Set Intentions Instead of Resolutions in 2023
Welcome to 2023! We’re halfway through the second week of the new year, and we’re already starting to see some cracks form in all of the “new year, new me” resolutions out there. We’re not here to throw any shade, though. Making a New Year’s Resolution is hard, and breaking them is easy. In fact, about 80% of people end up breaking their New Year’s Resolutions, according to Forbes. Nearly a quarter don’t even make it past the first week. But what if there was an outside-the-box way to hack the New Year’s Resolution system? We’re going to look at how to do exactly that as we explore how to set intentions instead of resolutions for 2023.
Setting Intentions vs. Setting Resolutions
Before we get too deep into the weeds with intentions, we need to answer one question. What exactly sets them apart from resolutions, anyway? Both terms refer to setting goals. They also carry connotations of change.
The main difference between them is the emotional force propelling them. Resolutions carry a sense of harshness or punishment behind them. It’s something that you can fail at but never really succeed with.
In contrast, an intention has more positive vibes. It’s something that you strive for, a reason for focus. When you make an intention, you’re stating for yourself (and anyone else involved) how you want your actions to manifest in the world you want to live in. It may seem like a pretty small distinction, but it will help keep you striving to create a better form of yourself in 2023.
For intentions to work, they need to be both specific and actionable. In other words, they need to be real goals, not just nebulous desires. Additionally, you need to be able to act on them.
Here’s a concrete example. Say you want to learn how to play guitar. Instead of saying, “I want to learn how to play guitar,” say, “I want to learn how to play my favorite song by my favorite band,” or “I want to practice 30 minutes every day.” The first is a resolution, and the second two are intentions.
Setting Intentions Instead of Resolutions in 2023
The most important part of setting an intention is making sure that it’s clearly defined. Regardless of what you decide to set your intentions about – in your personal life, social world, friends, family – anything, really.
You can set both short- and long-term intentions, too. After all, who says that your intentions need to change after 2023? In this way, intentions give you much more flexibility than resolutions do. If you decide to go this route, make periodic updates to your intentions.
Intentions don’t all have to be things you can reach out and touch. You can also set emotional intentions. Essentially, this means looking toward the future and envisioning how you want to feel at a certain point. That could be tomorrow, next week, or next year. Even if you follow this method, you need to make sure your intentions are actionable and concrete. So instead of just thinking, “I want to feel happy,” the subtle change, “I want to do more XYZ, which makes me feel happy,” is how you can approach emotional intentions.
Tips to Set Your Best Intentions in 2023
Make Clear Intentions
We’ve touched on this earlier in this post, but one of the most important factors in your intention will be clarity. It would help if you thought about the actions you’ll need to complete and what you’ll get once you do (whether it’s a feeling or something real). This can help keep you working towards your goals even when life throws you a curveball. Asking the question “to what end” – meaning where do I think I’m going by doing this action – can be a game changer in knowing if you’re on track.
Keeping Track of Your Intentions
If you’re like me, inspiration can strike you at the most random times. Sometimes, you can get inspiration for an intention when you can’t devote your full attention to it. That’s why it’s so important to keep track of them! When you think of an intention for the new year, manifest it. That means, at the very least, saying it out loud. But keeping track of it in a notebook or on your phone is a good approach, too!
KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid)
Your goals don’t have to be gigantic and life-changing. Do you get nervous about your Monday morning meetings? Maybe you have some apprehension about your Wednesday workout? Either way, starting with simple intentions is a great way to set yourself up for success.
Start Your New Year Right with CBD from Relive Everyday
Even after you’ve switched resolutions to intentions, keeping them may not be easy. Life can get overwhelming and stressful when we least expect it, throwing a monkey wrench into our best intentions when they’re firing on all cylinders. That can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety.
Fortunately, Relive Everyday may be able to help. If you’re feeling too overwhelmed to follow through on your intentions, CBD could offer a solution. According to some research, CBD appears to be able to soothe anxious feelings and impulses. And if you’re searching for high-quality CBD products extracted from the best American hemp plants, there’s only one place to go. At Relive Everyday, we stock some of the best CBD-based products like oils, gummies, and topicals to help soothe your stress. To learn more and discover your next favorite product, visit our online store.