Forget New Year’s Resolutions

Who’s excited about New Year’s Resolutions?! Not me…

 I’ll even go as far as saying that I think these are hurting us more than they’re helping us. New Year’s Resolutions have become a bit of a laughing matter as they’re understood to be new habits that are “meant to be broken.” What’s the problem here? Each year that we create New Year’s Resolution goals without a plan, They’re just that – goals without a plan. Goals without a plan fail. So instead of reinforcing Success, Growth, and Attainment of our goals each year, with loose resolutions we’re training our brains that it’s okay to not firmly remain committed to our goals. In other words, we almost expect ourselves to fail. Allow me to introduce you to the preferred alternative, Intentions. 

For the past three years, I’ve had two pieces of paper taped to my mirror. One reads “My Life’s List of Intentions” and the other reads “This Year’s List of Intentions”. I encourage my clients to use this tool because it promotes positive affirmation and consistently reminds you of where you stand with the progress of your goals. It is important to keep these goals visible and top of mind all year, not just in January.

Intentions and Resolutions may sound similar, but I feel they are much different. Here are my reasons why:

1)    Intentions are driven by passion.

2)    Intentions are authentic.

3)    Intentions are defined but flexible.

4)    Intentions are driven by internal desires rather than external forces (such as other people’s wishes for you).

So as we embark on 2023, here is my challenge for you: Take two sheets of blank paper and title them as such: “My Life’s List of Intentions” and “2023 List of Intentions”. Find a quiet place and spend some time, an hour or so on this exercise, think about what you really want to achieve, not what you think you should. Make your goals attainable but challenging. Make them interesting and make them fun. It’s okay to set a weight loss goal, but for your own success, make sure you’ve got the plan and people in place to help you achieve that goal once and for all. You deserve it.

 An intentional lifestyle is balanced, fulfilling, joyous, and Refined. When you live with intention, your goals for yourself and with others have more clarity. Relationships are improved. Your goals are met and some goals you may decide to tweak along the way. Doors begin to open for you personally and professionally. You begin exuding an authentic energy, one that is highly attractive to others. You have personal freedom, because when you live with intention you are always doing and giving your best. And this is what it’s all about. At the end of 2023, when you look back at what you’ve accomplished, I promise it will be awesome.😊

Until next time my friend, Stay Refined