I didn't do any resolutions this year. I usually do, so I was just thinking about why I didn't this year.
I think that one of the problems with resolutions is that we do them because we feel that we "should." Our resolutions become an ongoing list of things that we feel we should do. As a result they are very cognitive or intellectual but lack inspiration.
I always figure that if i'm inspired, I'll create them and if not, I won't. I must not have been inspired this year. But that doesn't mean that I don't have any intentions or goals.
I think that intentions (or objectives) and goals are two separate but complimentary things.
Your intention is the broad statement of what you'd like to see happen. It is filled with inspiration, passion, and meaning. For an intention to be motivating, it MUST be consistent with your values and beliefs.
Let's take, for example, the common New Years resolution of weight loss. Most people say, "Lose 20 pounds this year." This is reflective of "the shoulds" that I mentioned earlier. It lacks both motivation-based intention, and clear goals.
To turn it into an intention, look at what you value. Let's say that you are a parent of a 6 year old, and you want him to have a healthy lifestyle and you'd love to do sports with him. Your intention would be, "Develop a healthy lifestyle to help my son have a lifelong commitment to health, and to have energy to run around and play sports with him." Now, your intention is motivating because it's value-driven.
I recommend not stopping there, but turning your intention into goals. Goal-setting involves creating a series of concrete, measurable steps. These are behavioral and action-oriented.
For example:
- Enroll in a tennis lesson on Wednesdays at 6pm at my sports club.
- Call my friend Maya and ask her to enroll in a weekly yoga class with me.
- On Sundays, prepare several nights worth of healthy meals for the week (so we don't succomb to fast food, and I can exercise in the evenings).
The best goals are great at problem solving. You anticipate what would hold you back from taking action and create a goal around that. For example, in the third goal above, you anticipated that you'll be busy during weeknights and not have time to cook or exercise if you have to cook.
Do you have resolutions this year?
Can you turn them into intentions and goals?
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2009!
Larina Kase
Comments