Given Up On Resolutions? Try Setting An Intention Instead.

​Ugh, New Year’s resolutions.  As quick to make as they are to forget, until around June when you realise you barely tried.  Why are resolutions so hard to stick with?  Typically because they are not specific, measurable, attainable, realistic or timely.  Deciding to ‘exercise more’ is too vague, and pledging to ‘run 5km everyday’ may not be a reasonable expectation for you.

Instead of setting yourself a lofty, intangible goal at the start of 2019, try choosing a word or a phrase as an intention for the year ahead.  If you want this year to be a time of self-discovery, an intention is something you can apply to your career or personal life, and can be anchor for you to come back to when you reflect on where you are at.  

The WIP Coaches share some useful intentions for you to adopt next year.  ​

Amy, The Clarity Coach

Self-care!  There are two aspects of self-care.  When we take good care of ourselves (our mental, emotional and physical wellness), we are able to take care of others and achieve our aspirations in a sustainable manner.

Nerice, The Resilience Coach

Feedback.  I recommend to always seek feedback and have the courage to receive it.  Whilst there is a lot of work that we can do to examine and better understand ourselves we all have blind spots that others around us may be best placed to help us uncover.

Mac, The Transformative Coach

I like setting words of intention for the year ahead, and if I was planning for 2019 to be a year of self-discovery, a few words that I recommend for the year are: curiosity, solitude, transformation, exploration, or growth.  

​I have found these intentions to be powerful in my own life, and so if self-discovery is something you are looking for, it can often be a difficult journey full of twists and turns, so just be careful what you ask for!

Vivica, The Jumpstart Coach

The word I'd pick is ​'mindfulness'. It's simply a great tool for self-discovery, and it will be very empowering for your 2019 if you start practicing mindfulness in daily life!

Lily, The Strength Coach

I would suggest either the phrase ‘listen to the heart’ or the word self-acceptance.  Both of these intentions encourage you to be kind to yourself.

"Where focus goes, energy flows".
- Deepa Gupta, The Money Coach

​Anna, The Curious Coach

Playfulness!  A playful approach to life ignites our curiosity and capacity for wonder and appreciation.  As I see it, self-discovery goes beyond the self: it's about who we are in the world, in our relationships, in our work, in our passions.

​If we are playful as we ask these questions, we can forget about self-judgement (our greatest inhibitor) and enjoy exploring our many possibilities.

Janine, The Strategy Coach

Looking ahead to a year of self-discovery?  I would pick the intention of gratitude.  I believe that when we are truly grateful for what we have and have a daily gratitude practice we learn:  a) what we deeply value in life and find ways to move towards having more of it, and b) we cancel out a lot of the negative and anxiety enhancing thoughts that come with comparison and competition.

​This in turn gives us greater mental power to focus on what is in our control to change  and explore, and staying committed to taking positive, bite-size steps towards our self-discovery on a daily basis.

Deepa, The Money Coach

For an intention related to self-discovery, I suggest focusing on one’s ‘purpose and its impact’.
​
By being more purposeful, people can benefit by shifting their limiting thoughts to empowering ones so they are driven towards their goal.  A good intention with this in mind is: "where focus goes, energy flows".

Shirley, The Empowerment Coach

I would recommend a couple of intentions that I think apply to many people.  The first one is curiosity.  Be curious and read an article a day in your area of expertise, or a new area/subject that interest you. Take small steps every day.

The second is authenticity.  Find your authentic voice and imagine your team of supporters cheering you on, not your detractors. Not got a team of supporters?  Start by thinking of the supportive people in your life - they may be friends or colleagues or just business people and others in the public eye that you admire. When faced with a decision, either speak to your supporters (where possible) or think about how they might encourage you.

​NB - your family and partner may seem to be supporters but they often won’t push you to take the risks you need to succeed, for fear of them dealing with the consequences. That’s why I recommend your team only contains those who can truly help or inspire you.

Do you have an intention set for the year ahead?  Let us know in the comments!