Why Intentions trump Resolutions Every Time

New Year New You or Are You Already at We’ll Try Again Next Year?
It’s a brand-new year, ripe with possibilities!  Now by a show of hands, how many of you have already lost steam, or even given up, on your New Year’s resolution?  To everybody who raised their hand, not only are you NOT alone but I also have a perspective shift that can get you right back on track.  And for those of you still going strong, congrats!!  Although, I still invite you to keep reading because what I’m about to share is something you can utilize to keep that momentum going.  If any of you are wondering how I’ve done let me throw you a curveball.  I don’t do resolutions anymore.  Nope, instead I focus on setting intentions, and I’ve found that it is far more effective than any type of resolution.  So, let’s dive into the world of intention setting and if you manage to hang in there, I’ll take you through an intention setting exercise and give you a pdf that you can use as often as you want to check in with your progress.

Intentions vs Resolutions
You may be asking, Lindley what’s the difference?  Well, I’m pretty sure you are probably familiar with a resolution.  With a resolution it’s all about the endgame, that goal.  Yes, you may change this or start that now, but all of your focus is down the line on that end result.  It’s pretty cut and dried, I want this so I have to implement that.  When you’re setting an intention however, you’re making a perspective shift in which you commit to a way of being and living.  An intention can be a trait, quality, or characteristics that you want to embody at the highest level you can.  In short, it’s an aspect of yourself that you want to fully embrace and cultivate so that it’s present in all aspects of yourself and your life.

When you set an intention, you aren’t just making an isolated change, instead you allow it to flow into every part of you.  For example, this year my intention is to really make my connection to source a priority.  That means that I’ll be making shifts mentally, physically, and emotionally so that maintaining that connection is easier.  My diet, how active I am, how I interact with others, how I treat myself, how I show up at work, the content I scroll, etc. etc. etc will all change to some degree.  Once you’ve set an intention you simply ask yourself, how can I embody “insert intention here” in my everyday life, and do that thing.  You aren’t chasing an end result, just shifting your lifestyle so your behavior, thoughts, actions, and words align with that new intention.

Now & Later
There’s a lot of things I love about setting intentions but one of the main reasons I find them better than making a resolution is that it keeps you in the present.  We as humans spend so much of our time looking backwards or forwards that we don’t need any help with that.  The thing about resolutions, is that they tend to keep you focused solely on the future, when instead we should be paying more attention to the now.  After all, it’s the only moment we have.  The past is done and can’t be changed, and there are zero guarantees that we’ll ever get that future we’re imagining. So why would be living our lives for a future version of ourselves and ignoring all that beautiful progress we’re making in the moment?  Life is a journey that should be enjoyed, you don’t want to get to the end and wonder why you missed it all. 

Setting an intention is all about planting the seed and not worrying about the fruit of your labors.  After all, when the farmer plants his crop he’s not freaking out when it hasn’t sprouted the next day.  He knows it takes time for the soil to nurture the seed before he sees results.  He has faith that all will end well.  When we plant that intention seed it allows us to have fun with the process and play around with which lifestyle shifts we make to align with it.  It takes the pressure off.  Plus, we as a society are all about immediate gratification, so when we don’t get it the likelihood of us giving up on a resolution increases.  Yet, with an intention, you actually get to start shifting your way of being immediately.  And I’ve yet to meet a single person who makes a positive shift and doesn’t see some type of immediate positive result that gains momentum as it goes.  It really is a rewarding process.

Self-Love
Another reason I don’t love resolutions is that they aren’t really kind to us.  We perceive ourselves as unworthy, as less than, until we meet that goal.  If we’re constantly putting requisites on our value, our worth, and our happiness we’ll never get there.  Then, if we miss a day on our way to that goal, it can wreak havoc on our self-esteem.  In some cases, it’s enough to stop us from trying altogether.  Now with intentions, there’s no real way to fall off course.  We tend to view them on more of a sliding scale.  So, if you only managed to give about 10% of yourself over to that intention, there’s nothing to feel guilty over!  You don’t have to hype yourself up to get back on track again, you did your best for that day and since every day is a fresh start you just give it some more effort tomorrow.

It really is one of the kindest and most empowering things you can do for yourself, because it is all for you.  There’s no real way to do it wrong, and it’s flexible.  Intentions work for and with you, they don’t get messed up when life is stressful or full of changes.  An intention is something you can always come back to and reaffirm or shift as your priorities and needs change.  Plus, you get to implement it in any way that honors you and feels best.  Sure, you can set them at the beginning of the year, but you can also make it a part of your daily morning ritual.  Want a bit more accountability?  Why not start a nightly, weekly, or even monthly ritual to gauge how in alignment with your intention you are.  It’s an opportunity for some real one on one self-love time.  Honestly, intention setting is my favorite time of the day. 
​
Let’s Set Intentions!
I think it’s pretty obvious that I can probably go on and on about why I favor setting intentions over making resolutions, but I’ll save your eyes from all that reading.  Instead, let’s take a few minutes to set our intentions together.  In the video below I’ll walk you through a guided intention setting process.  We’ll ask some sacred questions, then based on those answers, we’ll set our intentions. If you feel like you aren’t quite clear yet on what you’d like your intention(s) to be, that’s ok there’s no pressure!  Instead, I invite you to take some time, maybe grab a journal, and look inside to let your heart tell you what values truly call to you.  As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, I am always here and MORE than happy to help.  As an extra bonus, if you want some help with a daily, weekly, or nightly intention check in here’s a worksheet you can use.