Resolutions vs Intention
I don't like the word resolutions. A resolution implies that there is something wrong with you, or that you need a peace treaty with your waist line. I feel like this is why most New Years resolutions fail quickly into the new year. Some never even make it to February. Goals are great, growth is valuable, but the process isn’t a straight line. Why set yourself up for failure out of the gate?
Rework your resolution into an intention. There is a forgiveness simply in the word intention. The path your intention takes you might not look like you imagined it to be, and yet it could lead you somewhere great.
The most popular resolution would be weight loss or physical fitness. I'm in the fitness industry so this one consumes people around me at the start of a new year. Let's play this resolution out. Your resolution is to lose 20 lbs. This focuses on losing something. Instead, ask yourself, what benefits do you get from losing 20 lbs? What is it that you hope you gain from losing weight? If you lost 15 lbs would you be upset because you failed? Is losing 15 lbs even failure?
Turn this resolution into an intention with your actual desired outcome. If weight loss is the goal, you want to feel better, fit into your clothes, be less bloated, lower your cholesterol, or prevent future disease. Place the focus on what you have to gain. Your intention is to feel better and be healthier. Your goal is to eat more vegetables, cut out sugar, and go for more walks. Doesn't that sound better than "lose 20 lbs?" What if you could meet your goals without losing 20 lbs? How would you know?
Reflection is a big part of the intention setting process. Think about what you accomplished this year. Stay positive and focus on what you achieved. Did those achievements lead you somewhere you weren’t expecting? What happened this year that you didn’t intend but are happy you experienced it? That is the best thing about intentions. If you can be open to the process instead of the outcome, it can lead you somewhere beautiful you didn’t know existed.
For 2024, my intentions were:
1) Sunshine before screen time (this was my favorite and I will carry that into 2025)
2) cultivate a new hobby or skill (I published my first book. It took so much effort and time but I couldn't be more proud)
3) Move my body everyday (walking the dog counts, so I was about 90% on this)
4) spend time alone in silence, no distractions (I did this a few times and enjoyed it)
5) write ideas down (my desk currently has 4 journals of notes)
None of these intentions had a specific finish line, and that was beautiful to me. It led me to open my eyes to new perspectives and I ended up learning an entirely new industry. This very email wouldn't exist if it weren't for #2 on my list.
My intentions for 2025 are similar but a few are more specific.
1) less screen time, specifically not eating with my phone in my hand or at the table
2) Jump rope - this is a physical goal and it will challenge me mentally because it is a new skill. I can jump rope, but I want to learn how to do tricks, sharpen my hand eye coordination and expand my exercise tool box.
3) write more - this could be publishing more books (I plan to do that) but also more newsletters, more Substack (follow me), more press releases and news articles, and more personal journaling.
I am excited to see where 2025 leads. I trust that with good intentions, the road may lead me to new experiences, new insight and new opportunities. That is so much better than focusing on losing something like weight.
I would love to know your intentions for 2025. Feel free to respond.