2023: Quit “Resolving” And Get Intentional
3 Simple Steps To Make Your New Year Goals Stick
We have to warn you.
This post starts with a healthy dose of tough love.
But before you stop reading altogether, bear with us. It gets better, we promise. We just need to acknowledge the elephant in the room and call it like it is.
This is where we put on our big-girl pants, get tough, and tell you the truth.
The truth is this: The new year is gonna be tough.
There. It’s hard to read (and harder to write). But it had to be said.
Now for the good stuff: However tough it is, it can still be better.
Whatever’s in store for us is gonna show up whether we want it to or not. But that doesn’t mean we can’t grab this life by the horns and give it all we’ve got.
Because the thing is: We’re all here. Living, breathing, doing the best we can. It’s time to look at ourselves and see where we can strengthen and thrive.
Which leads us to the New Year’s Resolution.
It’s time to make your goals intentional and sustainable.
You want that new habit to stick? More than likely, your new resolution isn’t gonna do a thing for you.
A resolution has an end. It’s resolving something. And with the way most of us approach it, we might as well replace “resolve” with “I guess.”
It’s time to look at the fresh start and new beginning with new eyes. It’s not just about a New Year, New You. It’s time to get intentional with how you approach it.
How? It’s quite simple.
Write your list of goals.
Create the intentions behind them.
Make them sustainable.
Need some examples? Let’s try something. Let’s turn these top 13 goals into intentions.
GOAL INTENTION
Exercise More Build Strength
Lose weight Create Health
Get organized Ground My Energy
Learn a new skill or hobby Create Experiences
Live life to the fullest Say “Yes”
Spend less money (save more) Focus On Value
Quit smoking Create Health
Travel more Create Experiences
Read more Expand My Mind
Spend less time on social media Create Experiences
Be less burned out Say “No”
Create healthy boundaries Say “No”
Simplify my life Say “No”
Intentions are the foundation upon which everything else is built. They are the Why and How behind the goal. They are the roots of both the beginning thought and the end result.
Now here’s the thing. Intentions are great. But they’re not gonna get you anywhere if they don’t last.
So here’s what you need to do.
Make Your Intentions Sustainable
We’ve all been there. We start on a new exercise routine or a new paleo diet. We’re gung-ho about all the things for, like, two weeks. And then we stop.
To create an intention that supports a goal that lasts, you need to make it sustainable.
Sustainability works when you start small. So for example, if you eat fast food three times a week, cut it down to twice a week for two weeks. And then cut it down to once a week for the next two. And then quit altogether.
If you want to start a new exercise program, start with three times a week for the first month. And then work out four times a week for the next month. And then increase it to five times a week.
Sustainable Intentions Create Roots That Last.
So many days, weeks, or months each year we look at our situations and think – I should fix that. I should end that. I should start that.
Maybe some of us do fix it, end it, and start it. Most of us start and never finish. And some of us never start at all.
It’s time to get intentional with our lives. Because when we only resolve to do something, we don’t grow roots that are strong enough to sustain the growth we seek.
When we focus on the overall intention, we can understand and support the roots beneath it.
So go for it. Write down your goals. Get intentional. And make it sustainable. You’ll be amazed at how far you can go.
We’re here to help you along the way.