It’s the time of year when we hear colleagues, friends and family talk about their ‘New Years Resolutions’. It has almost become an ongoing joke we play on ourselves as even muttering the words brings forth a predicted failure. Before we know it, we’re laughing at ourselves three months in while keeping up our potentially harmful habits ‘until the time is right’.
The Huffington Post published an article that says “It makes sense that resolutions don’t stick when you stop to consider what a ‘resolution’ is: the solution to a problem, a decision or determination, an opinion expressed as part of a voting body. I am not a problem to solve, a determination to make, or an opinion that needs voting on. I am a human being, a divine creation, a co-creator in the world.”
But wait; that’s not to say that we should continue to live our lives with our heads buried in the sand. Instead, it implies that the right choice is to remain present with ourselves throughout the year.
Doing so will naturally increase our self-awareness and allow us to notice when a particular pattern, habit or action doesn’t feel comfortable. If we spend more time checking in with ourselves on a regular basis, we understand that we have the power to transform our lives at any given moment. This, in turn, will scrap the element of shame we often feel when the year comes to an end before starting another cleanse or adopting a drastic lifestyle change.The power of intention differs from resolution.
Resolutions are ‘firm decisions’ to do or not do something, stemming from the mind and desires of the ego. They almost always fail because they start from the assumption that who you are is not good enough. Intentions, on the other hand, are heart-based decisions that come from the soul – stemming from self love, rather than hate.
Intentions are gentle guides that can be set and followed upon at any time. They are opportunities to stay on the right track without beating ourselves up for naturally evolving or shifting direction.
How to work with intentions?
Use The Present Moment Describe your intention as though it has already come true. When we speak in the future, it implies that it hasn’t happened yet, but when we close our eyes and imagine how it would feel if our intention came to fruition, it allows us
Feel Into Your Intention A vital tool is to really feel how your intention feels in your body. This sends a message that you have already created your wish. The more you truly visualize your intention as something that has already come true, we come closer to that outcome.
Birth Your Intention Do what you must to bring your intention out of your mind and into your reality. Create art, write lists, even speak to your friends. Only when we say the words aloud or put pen to paper can it create support from friends or new connections that will allow your dreams to manifest.
Speak In Positive Terms The Law of Attraction is an example of ‘like attracts like’ so to create the life that aligns with your true purpose, focus on what you DO want – not what you don’t want. Example “I want to give up smoking” reinstates the image and feeling of smoking. Instead, we can say “I choose to only inhale what is good for my health, my mind and my body”
Trust The Outcome Sometimes what we wish for our own lives isn’t right for the greater good. Setting an intention also means letting go of expectations, trusting the outcome and knowing that what will happen in our lives is for a reason. Remaining flexible throughout the process is imperative to our growth.
Intentions aren’t about removing or recreating ourselves. They are about accepting ourselves as we are at each given moment, knowing that there is an endless opportunity of chances to create the life we truly deserve, in 2020 and beyond.