Resolute or Intentional?

Did you make a Resolution this past New Year? If so, how are you doing? Here is a look at another way to move toward positive change in your life in 2019:

Resolution: a firm decision to do or not do something. Commitment, pledge, promise.  I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. Resolute: unwavering, determined.

Intention: a mental state that represents a commitment to carrying out an action or actions in the future. Intention involves mental activities such as planning and forethought. From Wikipedia: purpose, design, aim, objective,

The result of resolving is giving oneself an order. Every instance of non-compliance is a breaking of the order, a breaking of the promise, to oneself or others.  How do you feel when you break a promise? Like a failure? Like a loser? Weak-willed? How do you feel when you make a resolution to do something you do not have joy about doing? Filled with trepidation and teeth gritting determination? Raw guts?  Do these feelings support or undermine your internal process in keeping your promise? Do they fuel you with positive energy (motivational force for moving ahead) or resistive energy (applying force to remove or change something difficult or impossible)? What kind of state of mind do you have around carrying out a resolution repeatedly over a long period of time? Would you say it fills you with the energy of joy and aspiration? Or teeth gritting, grim determination? When we fail, when our resolution goes down the drain, our positive image of ourselves as strong, capable, transformative people goes with it.

When you set an intention, you set an objective, create a plan and aim for a goal. (mental activity) When you mentally set an intention to bring about a change in yourself, or a situation, you are not giving yourself an order. You have relieved yourself of the obligation of an immediate order, and you have turned your mind to attaining a goal over time. Having an intention and a plan allows you to judge yourself not by your behavior but by your progress toward your goal in creating the new space where you inhabit your intention. How does it feel to have a goal and a plan? How does that feel in comparison to a resolution, law or order?

Working with energy is working with intention. Intention is a powerful agent for change. It allows us to reset our course and keep our goal in mind and slowly draws us into different patterns of thinking and therefore acting over time. Intention allows you to work with your very human nature and celebrate your achievements at every small step and re-align yourself at every mis-step. Resolution creates a bar you hit or miss – judging yourself by your performance or non-performance every day. It allows you to fail and to develop the language and self-talk of inadequacy. Intention allows you to recover from a loss and form a stronger connection with your purpose and goal, moving you forward fluidly, allowing your path flexibility and growth as you go.

Are you making short term plans for failure, or long-term plans for success?