Intentions vs Resolutions

I find myself struggling to set New Year’s Resolutions. For as long as I can remember, I have never been able to successfully achieve any of my resolutions. Whether it’s because I forget about them or just simply don’t want to do them, they always seem to remain *unchecked* by the end of the year. So, this year, I’m setting an intention rather than a resolution.

CHAARG has taught me a lot about intention setting, requiring me to be very in touch with myself, my thoughts + my emotions. Last year, my intention was to live in the present — I have a very active imagination + this often causes me to stress over + worry about things that I just don’t have control over. So, I wanted to consciously make the effort to let life happen naturally + only worry about the things I can control.

An intention is different from a resolution because it’s a long-term commitment + promise to yourself. In my experience, resolutions have had a deadline. Whether it’s *lose X amount of weight before summer* or *only eat healthy foods for X amount of months,* all of my past resolutions have been on a checklist with the assumption that they would be checked off at some point. This past year, I’ve noticed that my intention to live in the present can’t be checked off because it’s something that I want to continue to strive for every single day.

From my personal experience + the experiences of those around me, New Year’s Resolutions are often harder to achieve than we think. Without immediate results, we can often become discouraged + neglect the resolutions altogether. Because intentions don’t have a deadline, it is easier to get out of the mindset that results need to be seen immediately. Once we accept that progress takes time, it becomes easier to hold ourselves accountable.

Since deciding to start setting intentions, I have focused more on my personal well-being than I ever have in the past. That’s not to say I haven’t had bad days or that I haven’t stressed out about certain things, but I have had a better grasp on how to handle these struggles. As I’m writing this, I am still working on my intention from months ago. I have had to commit to this fully + hold myself accountable, but it has made me more aware of my own thoughts + feelings.