“Living with more intention” is my personal mantra as we begin the first full week of January 2026. And while most have a New Year’s resolution, I took it a step further and wrote down 13 intentions for 2026, known as the 13 Wishes Ritual (explained in detail below). Each intention was written on a slip of paper – as if it already had happened. For example, one of the intentions I wrote was “Journaling everyday has brought increased clarity to my life, I feel more organized, productive and self-aware.” Writing your intentions like they have already happened is a form of manifesting. If this ritual or idea is new to you, manifestation is the belief that self-talk, visualizing success, and acting as if you’ve already achieved your desires will help you attain your goals. It’s based on the idea that you can attract the things you want by aligning your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with your preferred outcomes. If you want to try this at home, here is how to do it.
The 13 Wishes Ritual
The 13 Wishes Ritual (Rauhnächte ritual) is a modern spiritual practice rooted in an ancient Northern European tradition observed during the “sacred” or “smoke nights” between the Winter Solstice and early January. How the ritual works:
The ritual is typically performed over 12 consecutive nights, often beginning on the Winter Solstice (December 21st) or Christmas Eve (December 24th), and concluding by Epiphany (January 6th).
Preparation: You write 13 personal wishes or intentions, each on a separate, small piece of paper, and fold them. The slips are then placed in a bowl or jar.
The Burning: For 12 nights, you pull one folded slip of paper at random (without reading it) and safely burn it. This act of burning symbolizes releasing the wish to the universe or a higher power, surrendering control over how it unfolds. Each burned wish is often said to correspond to one month of the coming year.
The Final Intention: After the twelfth night, one wish remains. This final wish is the one you are meant to open, read and actively work toward yourself in the new year. It is considered your personal responsibility or “assignment” for the year ahead.
Symbolism – The ritual is a balance of surrender and personal responsibility. The twelve wishes entrusted to the fire are a practice of letting go of control and trusting in the flow of life, while the thirteenth is an invitation to engage consciously with your own power to co-create your reality. Note: The intentions are only about you, you cannot write an intention for anyone else.
Even if this ritual is for pure entertainment, writing down my intentions bubbled the desires for my life to the surface. My intentions ranged from relationships, to self-care and travel, growth for my floral design studio and my blog, and a few projects. The 13th intention, the one that was never burned, is my personal responsibility that I have to actively work on in 2026. When I opened the slip of paper, it was with much anticipation, I was so curious about what remained. My excitement quickly turned into defeat because this was the one intention that I knew has to get done this year, but it’s also the hardest. Waaa!
But of course the flow of life wasn’t going to leave me with something easy to do, I mean – that’s kind of the whole point. This intention, the only one that escaped being burned – twelve times – has to do with building a new house. I’ve taken baby steps for the past few years and it’s obvious that I am the only reason that this project has been dragging. Even the Universe is like “Girl…get on it!!!”
Now is probably a good time to mention that this post was really meant to be about daily journaling, and why I am so excited about this intention but I couldn’t write about journaling without also writing about the 13 Wishes Ritual since they were so interconnected.
The Benefits of Daily Journaling
Millions of people journal everyday, I am well aware that this is a very common practice employed all over the world. Despite the enormous popularity, daily journaling hasn’t been part of my life since I was a teenager. Back then, I had a diary with a lock and key, and I mostly wrote about my brother tormenting me with typical big brother behavior. In retrospect, my diary was like a friend that I could confide to.
Similar to a diary by providing an outlet for emotions, journaling offers many benefits such as reducing stress and anxiety, boosting self-awareness, improving mood and mental clarity, enhancing goal achievement, and strengthening memory, tracking personal growth, and offering perspective on challenges. It helps process negative thoughts, fosters emotional regulation, builds resilience, and can even improve physical health by lowering stress hormones. Here is a link to read more about the benefits and types of journaling.
Mental & Emotional Benefits
Stress & Anxiety Reduction: Writing down worries helps break rumination cycles, lowers cortisol levels, and provides a sense of control. Increased Self-Awareness: Reflecting on successes and setbacks helps you understand your patterns, feelings, and actions.Emotional Regulation: It’s a safe space to explore and process complex emotions, leading to greater clarity and stability. Improved Mood & Resilience: Journaling can help build resilience and integrate difficult experiences, fostering a more positive outlook.
Cognitive & Skill Benefits
Goal Achievement: Writing down goals and tracking progress increases motivation and focus, making them more attainable.
Enhanced Memory: The act of writing and rereading entries strengthens recall of events and details.
Better Writing Skills: Regular practice improves vocabulary, communication, and overall writing ability.
Problem Solving: Putting thoughts on paper can reveal new solutions or perspectives you hadn’t considered.
Health & Wellness Benefits
Better Sleep: Journaling worries or to-do lists before bed can calm the mind, helping you fall asleep.
Physical Health: Stress reduction through journaling can positively impact immune function and overall physical well-being.
Not sure where to start? Below is a simple, bullet-point journal entry about gratitude and mood, this type focuses on key feelings and positive moments, and can be completed in just a few minutes.
Date: Sunday, January 4, 2026
Mood: Content
Today, I am grateful for:
Sleeping in until 8am.
The warm cup of coffee that I love starting my day off with.
A productive day where we took down the Christmas tree, stockings and packed away the ornaments.
A happy household and two kids at home.
The quiet evening writing my first blog post of 2026.
Looking forward to tomorrow, I hope to:
Get up a little earlier and take a few moments to meditate before starting my day.
One of the greatest parts to journaling is that there are no rules. You can write simply about what you did that day, you can bullet journal, you can write about your mood, release your frustrations, establish goals for that week, log what you ate, or express gratitude for someone or something in your life. I’ve been searching for the perfect journal for me, I want it to play a multifaceted goal of keeping me organized, focused, self-aware, and reflective. It’s got to be a combination of a daily planner, a calendar, to-do list, with spaces for journaling prompts. During my research, I’ve been comparing journals and I like the ones that have prompts in them like “What is something good that happened today?” and sections for you to make notes about your weekly goals, and diet and exercise – it’s important to hold time for the mind, body and soul. Happy Journaling!
