Resolutions vs. Intentions

As we are almost a week into the New Year I have been thinking about Resolutions. Here are my thoughts …

At the start of the year, it is a common practice to set resolutions. It is healthy to take stock of where we are in our life, look at where we want to make changes, and find areas for growth. 

I believe it is also as important to make sure the strategy we use for change is an effective one. Often when we make resolutions, we look at what is wrong in our life and take action to fix that problem.  

A typical goal is to lose weight. So, we start a diet, go to the gym, put pressure on ourselves to maintain this practice, and feel guilt or shame when we start to fall off course.

Resolutions can often feel like they are all or nothing! 

Intentions, however, have a much more compassionate energy. They do not tie us to an outcome. They simply asked us to bring mindfulness to our actions and make an effort towards change.

When we do slip up or break our resolution to diet and eat a piece of chocolate or cookie at the end of the day, we feel as though we have failed. Leaving us to want to give up and quit on our resolution.

But, when we set an intention to eat healthy, we can view that cookie or chocolate with less criticism. Understanding, we are not perfect.

With intentions the goal is not, what do we want to fix?

but,

What do we want to create?

I encourage you to stop focusing on fighting the old, but on building the new!

Happy 2022!!!!