support: talk to people who see you, encourage change, not hold you to old versions of yourself.
- Use mindfulness or self‑compassion: allow yourself to feel awkward or in between, without judging it.
- Document what you liked + what you don’t: helps you make intentional decisions about what to carry forward.
Why It’s Worth It
Intentional change lets you align with your truest self—not just what you once were, or what others expect. Over time, you become someone who chooses rather than drifts. You build a life that reflects more deeply who you’ve become, not who you were told to be.