January 2022: Intentions vs. Resolutions

Happy January! Welcome 2022! A new year! A fresh start! Time to be bombarded by ads encouraging us to set resolutions which will, of course, require expensive accoutrements of all kinds. Losing weight, eating "healthy", spending less, getting organized, getting up earlier... all of these are common resolutions for January first, regardless of the year. It's energizing to imagine how our lives will change when we make these resolutions and we often jump right in with both feet to make them happen. And then a few days or weeks go by and we lose our motivation and interest. Life gets in the way and it's hard to stick to our original resolution. We often feel bad and defeated and we stop trying at all. Let's face it, change is hard (if it were easy, we wouldn't need psychologists or counselors!).


This year, rather than setting a resolution, which is often a rigid, achieve/fail framework, perhaps try setting an intention. An intention can ground you, remind you of why you are doing a particular activity and can allow you more flexibility and freedom than a strict resolution. Intentions are born out of our own values and create a path to our goals. Starting with an intention rather than a resolution allows us to focus on the process of reaching a goal, which can also be an ever-developing target. Intentions give us guidelines and reminders of what we want- how we want to be, what we want to do, how we want to feel- rather than a finish line of accomplishment. Intentions grow with us and help us move forward while offering space for course corrections, allowing us to make mistakes but not letting those mistakes derail our movement. Because they are rooted in our own personal values, intentions are often more authentic to us and feel less like drastic change which can make them a little easier to continue over time.


On the first day of our school year, I shared my intention for the year with our staff.  I have come back to it often, particularly in the last few weeks. I'll share it again here:


Keep my anger from becoming meanness.

Keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.

Keep my heart soft enough to keep breaking.

Keep my anger turned toward justice, not cruelty.

Remind me that all of this, every bit of it, is for love.

Keep me fiercely kind.

--Laura Jean Truman


As we move into this - yet again, unprecedented (boy am I tired of that word)- month, take some time to focus in on your values and your intentions. What is important to you? How do you want to show up for what is important to you? How can you support yourself in doing so? Who do you know that can help to support you? Reach out to them- it is much easier to live our intentions when we are connected to supportive others and support is not a one-way street. Everyone benefits! 


Breathe deeply (but safely, from behind a mask or outside!), drink your water, and stay connected! Let's start the new year together.


Be well,

Dr. J


For some guidance about how to set intentions:

How To Set Intentions from The/Thirty

How to Set Intentions from TZR

Intention Setting 101 from Melissa Eisler

10 Intentions to Set from MindBodyGreen 

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