Is there something about your life you would like to change? Once again we have flipped the calendar, and the celebration of another spin around the blazing G-type star we call the sun inspires many of us to make resolutions. Commonly, these resolutions have to do with correcting a problem: like the resolution to lose extra pounds. No doubt you too have heard the statistics: an astonishing 88% of New Year’s resolutions fail. Let’s consider some of the reasons why this may be the case.
Resolutions mean expectations. With a resolution, you essentially make a demand of yourself, and while the price may be steep, there is little payoff until you reach New Year’s Day the following year, where you could perhaps look back with some satisfaction at having had the discipline to follow through. On any given day of that year however, the potato chips were available, your friends went out for a beer, and the couch was more appealing than that cold drive to your local gym. You have set yourself up for disappointment, and self-criticism. In a sense, the resolution itself is an indictment of your lifestyle.
What if instead of a resolution, which is essentially a demand you make upon yourself, you chose to frame it as an intention? Intentions help you dig deeper into your experience of life, and inhabit the moment while you take action to support that objective. Notice that while a resolution sets a benchmark with which to measure your resolve, an intention is a positive, self-affirming objective that you carry with you daily. Instead of I am going to lose twenty pounds, consider this, I have a strong intention to feel good and live life in a healthy body. As this intention sinks in, it occurs to you that a daily walk outside is a fantastic way to achieve it.
An intention is something you set for yourself, your own north star, and it’s tied to your values, rather than expectations. It doesn’t depend upon a codified benchmark, like subtracting twenty pounds on the bathroom scale. With that daily walk you feel better, cycle more oxygen through your body, interact with your neighbors and wildlife, increase serotonin, strengthen your immune system, feel enhanced confidence and focus at work, problem solve more effectively, and you are more present with the ones you love. The outdoor exercise creates positive inertia too: it’s more likely you will make healthy choices for the rest of your day. While toxic cravings diminish, your eating choices will very likely improve. You may well find your posture has improved, you smile more easily, and your thoughts are more positive and affirming. Notice that you achieved all of that the first day you took a walk! You are a success. Had it been part of a resolution, it’s just one day ticked off the calendar, with a mountain of them ahead of you. When you make it a daily intention and build healthy habits, you are far more likely to succeed and live a healthy life.
Thank you for tuning in this month, happy New Year, and please do follow us on social media.
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