RESOLUTIONS VS. PROCESS- ORIENTED INTENTIONS

January and the New Year present a great opportunity to evaluate where you are at and where you want to go. In the world of diet and fitness there is lots of buzz this time of year around joining a diet challenge, starting a “clean eating” diet, doing a cleanse, joining a gym, etc. And while I appreciate the idea that opportunities like these can help kick start healthier living, diet and fitness “resolutions” have a pretty crappy success rate. Why? Because more often than not people choose a results-based goal without assessing the steps needed to get you the desired result. Attainable aspirations (i.e. goals, resolutions) align with your values; require consistent, incremental adoption of habits and actions; and are designed to match your budget, schedule, and responsibilities so that they are sustainable long-term.  

Consider this: instead of resolutions, set intentions. Instead of outcome-based goals, look at HOW a goal will change your life and WHY that change is meaningful for you. 

For example, a common new year’s resolution is to lose weight. Losing weight is an extrinsic goal and lacks meaning. Instead, look deeper and see what is the intrinsic desire behind your goal. For example, I want to lose weight for the bike packing trip next October. Being lighter will make the steep climbs at altitudes of 11,000+ feet easier and reduce suffering. BAM! Now you know the WHY which fuels your motivation and helps you visualize what it will take to attain your goal. 

The key to achieving the goal is small, consistent actions that are realistic, sustainable, and over time deliver results. Let me repeat this: goals are attained thought small, daily, incremental steps. The trick is to make it easy. Humans are notorious for choosing the path of least resistance. 
SO go ahead and set your resolution, but take the time to understand WHY you want to do something, then dissect what the process needs to look like. What are the regular actions/habits required to achieve a desired outcome. Again focus on the intrinsic not the extrinsic or the outcome. 

What are the actions needed?  

Translate your goal (outcome) into process oriented actions, tangible binary (yes or no) steps. 
Maybe step 1 would look like… I will eat vegetables in 2 of my 3 meals daily. I will no longer drink juice, soda, or other sweetened beverages. I will move my body everyday for at least 60 minutes total. These steps are achievable and leave room for graduating up but also for being sustained in the long-term. 

I’ll share an example of one of my 2020 intentions… 
INTENTION: Use less plastic. 

VALUE: This aligns with my personal core value to do no unnecessary harm to the planet. My choices respect, protect, and conserve nature as much as possible!  

WHY: Plastic is everywhere including our bodies and our waterways. It is extremely harmful to the environment and our health and I use it when I get lazy or complacent.

What can I do to change this? I need to have my “grocery shopping kit” ready so it is easy and convenient to grab

Actions to prepare:

• Buy cute reusable veggie bags to have in my shopping bag and keep them in the car so I don’t just reach for the green plastic bags when purchasing veggies. 

Required daily actions:

• Be mindful when shopping. Don’t buy produce stored in plastic. (Like at Trader Joes!)
• Buy processed foods, cleaning supplies, and personal care products that are sold in glass or bulk. If I can’t find them in glass then make my own, buy in bulk, or at least buy the largest container so I am not needing to keep buying more and more.. ex. .. hand soap.. buy a bar or in bulk instead. 
• Reduce my consumption of processed foods! Make my own or don’t consume it. Often there are options: ice cream comes in plastic and paper cartons, so choose wisely 
• Consider what resources go into everything I purchase! Choose the option with the least packaging, no processing and is most local. ​

Last, set a weekly date with myself  to check in and measure progress. Ask myself: Was this my best effort? What can I do better?

Got it? The new year is a wonderful time to evaluate your habits, behaviors, and values. Consider what you’d like to invite into your life in the coming year, and what you want to leave behind. Be sure the invite list matches up with your values and then create small, incremental, action steps you do consistently in order to help create the space for that thing to become your reality. 

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