Ahhh. 2021 has arrived. Can you feel it? Hmm, too soon, right? Still seems like there is unrest, so not sure how to feel these days. I didn’t even begin to think about writing a January blog until its weeks passed. And I still struggled with what advice to impart. New Year’s Resolutions seem so irrelevant these days as we are all just trying to get by. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of pressure and emotions that go into resolutions—who has that kind of extra energy these days?
And then I heard a psychologist, Dr. Natalie Dattilo from Brigham Women’s Hospital in Boston, being interviewed on GMA. When asked about NY Resolutions, her advice was to ditch goals and work on intentions. So, I wanted to see how the dictionary defined each of them.
Intention:
A determination to act in a certain way; an aim or plan.
Goal:
The result or achievement toward which effort is directed; the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
The way I look at it, intentions don’t seem to have the same level of consequence and disappointment as do goals. “I meant to go to the grocery store on my way home,” seems less caustic than “I failed to go to the grocery store on my way home.” So, maybe she was onto something?
I also read an article that reminds us that NY resolutions seem to focus on the things we don’t like about ourselves. I don’t think that’s healthy. Such dissatisfaction with one’s self can snowball into more detrimental feelings. And when those NY resolutions are not achieved, disappointment, hurt, and more self-loathing can result. Not a good cycle to get into.
Remember, Small Changes = Big Wins! Dr. Dattilo recommends focusing on growth versus change, and the journey versus the destination. I think that’s great advice as we move into a new year.
Happy 2021!
Sophie