There was a time when I was all about the resolutions. Jan 1 was the deadline, the beginning of the end. I was going to rock it out, crushing every single goal, no prisoners!
I was so quick to tear myself up for everything that went wrong the year before and desperate for a fast fix to make it all better—lose the weight, stop nail biting, get organized, start the blog—that I rarely stuck with anything at all. Sure I was happily flaunting skinny jeans by February 1st but by April, I was back where I started and my HANGRY state of mind made me no fun to be around! My kitchen cabinets are crammed full of abandoned organizers, my nails are nubs and this blog has been reinvented more times than some A-list celebs I won’t name…
So, this year I am taking a different approach. I am setting an intention. What is that and what is the difference between that and a resolution? Awesome question. I am still working through it but here is how I have come to understand it—and I would love to hear your thoughts, as always!
Through my yoga practice I have always heard the instructor talk about setting an intention—I thought this was confined to that class, somehow I didn't get that the concept could (and should!) be extended outside of those four walls! I love the feeling generated by allowing yourself to be enough, to be fulfilled by what is around you, to be completely open and fully present—maybe that’s why I missed the boat, I was too busy vibing in my momentary bliss to realize I could roll it up with my mat and take it with me.
Setting intentions seems to me to be a way to clear the clutter and announce a simplified mind-set to carry yourself through each moment of each day. It releases you from the resolution which screams at you like a drill sergeant and lowers the volume to a whisper that comes from a place of love and understanding—you can move forward without being attached to an “outcome,” making you more aware of the journey.
A great example of an intention is HAPPY. When you decide to live HAPPY, and not rely on other people or other things to make you happy, you are vowing to bring your HAPPYness to everything you do from folding laundry to playing with your kids to creating your art. It is with you always, helping you to embrace the small moments long enough to notice the new freckle on your son’s cheek or how the light streams into your kitchen or the beauty of the perfect cup of coffee. It gives you permission to let go of the emotions and stress that don’t serve you and allows you to open your heart a little bit more each day.
I am in the process of cultivating my 2018 intention, it’s not there yet but just the thought of it makes me a little giddy! As soon I have it formed, I will share it I promise, but in the meantime, have you set any intentions this year? I would love to hear them!