Intentions, Resolutions, And Goals

What are your intentions for 2008? Did you set out your resolutions for the new year or have you set specific goals?

One of the things I've been musing about for a while is the use of language around our desires, especially at the beginning of the year when most of us are inclined to reflect on what we really want.

So often we declare a resolution and within a few days or weeks we've already broken the promise and so we give up. Our "resolve" to change something has dissipated and we feel we've let ourselves down. The term resolution implies an "all or nothing", so to "break" the resolution implies failure.

Setting goals can often have a similar effect. As part of the goal setting process typically taught, the goal should be time bound -- meaning we've set a date. Well for many life goals, that date is arbitrary; it's a best guess based on what we know, believe, or expect.

So what happens if the date comes up and we haven't achieved the goal? We're prone to feel disappointed in ourselves and question what we were thinking. Of course that leads almost immediately into damaging, negative self-talk which automatically lowers our vibration and thus takes us even further away from achieving our goal.

That's why I've come to prefer the term "intention".

Setting an intention rather than a goal or a resolution feels more comfortable. It doesn't set up a negative pressure around slipping on a resolution or missing a deadline. Rather it clearly puts focus on what I want, but in a relaxed matter. There's no "force" in the language.

"It is my intention to __________ in 2008."

You fill in the blank. Then you pay attention signs pointing you to the most direct path to your intention and begin to follow it. If you become wayward, refocus on your intention and find the path again. That's the process -- that's the journey we're all on.

Esther Hicks and Abraham talk about this is in the audio CD that accompanies their book The Astonishing Power of Emotions. They talk about how the use of the term "goal" implies we're looking upstream rather than downstream. They explain this concept beautifully and I highly recommend you get the book and listen to the audio because it is a very powerful explanation of this concept.

And have a wonderful 2008. May all of your intentions come true.

Learn more about how to set intentions by visiting my website at http://www.inspiredabundance.com/. And if you'd like to learn more about a personal development program that teaches you how to get whatever you want, visit http://www.inspiredpersonaldevelopment.com/ today.