Modernize Your New Year’s Resolutions with Intentional Evolution

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And Actually Keep Them This Year

Raise your hand if your usual approach to setting New Year’s resolutions involves making a lengthy list of goals you’ve been meaning to accomplish.

Let’s face it – how many of last year’s resolutions did we actually stick to?

Or are you among the 46% of people who didn’t make any type of resolution or goal last year?

I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a long time ago.

Typically, they were overly ambitious or unrealistic, aligning more with an idealistic version of my life than with reality. I would set way too many, often focusing on the wrong outcomes. Rarely, if ever, were these resolutions inspired from within. Instead, they were usually based on something I read in an article or saw in a video during my quest for external validation.

Since embarking on a recent journey to enhance my mental and physical well-being, I’ve placed setting resolutions at the top of my to-do list for the upcoming New Year.

Surely, there must be a way to approach this without setting myself up for failure once again? Right!?

Redefining Resolutions: Understanding Intentional Evolution

In my search for a better way, I came across a concept called, Intentional Evolution.

In the context of New Year’s resolutions, intentional evolution refers to the deliberate and purposeful effort to bring about positive change and personal growth.

The process involves setting clear intentions, creating actions plans, regularly reviewing progress, maintaining flexibility, focusing on mindfulness and self-improvement, and continuously learning. Your resolutions can encompass any aspect of life, including personal habits, achievements, relationships, or overall well-being.

The idea is to evolve intentionally in a positive direction throughout the year, shifting your mindset and modifying your actions as environments change and situations arise.

Admittedly, it sounds demanding. If you’re thinking this may be too much work, I hear you.

Making a conscious effort to evolve and develop involves an ongoing commitment to adapt, learn, and grow. It will require dedication. But the endeavor to improve oneself is always worth the effort.

And if you aren’t keeping your New Year’s resolutions as it is, this approach may give you the motivation you need.

Intentional evolution is essentially a mindset that revolves around setting resolutions that are aligned with your personal aspirations, increasing the likelihood of successfully achieving them.

This article will help make using this approach easier. Keep reading as we walk through setting resolutions together.

Key Elements of Intentional Evolution

What makes intentional evolution unique is it’s conscious, purposeful, and mindful approach to personal growth and development in the pursuit of a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Several key elements make intentional evolution worth considering:

Mindful awareness
Purpose-driven goals
Continuous learning
Adaptability and flexibility
Resilience and perseverance
Connection to joy and fulfilment
Gratitude and positivity

Mindful awareness

This involves reflecting on your values, strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement with a present and non-judgmental mindset. That’s right, just go ahead and turn off that critical internal dialogue!

Cultivating mindfulness helps you better understand your thoughts and emotions.

Incorporate mindful practices into your routine, such as beathing exercises, meditation, or yoga, to enhance self-awareness, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.

Purpose-driven goals

Resolutions should be meaningful and contribute to your overall sense of purpose.

Consider what you want out of life and set resolutions that align with your long-term goals and overall values.

They don’t have to be achievable within the year; they can span as many years as needed, provided you review and adapt them as necessary. They should be specific, perhaps using the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).

Instead of vague resolutions like “get fit” or “save money,” set specific and measurable goals such, as “exercise for at least 30 minutes five times a week” or “save $500 per month.”

Continuous learning

In general, we should always be seeking out opportunities to learn and grow.

When it comes to your resolutions, make learning a new skill or acquiring new knowledge part of the process of achieving them.

You could also make a resolution that involves continuous learning, such as reading a certain number of books or enrolling a class.

Don’t forget to reflect on your experiences to learn from both your successes and failures.

Adaptability and flexibility

This approach is all about sustainable growth, where flexibility is key.

Be prepared to adapt your goals as circumstances change.

You may need to fine-tune your methods or update your actions occasionally to stay on track.

Resilience and perseverance

Challenges and setbacks are inevitable, and a natural part of the personal growth journey.

Developing coping mechanisms, maintaining a positive mindset, and seeking support can help foster resilience. This can help you bounce back from setbacks, adapt to changes, and build confidence.

Viewing obstacles as opportunities for learning and development will help you keep motivated when you want to abandon your resolutions.

Connection to joy and fulfilment

It’s absolutely crucial to include resolutions that revolve around your passions and sources of joy.

You don’t want to become bored of your own goals otherwise it’s too easy to give up on them.

