Dear First name / friend,
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
I am sitting here at 6:45am contemplating when and what to include in this newsletter. I decided to write about my take on resolutions vs. intentions.
I've read many inspiring quotes and stories over the past few days regarding the New Year. Each gets me thinking – what will my ‘resolution’ be?
The history of my ‘resolution’ success is bleak - made and broken within a few weeks.
What does the word ‘resolution’ mean anyway? I just ‘googled’ it and found many variations of the word used in sentences and many differing definitions. It does come across as a firm word, meaning ‘don’t deviate'.
Because of my success rate with ‘resolutions’, a few years ago I shifted my New Year goals to setting an ‘intention’.
What does the word ‘intention’ mean? Much simpler definition – a thing intended or planned; an aim or a plan.
My first intention several years ago was to simply put my fork down between each bite during a meal. Nothing profound or inspiring, but still a challenge. For some reason, I kept at it – intending at each meal to put the fork down between bites. It took a while, since we tend to eat fast at this house - filling the fork for the next bite before thoroughly tasting (enjoying?) the one in my mouth.
Years later, I still have to remind myself to put the fork down (long-term habits are hard to break). However, setting an intention rather than a resolution seemed less demanding; more forgiving in a way.
Since then, I set an intention each year – things as simple as:
- making the bed each morning (almost),
- folding laundry when the dryer is done with it (no wrinkles),
- taking on manageable new challenges.
My wish for you is that you offer yourself forgiveness if your resolution or intention goes off the rails; you can always get back on.
