Do Something Better than Setting a Resolution, Set Your Fitness Intentions!

Now that the New Year is here, it’s a great time to look back on the year and review all of the great things you accomplished. It’s also a good time to begin making plans for the future and set new goals to knock out for the New Year. What areas of your life need improvement, what bad habits can be broken, what fitness goals would you like to attain and what personal goals do you want to set in motion or accomplish? We don’t know for sure what this year will hold, but the good news—we have another year and another opportunity to make life happen!

Maybe this year you had some great accomplishments and a few “uh oh’s”. Maybe there were a few things you wish you had done that you didn’t… So, for the New Year ahead, instead of setting resolutions that you may not keep why not do something better and create a list of intentions.

What’s the difference between these two? A resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something. Resolutions might be too constraining and stifling, as you list the fitness and lifestyle changes that you want, like, “I will lose 10 pounds.” Or “I will double my business this year.” But, when you fail to meet the resolutions on your list, it creates pressures that can lead to disappointment. Instead, set an intention with options for yourself if you can’t accomplish them all.

An intention is something you want to do, but not a firm decision on something that has to be done in a specific way. However, when you set your intentions, you resolve that what you are and what you have is already enough. Your focus is not on the outcome but on the journey. Intentions zero in on to something you can connect to emotionally and physically. Unlike, resolutions, you can make good on an intention in a single workout session when boredom or fatigue strikes during a workout because you are tied to the intention at a deeper emotional level.

Sure, you might still want to lose 10 pounds and be able to buy those skinny jeans you’re eyeing, but, setting intentions centers on how to care for who you are right now. So instead of saying, “I want to lose 10 pounds,” you’re intention will be focused on “I will be good with my body right now because I am worth it while I am working on improving myself.”

Here are the 5 ways you can set your intention and stay centered on it every workout:

1. Get clear on your intentions- getting clear on your intentions is a powerful first step in any fitness discipline or workout routine. Spend a few minutes thinking about what you want to achieve – whether it be a steady fitness routine, cutting back on sugar or carbs, or learning how to be more compassionate with yourself to create a healthy body image. Get clarity on each intention and tie an emotional feeling to each intention, with a reason why you want to do this. A key here is to not create too many intentions for yourself that you become overwhelmed. Operating from an overwhelmed state will not help you achieve what you want to achieve.

2. Create a clear mental picture in your mind of what you want your life to look like for each intention you set.
   How do you want to feel at the end of a workout? Do you want to feel powerful, relaxed, flowing, strong, tired etc.?  See yourself completing the intention and then tie the feeling that you want to that intention. Visually create this scene in your mind and play it like a movie in your head until your intention becomes your vision, and then allow your vision to pull you toward breathing it into life.

3. Write your intentions down or type them up and hang them somewhere where you can see them daily- Research shows that when you write your goals, intentions, and ambitions down and put them in front of you where you can see them consistently it helps us work more diligently to achieve them. Writing them down helps you get clear about what they are, hanging them up reminds you of what they are and keeps you emotionally tied to accomplishing them.

4. Create a phrase that sums up your intentions- psyche yourself up by writing a brief paragraph or phrase that sums up your intentions and repeat it daily. When you speak your intentions out loud through the form of an affirmation, your mind subconsciously works to make that affirmation a reality.

• "I look and feel great in my body."
• "I have a healthy, strong, vital body and mind that is free of disease."
• "I am radiant with health in body and mind and I feel good."

5. Stay focused on your intentions- honor and prioritize your fitness intentions ensuring that they are sustainable on a daily basis. Put in the work daily mentally and physically to fulfill your intentions. Success occurs when you frequently put in the work consistently and over time rather than trying to race to the finish line.

This New Year, get rid of the resolutions and set your intentions, then knock them out of the park!