Incorporating joy and passion in your resolutions can be motivating and increases the likelihood of those resolutions being kept. That’s the ultimate goal, right?

Aligning goals with your personal interests will help make the journey to achieve those goals more enjoyable.

When your goals resonate with your passions, the work feels less like tasks and more of an expression of what brings you happiness.

Gratitude and positivity

A positive mindset helps overcome obstacles more gracefully, turns challenges into opportunities for growth, and fosters resilience.

Maintaining a positive mindset can be difficult when faced with challenges. Try focusing on solutions instead of the problems.

Practicing gratitude has many benefits to our mental, emotions, and physical health, including contributing to increased happiness.

Express your gratitude daily through activities such as journaling or telling people in your life how much you appreciate them.

Six Steps to Implement Intentional Evolution in Your Resolution

Now that we understand what intentional evolution is and why it’s a valuable approach for New Year’s resolutions, let’s break down how to implement it in 6 easy steps, complete with examples!

Identify your resolutions.
Break your resolutions down into actionable steps.
Educate yourself or develop skills.
Incorporate mindfulness & set good habits.
Regularly assess your progress and adapt your goals & strategies as needed.
Get support or form a community connection.

1. Identify your resolutions.

Take time for mindful reflection to create a list of your resolutions.

Ensure they are realistic, achievable, and aligned with your values and priorities.

Save $500 per month.

2. Break your resolutions down into actionable steps.

Determine what steps you can take to maximize your chances of success.

Create a budget. Set savings goal. Identify where expenses can be reduced. Track expenses.

3. Educate yourself or develop skills.

Learn more about the subjects related to your resolutions to help you make better decisions.

Research tips on saving money. Learn about personal finance. Explore investment options.

4. Incorporate mindfulness & set good habits.

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment. It involves an intentional and deliberate approach to actions and decisions.

Establish daily routines that align with your goals to help you stay focused and disciplined in achieving them.

Set up automatic savings. Practice mindful spending by evaluating purchases. Visualize savings goals. Use money affirmations.

5. Regularly assess your progress and adapt your goals & strategies as needed.

Review your resolutions every 1-3 months. Adjust your goals and strategies based on what is and isn’t working for you, and as situations and priorities change. Be sure to celebrate your achievements!

Review current financial situation regularly. Track savings growth. Identify unexpected expenses. Update budget. Increase/decrease savings amount.

6. Get support or form a community connection.

Create a supportive network for yourself by sharing your resolutions with important people in your life.

Trustworthy family and friends can act as a sounding board to ensure that your goals are realistic for you.

Also, they can provide motivational support when you’re feeling off track.

Share goals with close family and friends. Join a financial community or forum. Consult with a financial advisor.

Sharing Resolutions for Collective Success

I’m an introvert and tend to want to do things alone. The idea of reaching out to other people and sharing my resolutions has me wanting to forget the whole thing altogether.

However, telling people about your resolutions can have profound effects. Sharing your goals creates a sense of accountability, providing added motivation to stay committed.

It can also create a sense of connection and shared purpose. You may encounter individuals with the same or similar resolutions.

Opportunities may arise to collaborate with others on similar journeys making tasks more manageable.

Collaborating, even with a stranger turned new friend, to achieve specific tasks or broader goals can tap into our innate desire for community and prove rewarding on an instinctive level.

If your resolution is to give back more, volunteering at a non-profit with other like-minded individuals allows you to contribute to your community while finding a sense of belonging.

As well, witnessing someone achieve their goals can be motivating. And being a source of support for someone else can be fulfilling. Who doesn’t love a little mutual inspiration?!

Connecting with someone who has already achieved similar goals or overcome similar challenges and can offer a wealth of wisdom, advice, and knowledge.

Welcoming The New Year with Purposeful Change

As we stand on the threshold of another year, I plan to modernize my approach to resolutions.

Integrating mindful awareness, purpose-driven goals, continuous learning, adaptability, resilience, joy, gratitude, and positivity transforms resolutions into a journey of personal growth and fulfillment.

The essence of intentional evolution is to become a better version of yourself.

This year, be committed to intentionally and proactively shaping your own future using intentional evolution for your resolution-setting.

Embrace the journey, celebrate the small victories, support one another, and learn from the challenges.

In the spirit of intentional evolution, may this coming year be a chapter of growth, fulfillment, and meaningful accomplishments. Happy New Year!

Sources

https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/New_Years_Eve_December_16_21_2022.pdf

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