INTENTIONS OVER RESOLUTIONS
As we move through the first few months of the year, kōrero on resolutions and goals slowly start to fade. The start of the year brings the usual hype around ‘New Year Resolutions’ and ‘New Year New Me’, but are we actually sticking to these resolutions?
Although it is good to look ahead, succumbing to the idea of setting ‘big goals’ for the year can lead to a sense of failure if we don’t achieve these resolutions – which may have not been that realistic in the first place.
We all know the kīwaha ‘slow and steady wins the race’, so let’s put that into practice wāhine mā and start setting small intentions along the way.
What are intentions?
Our hoa mā over at Sorted NZ say that intentions are like mindfulness, they are about the here and now, instead of focusing too far into the future.
Intentions are more about our process right now, and less about the outcome. Our process is something we can control and influence – whereas the result is not entirely within our power. For example, an athlete can’t control the outcome of a competition, but they can choose how much effort they put into their training. Their intention, in every moment, is to give their absolute best.
Intentions into actions
James Clear, an expert on habits and author of book Atomic Habits, recommends a simple formula to help put intentions into action:
“I will [behaviour] at [time] in [location].”
So, if you are wanting to start reducing debt and stop using your credit card so much, you might say “I will only use my debit card next week at the grocery store”
In this example you are setting the intention to not use your credit card, and only spend money you have in the bank for groceries, eliminating those ‘extras’ that tend to end up in the trolley when you aren’t actively trying to stick to a budget.
By setting these small intentions, and the more you do them, the intention will become a regular habit.
Read more from Sorted on skipping resolutions for something better here https://sorted.org.nz/blog/skip-resolutions-for-something-better
Now that we know what intentions are and how to put them into action, it’s time to make it happen wāhine mā!
Think about 3 things you want to achieve in the next 6 months and break them down into intentions – small steps you can take each week or month that will help you to slowly create a habit, that in time helps to achieve some of your goals.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
“I want to get my Matched Savings from Whai Rawa next year”
Intention: I will look at my budget next pay and work out the amount I need to deposit each pay to meet my Matched Savings goal.
“I want to cut down my weekly spending”
Intention: I will only buy one coffee next week from the café
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