Newsletter #7 Setting Communication Intentions for 2026

🧠 Small Essay: Your Voice This Year

January often asks us to plan, to improve, to push.
But mindful communication invites a different rhythm — one of choosing, not chasing.

A communication intention isn’t a goal.
It’s not something to “achieve.”
It’s the quality you want to bring into each conversation — a feeling, a tone, a way of being.

Maybe it’s clarity.
Maybe it’s patience.
Maybe it’s calm, honesty, gentleness, or courage.

Setting a communication intention helps you speak and listen from a centered place rather than from habit or reactivity.
It becomes an inner compass — a return point — especially when conversations get hard or your nervous system tightens.

You don’t need to transform your communication this year.
You just need to choose where you’d like to speak from.

When you say, “This year, I want my words to bring more ___,” you begin to carve a path.
And every conversation becomes a moment to practice walking it — imperfectly, kindly, and with awareness.

🎧 Private Podcast Episode

“Your Voice This Year: Setting a Grounded Communication Intention”

💬 Self-Talk Script: Returning to Your Intention

Use these phrases throughout January whenever you feel yourself drifting from how you want to show up:

“I can speak from my intention, not from my fear.”
“I don’t have to rush — I can choose my pace.”
“I can return to clarity in this moment.”
“My words don’t have to be perfect; they just need to be honest, kind, and helpful.”
“I can pause and begin again.”

The purpose of these phrases is not to control your conversations — but to gently re-center your nervous system so your words come from choice, not reaction.

🧘 Mini Guide: Setting Your 2026 Communication Intention

**1. Choose One Word

(keep it simple)**
Examples: courageous, calm, clear, kind, honest, grounded, patient, present, brave, slow, loving, genuine, open, receptive.

2. Describe What This Looks Like in Practice

For example:

If my intention is calm: I take one breath before responding.
If my intention is honest: I name how I feel without blaming, evaluation or judgment.
If my intention is patient: I let the other person finish speaking before I plan my reply.

3. Choose One Small Action to Support It

Just one.
Something you can actually do every day.
Examples:

Place a hand on your chest before responding.
Ask one clarifying question in a conversation. "What do you think about this?"
Take a three-second pause before entering a room or meeting.

4. Create a Touchstone Phrase

A simple reminder you can use all month:

“Speak from ___.”
or
“Return to ___.”

Download your intention card here. You can put it on your bathroom mirror, next to your bed, on your computer, on the fridge.

5. Practice Imperfectly

If you drift, wonderful — that’s the practice.
Resetting builds the habit.

✍️ Journal Prompts for January

What communication patterns from last year felt aligned with who I want to be?
What patterns felt draining or reactive?
What word best describes how I want to sound in 2026?
What word best describes how I want to feel inside my body while communicating?
How do I want people to feel after talking with me?
What small daily practice will support my intention?

Mentorship 2026

I’ve opened enrollment for my year-long Mindful Communication Mentorship, and as a Mindful Communication Insider, you receive a special monthly rate.

This mentorship is for those who want direct access to me — not just teachings, but real-time guidance, feedback, and support as you navigate communication challenges in your actual life.

Over the year, we’ll work together through monthly practices designed to help you become less reactive, more grounded, and clearer in how you communicate at home, at work, and within yourself.

If you’re ready for deeper support and ongoing mentorship, you can learn more here. The link also includes the replay of last month’s End the Year Calmly workshop if you weren’t able to attend.

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