Intentions > Resolutions

Why do I believe that intentions are greater than resolutions? Because at the start of every year, I’d have a list of resolutions. Things I was certain I would maintain all 365 days. I expected absolute perfection, as though the simple flip of the page on a calendar would suddenly cause me to become more focused, athletic, and able to make every change I deemed necessary.

But the brain doesn’t like change. The brain likes stability, and stability means remaining consistent with what it knows. So you can go into a new year with your list of resolutions and the intention to maintain those resolutions, but you’ll fail most of the time. Come February, those resolutions are broken.

For me, if I’d miss a day of eating healthy or working out, the next day, my attitude was, “well, I already screwed up this month. I’ll start again in February.” February turned to March, March to April, and before I knew it, the holidays were upon us and the resolution was no where to be seen.

So this year, I’m setting intentions – things that are important to my overall sense of well-being. They encourage me to show up better than yesterday, but don’t cause the negative self-talk and disappointment when I fail. Because I will fail. Some days will be better than others, but an “intention” allows me to start the next day anew. An intention encourages small changes every day – so small my brain doesn’t recognize the change, and I’m able to create better habits.

My 2022 Intentions:

+ Be present. Put the phone down. Connect with my people without the distraction.

+ Respond, not react. Take a beat before saying anything. Allow the heat to subside, then respond accordingly. Nothing good ever comes from a hot-headed reaction.

+ Say “no” – especially when you mean no. Not “maybe.” Not “we’ll see.” If the answer is “no,” then say “no.”

+ Start before you’re ready. You’ll never be ready. Stop this dance of “getting ready to get ready” – you’ll be getting ready the rest of your days. Start now. Figure it out later.

+ Quit every day. Have a hard end time scheduled. Know when to put the work down. See intention #1.

??Spill your beans: what are your intentions for 2022? How do you want to show up this year? ??