Intentions, Not Resolutions
Welcome to the beginning of 2024. This is the time of year that everyone is either finalizing their resolutions for the year, or fiercely putting them into practice.
Let's take a moment, however, to contemplate the essence of resolutions. By definition, a resolution is a resolute decision to either pursue or abstain from a particular course of action. It's unwavering. Yet, as I've found through personal experience, resolutions often set us up for disappointment. Despite our best intentions, they can become burdensome tasks, leading to frustration when they don't unfold as expected, even if circumstances are beyond our control.
So, why do we persist in making resolutions? Perhaps it's deeply ingrained in our human nature to delineate chapters in our lives, and the turn of a year provides a convenient marker. We often find ourselves saying, "I didn't exercise as much as I wanted, so this year, I'm committing to four days a week, one hour each day. I'll make it work." What started as a positive intention turns into a chore. That's why, for some time now, I've shifted my focus from resolutions to intentions.
Intentions are more like goals — aspirational and dynamic. They feel more fluid, like a practice, rather than a rigid task. Unlike resolutions, intentions don't come with overly specific criteria that are challenging to control. They are adaptable, adjusting as the unpredictable elements of life unfold.
Much like the beginning of a new year serves as a moment of reflection, I engage in a similar practice around my birthday. This time allows me to sense change, reflect deeply, and realign with my soul's desires. The new year becomes a checkpoint to assess how my intentions have been serving me, to gauge my current position, and to explore new paths that may influence how I embody these intentions in my daily life.
Allow me to share the intentions I've set for this chapter of my life:
Live with joy instead of succumbing to bitterness and anger
Nourish my body with clean fuel to support the way I’d like to move
Find courage and actively diminish my imposter syndrome
Discover ways to live more minimally
Share my unique gifts with the world
I hope these intentions inspire you to craft some thoughtful aspirations of your own. To help you kickstart this process, I've included a few thoughts and journal prompts:
How have you been prioritizing your self-care?
What new boundaries could enhance your well-being?
In what ways would you like to step out of your own shadow?
