Why Intentions Work and Resolutions Fail
/About 50 percent of us make a resolution to change something when the current year clicks to the next. Only about 6 percent of us succeed. Those are dismal odds based on one problem: resolutions focus on what you want rather than why you want it.
If you want to increase your resolution odds, consider creating a personal intention instead.
Intentions and mantras are fairly similar in that they allow you to keep your why even if you don’t manage to do your what. In keeping your why, you get to unhook from the guilt that comes with failing to do something.
A resolution to workout five times a week is all well and good but does not allow for self-compassion and the fact that we are all imperfect humans. Intentions and mantras focus on the deeper desire of why you want to workout. Perhaps to be stronger or healthier.
Here’s two examples of resolutions transformed into intentions.
“I am going to work out five times a week” becomes “I am healthy and fit.”
”I am going to stop eating junk food” becomes “I nourish my body with healthy food.”
This simple alteration makes your intention true even when you fail and so makes it more empowering and achievable.
Your desire is still to be healthy and fit even though you may not have made it to the gym five times in a week or even once. The intention to be healthy and fit is still true, which is empowering. Failure leads to guilt which has a way of undermining our self-esteem and putting a halt to progress. Intentions allow you to stay hopeful.
In the second example, even if you indulge in food that doesn’t rank highly on the nutrition scale, your intention to eat well is still true and therefore still has promise.
3 Tips for transforming resolutions into intentions
When you write intentions, it’s important they are meaningful to you and written in a way that gives the words power.
Here’s a 3 step process to make your intentions embody your “why”.
Ask yourself what you want to change. What do you want to stop and what do you want to start? For example, “I want to stop sitting around the house and start being more active.”
Ask yourself why you want to make that change. Why do you want to be more active? How would being more active make you feel? Perhaps more healthy and fit.
Write that feeling as your intention worded in the present tense as though it is already happening. So, rather than, “I’m going to stop sitting around the house and get in better shape.” or “I am going to get fit.” becomes “I am healthy and fit.”
Writing your intentions using this process ensures that your words have lasting power. The more you say your intention, the more top of mind it becomes and the more your behaviour starts to follow your intention. If you want to turbo boost your intentions, incorporate them into a meditation practice. This way you start to override unconscious, self-limiting thoughts like, “I never stick to my resolutions” or “I’m just lazy” with the more empowering, self-compassionate intentions you’ve created.
I periodically offer workshops on writing powerful intentions and using those as part of an intention meditation practice. Click here to see upcoming workshops. I’m also available to offer this workshop to a group you’ve already put together. Connect with me to work out the details.
If you want to explore the concept of self-compassion a little more, read my previous blogs; Is self-compassion selfish and Self-compassion first aid.
Stay well and good luck with your intentions!
Lori
