Happy 2017! Let's talk Intensions vs. Resolutions...
Resolutions are what most people choose to make mere minutes after the ball drops on NYE. Making resolutions are typically setting a series of goals that you want to do or achieve by the end of the year. Setting a goal at the beginning of the new year with 365 days to achieve it seems like a great idea until the second week of the new year when a lot of people are already seeing their resolution resolve crumble. What happens? Why do resolutions we set, go by the wayside come February?
Resolutions are very specific and come with a pseudo timeline that we set up to achieve said goal. Let's take the all too popular "lose weight" resolution. To achieve this goal, a person will need to commit to a series of life changes that will affect almost every aspect of their day. When to exercise? What to do while exercising? How to exercise? What to eat? How much to eat? When to eat? Join a gym? Is a gym membership affordable? Can I give up X, Y, & Z foods realistically? What happens when the craving is too strong? It can be overwhelming and after a few days of committing to this drastic lifestyle change, the resolution is dropped and the feeling of failure has replaced the "New Year, Healthier Me" mantra created just days before.
This is where Intention comes into play. Instead of a resolution like "losing weight," have an intention of "making healthier choices when possible." An intention is a waking thought while a resolution is a pressured task. By setting an intention of making healthier choices when possible, you are allowing yourself room to change or to think about deviating from your daily norm in a realistic way. There is no pressure to keep to a resolution and the end result can still include weight loss, or more importantly, becoming healthier.
I haven't set New Year's Resolutions since my twins were born because I didn't think I could keep any. Two years later and I realize while I might not have made any resolutions, I certainly have set intensions without even realizing it. I intend to be as good a Mom as I can be. That means different things depending on the day. Somedays, it means that I take my kids on an outing and teach them life lessons while also having fun. Other days, it could be that I leave the kids at home with their Grandparents while I walk around Target for 3 hours with my Starbucks cup in hand so I can recharge and be Mom again for the rest of the day.
Intentions, in my humble opinion, are far greater and are able to create more opportunities than resolutions can.
Alright! Here we are, the first week of 2017. My intention is to try to create more things that make me happy while helping others at the same time. Clearly, this can be applied to The Littlest Blanket. I love to knit and I'm going to try to make more blankets this year to donate than I did last year. My stash of baby yarn can be seen in the image above. Notice how I didn't say "knit more blankets" as I would have for a resolution. Day-to-day life doesn't always lend time for making a specific number of certain items, especially when twin two-year-old's are added to the mix.
I like to create, not just knit blankets, but art of all kinds. Creating makes me happy and that is part of my intention, to find things that can make me happier throughout my daily life. The other part of the intention is helping others. There are many ways to help and many types of help to be given. I don't want to limit all of my spare time to only doing one specific kind of work, but anytime I see something that inspires me, I want the freedom to go in that direction. If I dedicate myself to just one kind of service, that may become a chore and no longer enjoyable.
I hope anyone that is reading this blog post also has an intention of creating more! If you would like to create more or maybe even try a new skill, take a look at our Projects & Lessons pages.
Thank you for a good beginning in 2016 and I cannot wait to see what 2017 brings for our community of crafters.
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