Happy New Year! Last year was definitely a strange one for fitness but when there is a setback, the comeback is always stronger. A lot of us lost both muscle and strength, and put on weight but once we get back into our regular activity levels, I’m pretty sure that a lot of us will experience body recomposition…whether it is your first time or your next time. Without further ado, we have made it to January 2021 and I’m sure that you have either set some goals or thinking about setting some. I want us to shift from the thought of setting resolutions (as there is nothing to resolve) and shift to setting intentions for 2021 that will help us reach specific goals and specific destinations.
I started setting intentions for my goals and my life in 2019. It helped me reprogram my mind, put me in a place of peace and kept me grounded as I priortised my intentions on a daily basis.
What is an intention and how do we actually do that?
Intentions are guiding principles for how you want to be as a person, how you want to live your life and how you show up in the world. An intention is a path that you aim to align to. It guides your thoughts, your actions and your attitudes. Intentions provide you with an action plan to reach your goals and sets you up for success as they keep you accountable in the process and teach you how to make your life better by doing everything you do with intent.
Start your intentions from a place of gratitude.
When you want to change something in your life, always start with appreciating the good that you already have. When you focus on the things that you don’t have, you are operating from a place of negativity and scarcity. That thought process will keep you in that cycle of lacking and it will be hard to break out of it. Intentions are about growing and being more mindful. When you start from a place of gratitude, it evokes an increase in the value of what you already have. As you build from that place of positivity, you will create more things that bring positivity into your life. For example, your intention can be “I am grateful for my fitness journey because it allows me to become more confident in myself every day.”
Focus on the things that matter to you
It is easy to get distracted from the path that you want to follow and there are so many distractions in our environments. Let go of the outside voices and remember what truly matters to you on a daily basis. Create intentions about the things that you love and the things that bring you joy, whether that is spending more time with family, building on an existing skill, reading more books for inspiration or growth etc. When you focus on the things that bring you joy, you will be bringing more positive experiences into your life. When you put emphasise on the things that you’re passionate about and the things that give you a purpose — you will see growth in your thoughts, in your actions and your attitudes that will help reach the goals that you created. For example, “I intend to live a life where I can explore what the world has to offer and share those experiences with others.”
Cultivate a positive mindset
If you have not heard this today, remember that you have the ability to create the life that you want. In order to manifest and build on your intentions, you need to operate from a place of positivity and leave fear behind you. You need to believe in your own power and in your own abilities, setting intentions to reach your goals don’t mean anything if you don’t believe in yourself to begin with…write down positive affirmations, things that you are grateful for, meditate or create a vision board etc. that will guide you into a positive space. If you struggle with looking for the positives, set an intention that you are committed to work on daily. For example, “I intend to look for the positives in my day.”
If you have been wanting to shift from resolutions to intentions, I hope that this post has given you an insight into what that actually is. I hope that whatever intentions that you do choose to set emotionally resonate with you and push you closer to a space of mindfulness and growth.
