Time and time again, particularly this time of year, I hear people stating how they are setting intentions. They may be pagan or they may be mundane. New years resolutions or starting off with a clean slate or a ritual, we all do it in some way, shape, or form. There is one problem with this though. Many set their intentions and then assume that is all they need to do and months or a year down the road, they are shocked that nothing happened! Why is this? It is because setting intentions are not the end, it is the beginning.
Setting intentions for the new year or anything else, it is the beginning. The first step in a long process to reach your goal. The intention is your goal being set, the starting line. When you succeed in achieving that goal, that is the finish line. There is still a long race to get to that end point though. Here is some suggestions to help you achieve that goal.
After setting the goal, you need to make a plan, and it can vary in how detailed and complicated it will be but the more simple, the easier it will tend to be to stick to. For me, as an example, I have made a goal to lose 30lbs this year and to get healthier overall. I have created a spreadsheet to track my food intake, exercise, sleep, and notes where I would put when and what is hurting, when I am tired, and when I am in pain to see if anything correlates with anything. I have used websites but I wanted to set up something specific to my needs which don't have restriction like many websites do. Mine is very detailed but someone else may just need to just track their weight and food intake by keeping a journal rather a spreadsheet on a computer. I use a computer spreadsheet just for my vision needs and my handwriting is horrendous. Remember, you can always change what doesn't work for you and adapt it into what will if you find what you initially have set for you isn't working.
Another suggestion is find someone or something to keep you accountable. Setting a reminder on your digital devices like an alarm or have a person remind you or keep you accountable in your actions like a significant other or friend helps a lot for the times you forget or don't feel like doing it. Having a support system helps a lot. I have a friend, spouse, and notifications to keep me on point.
Use visual aides like pictures, encouraging words, or even playing music that gets you in the mood to achieve your goal. I am more into audio then visual stimuli so I use energetic music to get me pumped for when I want to exercise. Some may use words like "healthy" and use the image of this word to stick on a bathroom mirror or a kitchen fridge as a reminder and an affirmation to stay on point. Try to avoid things that will discourage you. For example, for me trying to lose weight, putting a wafe-like skinny chick as a picture to try and encourage me would just be discouraging. Putting someone like Ashley Graham, the plus sized model who is curvy, healthy, and looks great, is something I would love to strive for and reminds me that beauty isn't equating to skinny and a rail.
This leads me into another suggestion. Forget social norms or what they think is acceptable in THEIR opinion. As above, a wafe like feature is not realistic for many of us and is actually unhealthy for many as well, but someone like Ashley Graham is something many of us can achieve and still be confident about in looking like. She is now become the new normal in society which is great, but she is still struggling against an uphill battle for normative changes. Not everyone is trying to lose weight it is just a common resolution. Some have goals of cleaning/organizing a room in their home that has just been a strain for various reasons. Some people are perfectly comfortable with a unorganized room and if this is a goal you set because of others wanting you to, this is just not going to happen (unless it is a health hazard then I suggest doing it anyways). If something doesn't bother you and isn't hurting or risking anything or anyone, why change it?Which leads me into my final point.
You need to set intentions for you and your wants and needs and not for what others want you to do. Again, if someone is quilting you into doing something you personally have no issue with and it really isn't hurting anyone, then what is the point? It probably won't change your life and other then making the other person happy, is it doing anything for you? You need to set intentions that will make a difference in your life and that you WANT or NEED. Not what others want in order to "fix" you.
Your homework today is to set an intention (if you haven't already) and then make an action plan, step by step, on how you will achieve it and start imp lamenting it right away. No time like the present!
Happy new years everyone!
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