The difference between resolutions and intentions?
Resolutions are hard and fast goals we set for ourselves that we either achieve or break — a good way to set ourselves up for disappointment and failure.
With intentions, we live each day in the new year working towards changing our relationship with ourselves and others. When we set intentions, we shift our mindset to take small actions that bring us closer to achieving our long term goals.
Instead of focusing on the future, setting an intention helps us look at what we can do in the present moment to lead us to our future.
Keep reading to see how our reminders—along with cognitive behavioral techniques—can help us to build the basic skills we need to have a successful year ahead. Let's start 2024, presently.
Challenge yourself to brave the uncomfortable moments of life.
This year, instead of avoiding things that cause discomfort and anxiety, try to embrace them. When we embrace discomfort, we'll soon discover that this feeling won't last forever & we can allow for more opportunities to take risks, try new things, and create positive change for ourselves.
Don't be afraid to embrace uncertainty.
These past few years have taught us that life is constantly filled with unknowns. When we reject these unknown, we allow ourselves to suffer more than we need to. Instead of trying to find answers, try to find comfort in knowing that you don't need to know everything to live your life in the present moment.
Separate yourself from your mind and the thoughts that come with it.
When you feel overwhelmed by the thoughts that are swirling in your mind, try to shift your perspective. Listen to those thoughts as an impartial, outside observer. When you remember that you are separate from your mind, you'll notice the urge to decipher every thought will fade, and the desire to live in the present will strengthen.
Let go of what you can't control & adapt to a world that is constantly changing.
When something doesn't go the way we imagined, we do everything in our power to reverse the outcome. Resist that temptation to regain control and free yourself from unnecessary suffering. Let go of what you can't control and grow into the person you want to be.
i let go of what i can’t control
Give yourself the respect and the space to feel how you feel.
Let's rid 2024 of toxic positivity. Instead of pushing your true feelings aside to stay positive, let your emotions come to the surface. When you accept that it's okay to feel how you feel, you'll be able to use the clarity to act truer to yourself and your beliefs in the present moment.
Imagine your thoughts as passing clouds.
The next time you encounter a thought that puts a knot in your stomach, try reacting by not reacting at all. Your thoughts are just clouds in the sky. Watch them float by without speculating where they came from or where they are going. When you are able to see your thoughts out of the confines of your mind, you'll gain the strength to sit with them and the emotions that come with it.
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