Making Resolutions: Desires, Intentions, and Plans in Spanish

The beginning of a year is always a great time to think about where we are going and what we hope to achieve in the coming days, months and even years. Talking about plans and aspirations in Spanish can seem daunting, with a variety of tenses and sentence structures being available depending on exactly what you want to express. It is however worth taking the time to develop the required language ability, as expressing your desires, intentions, and plans in Spanish is an effective way to integrate the language into your everyday life. Whether you're learning Spanish for personal, professional, or academic reasons, talking about your resolutions will help you improve your overall communication skills.

Useful Vocabulary

Before taking a look at the tenses we can use to talk about our future plans, there are a few useful words and phrases which you are likely to come across or want to use yourself: 

Metas - Goals

Resolución (del Año Nuevo) - (New Year’s) Resolution 

Propósitos - Purposes/intentions

Aspiraciones - Aspirations

Compromisos - Commitments

Desarrollo personal - Personal development

Logros - Achievements

Lograr - To achieve

Mejora continua - Continuous improvement

Superar obstáculos - Overcoming obstacles

Persistencia - Persistence

Enfrentar desafíos - Facing challenges

Éxito - Success

Alcanzar - To reach

We also have a list of some common resolutions:

Dejar de fumar - To quit smoking

Hacer más ejercicio - To do more exercise

Encontrar un nuevo trabajo - To find a new job

Bajar de peso - To lose weight

Aprender un nuevo idioma - To learn a new language

Pasar más tiempo con mi familia - To spend more time with my family

Estar más feliz - To be happier

Comer más saludablemente - To eat more healthily

Ahorrar más dinero - To save more money

Donar más dinero a causas benéficas - To donate more money to charitable causes

Usar menos las redes sociales - To use less social media

Talking about Intentions with Ir or the Future Simple tense

When we are certain about our intentions and are committed to doing something, this can be expressed either by using the future simple tense or by using the present tense conjugation of the verb ir. The links above lead to a detailed article on how to use the various future tenses, including conjugation tables and the more important irregular verbs

Here are some examples of resolution statements in the future simple tense

Escribiré en mi diario en español para practicar la escritura.

 I will write a diary in Spanish to practice writing.

Haré ejercicio todos los sábados por la mañana.

I will exercise every Saturday morning.

Seré más amable con mis hermanos este año.

I will be nicer to my siblings this year.

And here are some using the present tense of the verb ir:

Voy a mejorar mi vocabulario cada día. 

I am going to improve my vocabulary every day.

Voy a comer menos carne.

I am going to eat less meat.

Voy a dormir ocho horas cada noche.

I am going to sleep eight hours every night.

Planning with the Present Continuous / Progressive Compound Tense

To talk about plans and actions in the process of realization, the present continuous or progressive compound tense is the appropriate choice. You can read about how to use this formation in our guide; How To Use Spanish Compound Tenses

 Let's look at some examples of how to use it in the context of resolutions, goals and self-improvement:

Estoy tomando clases de español para perfeccionar mis habilidades en el idioma.

 I am taking Spanish classes to improve my skills.

Actualmente, estoy investigando formas de sumergirme más en la cultura latina.

 Currently, I am researching ways to immerse myself more in Latin culture.

Estoy haciendo deporte todas las noches para mejorar mi forma física.

I am playing sports every evening to improve my fitness.

Estoy aprendiendo un nuevo idioma este año.

I am learning a new language this year.

Expressing Desires and Hopes with the Subjunctive

When talking about wishes, desires or aspirations, things that are not certain to come true, in Spanish we should use the subjunctive mood. For many learners the subjunctive can be a little tricky, however we have a 101 guide to how to use it.

Here are some examples of resolutions expressed using the subjunctive mood:

Espero que este año yo pueda aprender a tocar la guitarra.

 I hope that this year I can learn to play the guitar.

Quisiera que mis viajes incluyeran destinos de habla hispana. 

I would like my travels to include Spanish-speaking destinations.

Espero que pueda dominar el uso del subjuntivo este año.

I hope I can master the use of the subjunctive this year

Ojalá que tengamos más tiempo para viajar juntos este año.

I hope that we have more time to travel together this year.

Conclusion

While the number of different ways in which we can speak about our future goals may seem daunting, setting yourself the task of mastering them is a great language learning resolution. We recommend reading the linked articles and then writing yourself a list of resolutions or goals in Spanish and then practicing talking about them. Practice really is the key to selecting the right tense or mood and becoming comfortable with talking about the future.

We hope that you have a great 2024 and que logren todos sus metas (achieve all your goals) this year!

Is there another Spanish language topic that you are struggling with or would like to read an article about? Let us know at communications@naatikmexico.org. You can find our other Spanish language blogs here. 

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If you would like to take the next step in your language journey, Na’atik offers a unique nonprofit language immersion program, where your Spanish or Maya lessons are enhanced by a homestay experience in the town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Sharing meals and spare time with local and Indigenous people makes this a unique opportunity to see authentic Mexico. Online classes are also available. Every visit and online package helps us to provide life-changing educational opportunities to local children.Visit our Immersion page or contact us on mas@naatikmexico.org to find out more.