New Year's Resolutions or Good Intentions?

The new year is the moment when lots of people enthusiastically make New Year's resolutions: living more healthily, moving more and taking better care of themselves. Yet these plans often fade into the background after just a few weeks. Why is that? The answer often lies in the difference between resolutions and good intentions.

Resolutions are concrete goals, whereas good intentions are about mindset, personal growth and how you treat yourself during a period of change. By combining the two wisely, you increase your chances of lasting success and greater motivation throughout the year.

Do you want to actually stick to your goals this year and take real steps towards a better version of yourself? In this blog post, we explain the difference between resolutions and good intentions, and how you can use them together to create lasting positive change.

New Year's Resolutions or Good Intentions?

The new year often begins with a wave of inspiration and a desire to make positive changes. We make plans, set goals and voice our hopes for a better version of ourselves over the coming twelve months. This drive to improve often stems from resolutions and good intentions, but there is a difference between the two that is sometimes overlooked.

What Are New Year's Resolutions?

Resolutions are specific goals or actions that people set themselves to achieve or complete over the course of the new year. They are often concrete, measurable and time-bound. Typical examples include exercising more, eating more healthily, quitting smoking, saving money or learning a new skill. Resolutions are often made at the start of the year without enough planning, realism or a strategy to actually achieve them. As a result, they tend to fade within the first few weeks or months of the year. We can become discouraged when we don't manage to stick to our resolutions straight away, and so we lose the motivation to keep going.

What Are Good Intentions?

Good intentions, on the other hand, focus more on an overall mindset or approach to life than on specific goals. They are about the intention to embrace positive change, to be kinder, to practise more self-care, to be open to new experiences or to pay more attention to personal growth. Good intentions are more flexible and less focused on achieving measurable goals. They are more about gradual development and growth throughout the whole year. By setting good intentions, you can focus on the journey of self-improvement rather than just on reaching specific goals.

The Difference

The difference between resolutions and good intentions lies in their nature: resolutions are specific goals that are often measurable, while intentions focus more on the way we behave, think and grow.

How Do You Combine the Two?

The key to success is combining resolutions with good intentions. Start by setting achievable goals for yourself, but let those goals be driven by the intention to grow, to learn and to be kind to yourself, even when the road to those goals is bumpy. To make this work, it's important to:

• Set realistic goals that are measurable and achievable.
• Make a plan to achieve your resolutions step by step.
• Be flexible and not judge yourself too harshly if you don't always achieve what you had in mind.
• Use your intentions as a compass to set the direction of your actions.

With this approach, resolutions can thrive on a foundation of good intentions, giving you a better chance of bringing about lasting positive change in your life. The new year offers an opportunity for reflection, growth and self-improvement. The distinction between resolutions and good intentions matters because it shapes the way we approach and pursue our goals. Bringing the two together can lead to a more balanced and effective approach to making changes in our lives in the year ahead.

Happy New Year!

Love & Peace,

Babs Wille

A good intention is easier to keep when you have a fixed slot in your week. For example, choose one group class such as Spinning or Easy Flow Yoga and build from there. Take a look at the class schedule or book a free introduction.

Written by Babs Wille

Babs guides people through their process of healing and self-awareness. As the founder of Love & Care and an experienced breath coach, she helps you reconnect with yourself.