How many times have you asked yourself," What is your new year's resolution going to be this year'? Once? Twice? Maybe it's every single year. Earlier in my life, I would respond to the question with something simple: sleeping better or cutting down on sweets. There have also been many times in my life when I've said, "I am not setting a new year's resolution this year because I know I will break it, so why should I bother"! When it comes down to it, I believe the idea of the new year's resolution puts us all in a no-win situation. Why? Well, because we are all human, and in being human, we all stumble from time to time. For some people, not sticking to their resolution is easy and won't interrupt their lives. For others, failure at anything can be extremely damaging to their psyche and wellbeing. We need to reassess the actual question from "what is my resolution going to be, and can I keep it" to "what are my intentions to bring personal growth for myself this new year?" Let's look at how we define what a New Year's Resolution is versus setting a personal intention for yourself.
The definition of a new year's resolution is a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something right or stop doing something wrong on the first day of the year.
We define an intention as what one intends to do or to bring about by determination or act in a certain way.
A meditation practice is a great way to direct your attention on your intention.
You can read both of these definitions and determine that there is no real difference between them. I can see how people come to this conclusion, but I believe the difference emerges when you decide the personal connection that they each have with you.
Again, a New Year's Resolution is something people will begin on new year's day. They may stick with it for a bit, but they tend to leave it behind until the next new year once they break it. When an individual plans to set an intention, they have to consider and understand that they will stumble and even fail. It's in those moments after the failure occurs not to abandon it, but rather instead to resolve to continue. It's this resolve that you must have in your intention that will allow you to continue and to succeed.
I believe this is a significant difference between the two. It's to be accepting of our shortcomings and to be okay that we all falter. Remember that failing short sometimes doesn't mean you can't and won't follow through on your goals. It means that you're human and, in being so, are not perfect. So stick with your intention and be patient with yourself. That patience will allow you to appreciate the small victories you have every day, and it will make it easier to keep your intentions alive. Those small victories will become larger ones, and they will help build the confidence that you need to be your very best.