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resolutions, goals, intentions


Here it is 2018 already, and time for new year resolutions. I have never had much success with resolutions of the type that promise I will change my entire demeanor or form new habits starting now and lasting forever. For example, "I will do 30 situps every morning before breakfast," or "I will count my calories every day". Those type of resolutions are always doomed to failure in my world.

However, there are two types of resolutions I do have success with. The first is a long-term concrete goal without the accompanying details of how it will happen. This year my goal is to declutter and release some of the many possessions I have stored in a jumble in our barn. Moving has a way of showing you what you don't really need any more, and I feel some of these things can move on and have meaning in someone else's life.

The second type of resolution that works well for me are intentions. I think of them as a watchword for the coming year that keeps me mindful of where I am and where I am going.

Several years ago I set a new year's intention that I wanted to have more adventure in my life. That year was my most adventurous yet. Last year my intention was to improve my life balance and health, and I feel better at the end of 2017 than I ever expected. This year my intention is "focus". The last several years have been a bit scattered for me as I navigated grief, and then a new life. Now I feel it's time to buckle down and focus on achieving some of the goals I have set.

Although tying in my aspirations to the turn of a calendar page seems arbitrary, nevertheless, I am a little bit addicted to resolutions. After all, it's good to take stock of where you've been and where you intend to go, every once in a while. Why not do it now, what time is better than the present? How about you?

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