According to dictionary.com, Resolution is the act of determining upon an action, course of action, method or procedure. A decision or determination to make a firm resolution to do something. The mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute, firmness of purpose.  

The word “Resolution” is derived from the Latin resolvere which means “to reduce into simpler forms” and I believe this is where we start with our Intentions for 2022.

Perhaps Resolutions are hard because  we have firm and high expectations of specific outcomes. Living in a constantly changing environment can derail even the most strong-willed and resilient amongst us. I believe our challenge with resolutions is that  we become obsessed with outcomes and notions of success and failure, and perhaps think them as intentions/efforts instead of resolutions.  Where resolutions are hard and sometimes unachievable, intentions are flexible and its about how we direct our efforts and attention, which in turn is about being Mindful. I have listed below a mindful approach to resolutions and intentions for 2022:

Consider your intentions – most common amongst them are to go on a diet, have a budget or quit smoking. While these are healthy and largely doable, perhaps asking yourself what are your intentions and what does this mean to you?

Tune in the efforts and process, not the results – focusing on results makes us less likely to achieve them. Instead of obsessing on “losing a stone” try going for daily walks or cutting out on processed food and sugary drinks – you will probably end up losing some weight in the process and also enjoy the journey a lot more as transformation occurs. 

Change Your Habit Loop – turn your attention to the habits that you would like to change and examine what sustains those habits. If you want to spend less money, for example, take some time observing how and when and why you spend money. Charles Duhigg, in The Power of Habit, argues that “the key to changing our behaviors is understanding the habit loop. Once you break a habit into its components, you can fiddle with the gears.” You can find the little tweaks to your routine that can support transformation.

Be kind and patient to yourself – No matter what intentions we set for ourselves, there will be days and weeks when we don’t live up to our expectations. A fundamental lesson we learn through practicing mindfulness is that we are constantly beginning again — each day, each breath. We sit down to meditate, and we experience a brief moment of awareness. Then our mind starts chattering, planning dinner, thinking about work, or worrying about the kids. When the mind wanders, we gently bring our attention back to the breath, without judging ourselves. The moment we notice our mind has wandered is the moment of insight. The same goes for resolutions. When we fall short, we can kindly and non-judgmentally bring our awareness back to our intention.

That’s really the purpose of setting resolutions — bringing a kind awareness to our behavior, noticing when we’ve wandered, and beginning again.

And again…And again…