It's that time of year again.... resolutions galore!
I will lose X kg, I will exercise more, I will give up XYZ....There's something so refreshing and exciting about January! A chance to renew our commitments to what's working in our lives and a chance to let go of what's not. Each new year presents a new slate, so it just makes sense to resolve to do better.
Personally, I decided a few years ago, that the idea of a 'resolution' per se didn't put me in the right frame of mind to make changes. It felt a bit judgy and I felt a pressure to keep to my resolution 100% or I thought I was a failure. Why not intention instead of resolution?
Compared to an intention, a resolution is relatively simple.... it either is or not. Intentions, I think, require nurturing and cultivating and also a chance to create, to collaborate with the universe to manifest our visions. A resolution on the other hand, doesn't offer much in the way of creativity.
So, what I do for myself is a 'sankalp'. In Sanskrit it means good intention or resolve. By setting an intention you make it clear to yourself, and others, just what you plan to do, you re-define what it means to be sincere about your hopes and dreams. But not in the New Year’s way of " I will lose X kgs. and find the perfect mate".
I think the problem with resolutions lies in thinking that we aren't good enough the way we are, and that we'll be better or happier when we get something else or change who we are.
There is so much that we want but we may be approaching it from the wrong angle. Ask yourself, "Why do I want what I desire?" When we establish the 'why' then true intention gets clear and it becomes a way of living and not a daunting unachievable goal.
In setting an intention you make a Sankalp that you're already enough and move forward without having an attachment to the outcome... it's more about the journey. You might still want to lose 10 kgs. but it's not about the skinny jeans you'll fit into, but the focus is on good nourishment and exercise..... which might also fit the skinny jeans criteria and not because you need to change who you are.
So, let's get clean about what we want to create and cultivate in our lives.
I'd like to start with being more patient, kind, generous... life-style changes. More realistically, I will schedule exercise each week, adding more each month, I will add one healthy food to each meal and ask myself if I'm truly hungry before taking another bite.
See the difference? If my intention is something less measurable, like more focus, ease, happiness then I can pay more attention to how I can incorporate these in my day... then I can also do something each day to show myself that I'm committed.
Small steps create big change.... step on it!
Drop the "R" word from your vocabulary and set an intention!
Happy New Year!
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