Skip the Resolutions, Set Your New Year's Intentions!

For 2018, forget setting a resolution. Instead, ring in the New Year with an intention.  This slight change to how you set your goal can actually improve your success in achieving whatever it is that you desire. 

You may ask, “Isn’t a person’s resolution and intention one and the same?” It’s easy to think so, since they are often times used in the same context.  But there is a subtle, yet significant, difference between the two.

 A resolution is a specific goal that is firm and fixed. People often make resolutions because they feel something is lacking in their lives.  Therefore, when you do not achieve the resolution that you have set, you may label it as a “failure.”  This is a pretty harsh reaction, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy, guilt and shame. 

 On the other hand, an intention is setting your attention towards a goal. It is an attitude. It is a way of being that helps you to focus your energy and powers toward achieving that goal. It is more fluid and allows for refinement and adjustments along the way. 

When you set an intention instead of a resolution, you stop thinking about wanting what you do not have, and start channeling your energy toward what you want to achieve.  If you happen to find yourself straying from your intention, you are less likely to feel you have failed, since you are still moving towards your ultimate goal.  Instead, you can simply readjust, recommit and continue on towards that goal. As you can see, setting an intention is a gentler and often times more effective way of achieving a goal.

 So go ahead, for this New Year, set yourself up for success by skipping the resolutions, and start setting New Year’s intentions.  You may be surprised at what is possible for you in 2018!  What would you like to you create with your intention for 2018?