Intentions & Recalculating

I like how the word “intentions” has replaced “resolutions” for New Years. It opens the pathway to change without setting yourself up for failure. I’ve asked my patients what their intentions are for this year and like each previous year; I get the same lofty answers of becoming fit or healthier. My one piece of advice is to start with something small that you can incorporate into or remove from your daily practice. Perhaps perform one hamstring stretch everyday or stop eating apple pie every morning for breakfast (true story). Once that becomes habit, add another step into your daily practice that is in line with your intention.

Society tells us to set goals and set them even higher if you can achieve them. “Achieve more”, “make more”, “do more”, “post more” and then on top of that “attain balance” or try to be good at everything at once. What a crock! Believe me I am an overachiever, but perhaps we all need to take a breath and just feel the gratitude for what we have achieved so far. Believe me, it’s harder than it sounds. Last night I saw the latest Star Wars movie with my family, who have been itching to go since its release. Sure it was a good action packed movie but I was left thinking about the commercial shown just prior to the movie. Sorry Star Wars fans, yes, I’m the mom that fell asleep through each attempt, when my girls wanted to watch a marathon of Star Wars films. They gave up on me and I’ve yet to watch them all. Anyways, I can’t even remember what the commercial was advertising (hard to tell these days) but it touched on how life throws us on unexpected journeys and how we need to “recalculate” our expectations and plans to experience a new adventure in a positive way. I love this commercial. So more important than intentions is practicing our ability to recalculate. Start with your positive intention but be open to recalculating throughout the year. Like anything we need to exercise the art of recalculating, starting with letting go of disappointment when things don’t go our way. Accept change as an opportunity waiting to happen. What’s my intention for 2018? Letting go of expectations so that I can better recalculate. My daily practice will be writing in a gratitude journal. What’s yours?