The New Year gives us a new opportunity to grow, change and move towards a more fulfilling vision of our life. It’s an exciting time where collectively we hope, dream and set intentions so we can feel happier, healthier and more fulfilled. As we know, it can be very difficult to stick with the New Year intentions we set and it’s important to understand the approach we take and how we navigate challenges when they arise that cause us to get off track. It’s inevitable that things will come up internally and externally, so being gentle on ourselves is essential to staying motivated.
Typically people talk about resolutions. I personally feel that setting an intention is more helpful and successful than a resolution. Intentions are softer, flexible and more human. Resolutions tend to be a basic and strict statement without including why it’s important to you. Also, adding an affirmation that acts as a reminder or anchor is helpful too. This is an important first step in the approach you can take to be more successful with your new intention.
5 examples of resolutions, intentions & affirmations
Resolution: “I am going to exercise to lose weight.”
Intention: “I want to exercise to lose weight so I can feel healthy and confident.”
Affirmation: “I am exercising because it helps me feel confident inside and out.”
Resolution: “I am going to reduce stress.”
Intention: “I intend to delegate tasks at work so I feel less stressed and I can enjoy more playtime with my family.”
Affirmation: “It’s ok to delegate tasks and enjoy spending time with my family.”
Resolution: “I am going to control my emotions better.”
Intention: “I want to manage my anger so I can have better relationships.”
Affirmation: “I am able to calm myself down and detach from anger.”
Resolution: “I am going to make more money this year.”
Intention: “I want to make more money so I can be financially stable and self sufficient.”
Affirmation: “I am worthy of financial success.”
Resolution: “I am going to eat healthier from now on.”
Intention: “I intend to eat healthier so I can have more energy to live a vibrant life.”
Affirmation: “I am empowered when I make my health a priority.”
Notice how intentions offer more space, softness, flexibility and adaptability so you can move progressively towards your goals. It takes time to create a new habit or behavior and expecting yourself to do it perfectly is not realistic. Someone said to me many years ago, “a season is three months and in a season things change”. Give yourself time. Let go of the all-or- nothing attitude and accept that falling off track here and there is part of the journey.
What if I Get Off Track?
Now, how do you treat yourself and what do you say to yourself when you get off track? Negative self-talk stems from core beliefs. What you believe about yourself and the world really impacts your mind-set negatively or positively. It then impacts your motivation to create a new behavior and move towards a new goal. Core beliefs have the ability to propel you forward or hold you back and limit your progress. By having self awareness of your inner dialogue (negative self-talk), you will be able to break the pattern and successfully manifest your intentions.
5 Examples of Negative Self Talk
- “I can’t do anything right.”
- “I’m worthless.”
- “I’m a terrible person.”
- “I don’t deserve to be happy.”
- “I’m a failure.”
How to support your new intentions
New Year Journal Prompts
- How would you like to see yourself and life this time next year?
- What are you grateful for?
- What would you like to change or improve?
- What challenges you or holds you back from making progress?
- Do you feel worthy and deserving of the intentions you have?
- Practice self awareness and write down negative self talk-transform negative self-talk into powerful life changing affirmations.
Affirmations, Meditation, and Energy Healing
Write and recite affirmations that support your intentions. If you’re not sure where to start, click here for tips.
Try my New Intention Meditation:
Transpersonal Energy Healing is one of the healing modalities I use to help my clients, a combination of Body Mind Counseling and Hands on healing. Helps to uncover limiting beliefs, release stored emotions in the body and balance and relax the energy and nervous systems.
Bach Flower Therapy is another healing modality that I use to help my clients get to the root cause of negative emotions and limiting beliefs. I offer 1:1 sessions (contact me to learn more), but the Bach Flower Remedies were created as a self help system so anyone can access and use them with ease. Learn more about individual remedies on my YouTube Channel.
Don’t know what Bach Flower Remedies are? Check out my 8 minute video What are Bach Flower Remedies?)
“Our intention creates our reality.” —Wayne Dyer
5 Steps to successful intention setting
- Create an intention and affirmation instead of a resolution.
- Let go of the all or nothing attitude. Be gentle on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up.
- When you fall off track: Practice self awareness and notice what you say to yourself (negative self talk/core beliefs).
- Practice self compassion.
- Get back on track. Focus on progress not perfection.
As you can see, setting an intention runs much deeper than just saying you’re going to do something. It takes daily practice to change your beliefs and behaviors. Stay motivated by having a gentle and compassionate approach to setting new intentions. You deserve to live the life you desire!
