Happy 2019! I hope your holidays were wonderful, and if they weren’t all you wanted ‘em to be, well, at least they’re over! Time to take a deep breath, regroup and move on.
Now, I don’t make New Years resolutions anymore. No, I do what my niece Caitlin calls “setting an intention.” She’s works down to Mahoosuc Health Food, and seems to have the inside scoop on all things New Age-y!
“An intention is gentler,” she says. “When you break a resolution, well, it’s done. With an intention, you may lose sight of it, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost forever. All you have to do is refocus on it.”
That works for me, because one of my intentions is to be a bit kinder to myself. And that’s what setting an intention is all about.
Though this year, I’m approaching it a little different. Instead of asking myself what I want to accomplish, I’m focusing more on how I want to feel. Make sense? Here’s what I’m talking about:
Resolution: I want to loose that fifteen pounds (again).
Intention: To eat healthier and be more active.
Feeling: I want to feel healthy.
For me, it’s easier to connect with the feeling. It’s a deeper kind of thing, if you know what I mean. When I’m tempted, I can stop and ask myself, “Will eating this chocolate éclair make me feel healthy?” or “Will I feel healthier if I don’t eat it?” Checking in with how you feel will let you know whether you’re on the right track or not. It’ll either feel right, or it won’t. Then you can go ahead and deal with the éclair.
Sometimes, though, it’s hard to figure out the feeling behind the goal. Say your goal is to fit into your old skinny jeans. Here’s one way to go about it. Write that goal on a piece of paper, then ask yourself, “And what’s that going to get me?” Keep asking and answering that question until you can’t think of anything else. Here’s what I mean:
Goal: I want to fit into my skinny jeans again.
Question: And what’s that going to get me?
Answer: I’ll be able to fit into other stuff in my closet, like that navy suit I only wore once.
Question: And what’s that going to get me?
Answer: I’ll feel more confident.
Question: And what’s that going to get me?
Answer: I can apply for that new job.
Question: And what’s that going to get me?
Answer: I’ll feel happier and more fulfilled.
Real goal: I want to feel confident, happy and fulfilled.
The thing is, you can’t get into those old jeans until you loose the weight. But starting right now, you can choose to feel confident, happy and fulfilled. You know, kind of fake it ‘till you make it. Isn’t that exciting? Because your goal is so much bigger and more beautiful than those damn skinny jeans. Bottom line, if you’re focusing on feeling confident, happy and fulfilled, it’s going to be easier to do what you need to do to get into those jeans. Or, to hell with it. Focus on feeling good, get rid of the old jeans and buy yourself some new ones! Either way, it’s a win-win.
So, I guess my question to you is, how do you want to feel in 2019?
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: How Do You Want To Feel?
Up Next:
February 19: A Visit With Ida, The Park Danforth, 7:00pm, Portland, ME
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