Written by: Janifer Wheeler, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I’m sure you are familiar with the traditional approach to setting goals and New Year’s Resolutions. You decide something about your life or business sucks and needs improvement, so you plan to change and then go full steam ahead to pursue that goal.
The problem? It doesn’t always work. Your motivation peters out. You procrastinate. Unexpected shit happens. You get distracted. Your attention turns to something else, and that life-changing resolution is out the fucking window.
Now you feel shitty and berate yourself for having no willpower.
What if there was to end this soul-sucking annual cycle? One that didn’t involve the stress of goal-setting could help you move forward and achieve tremendous success.
Enter “intentions.” (Do you hear angels singing, too? AHHHHHH)
Intentions are way better than goals or resolutions because they give you permission to be flexible and adaptable
Toss those fucking New Year’s resolutions in the trash. Intentions are where it’s at! Setting intentions for the year is a much more purposeful, meaningful way to ensure you create the life and work you want.
Let me explain why intentions beat goals and resolutions asses any day of the week.
The Difference Between Intentions, Goals, and Resolutions
When setting up our lives for success, there are three primary ways people go about it: through intentions, goals, or resolutions. Let’s first define these terms to understand why intentions are better than goals or resolutions.
Intentions are a call to action that comes from your heart instead of your head.
They are a combination of how you want to FEEL during this upcoming year and WHY you want to feel that way, supported by actions that will create the feelings and results you are looking for. They don’t require external validation—you can check in with yourself throughout the year to ensure you’re on track and stay motivated with no one else involved (unlike resolutions).
Goals are on end results—something specific that you want to achieve by a certain date. Goals can be short-term (by the end of the quarter), mid-term (by summertime), or long-term (by next year). They often require external validation—you may need someone else to give you feedback to keep going—and they don’t always account for how you feel when achieving them.
Resolutions are kind of like mini-goals, but they come at a specific time—the start of the new year—and they often focus on something we want less of rather than more of (like “I resolve not to eat fast food this year”). Like goals, they often require external validation and don’t always consider how we feel when achieving them.
Goals are too rigid – Didn’t We Give up Corsets & Girdles?
When it comes to achieving success, the traditional approach of setting a goal and then working hard to achieve it can be too rigid and inflexible, just like a bad body shaper or an underwire bra. Life happens, and sometimes, those well-laid plans don’t pan out. This can set you up for disappointment and frustration when you don’t meet your expectations—or worse, you give up altogether!
With intentions, on the other hand, there is no pressure to stick to a specific plan or timeline. Instead of feeling like you have to follow through on something just because it was written down months ago, intentions allow you to consider your life when deciding how best to move forward. You can adjust as needed without feeling guilty or like you somehow failed.
Intentions Embrace Possibility – Yes, You can be a JOYFull BadAss in 2023!
The best part about setting intentions instead of goals is that it opens up possibilities instead of closing them off. When you set an intention, you create space for your creativity and intuition to come into play—and who knows what amazing things can happen when those forces combine! By being open-minded and allowing yourself the freedom to explore different options, you may find solutions that would never have been possible if you had stuck with your original plan.
Intentions Invite Action – You will get off your Ass and Get Some Shit Done!
Setting intentions encourages action rather than stagnation or paralysis by over-analysis.
For example, I used to set resolutions each year like:
Lose 5 pounds in 12 weeks by walking daily for 30 minutes and eating only clean foods.
I resolve to join the gym and work out for 1 hour each day.
I will only drink water.
Sound familiar? Yeah. I never stuck to that shit. By Day 2, I’m drinking wine all day, munching on Doritos, and binge-watching The Crown.
However, when I think about WHY I want to focus on my health, what I want as the end result, and how I want to feel, I can reframe it as an intention.
At 52, I want my health to be more of a priority so that I can continue to age gracefully and enjoy life.
I intend to incorporate more movement into my daily routine through walking, dancing, yoga, and lightweight lifting. Even though I am exercise-resistant (aka a lazy couch spud), I want to stay active and not wind up like an old lady who can’t wipe her ass.
I intend to maintain a moderate diet, paying attention to what I eat and drink while also enjoying myself. I intend to take my daily supplements and not stress out if I have a donut or a piece of fried chicken.
If I go one step further and write this down on paper and post it around my house, I WILL create a system to achieve the results I want without much guilt or bullshit.
Intentions invite us back into ourselves, so we stay engaged with our desires, dreams, and JOY —which means taking action becomes second nature!
Screw Your Resolutions – Intentions are WAY Better!
Intentions are way better than either goals or resolutions when it comes to making sure 2023 rocks! Unlike goals, there’s no timeline attached; instead, it’s all about feeling into what you need throughout the entire year. And unlike resolutions that focus on what you DON’T want in your life, intentions focus on what you DO want more of in your lives—which is way more motivating! Intentions don’t require external validation, so if things change during 2023 (as you know they will), that’s totally cool because you can adjust your intention accordingly.
Ready? Set…Intentions!
Switching from resolutions and goals to intentions may sound complicated or weird, but it doesn’t have to be. Basically, you think of something you want to change, improve, explore, or experience.
Setting an intention for 2023 is an incredibly powerful tool that will keep you motivated and inspired no matter what unexpected shit life throws. So instead of stressing out over unrealistic goals or trying not to do some BS again (good luck with THAT, by the way!), try setting some simple yet powerful intentions for 2023 instead! You’ll thank yourself later 😉
Intentions are an empowering tool for anyone looking to make changes in their lives or businesses, whether small (like creating a new habit) or big (like launching a new business venture). They help us stay connected with ourselves while also giving us permission to be flexible as needed along the journey toward JOY and BADASSERY! So take some time today to think about what kind of intentions you want to set for yourself this year; I promise it will be worth it!
Stay tuned for our next BLOG when you SUPPORT YOUR 2023 INTENTIONS WITH SYSTEMS for SUCCESS!
If you need help or support or want to hang out virtually with other BadAss Women doing cool shit in the world, join our Friday 411! Let’s do this sh*t together!
Janifer Wheeler, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
After retiring from teaching, Janifer Wheeler realized she had a bigger calling.
She now brings her 20+ years of experience in education to the production industry to help entrepreneurs and teams find the proverbial work-life balance by following her JOYfully method.
She’s also founded The JOYFully BadAss Academy, where they teach people how not only to do more but enjoy every minute of their workday — without taking any excuses or guilt home with them either (we know what it’s like). Give me 30 days, and you won’t regret it! Click here to learn more.
