As we move toward the New Year we inevitably think about resolutions and that can be a pretty depressing thing. What happened to last year’s resolutions? And why should this year be any different? We want a new beginning in some area of our life and we get all geared up to make it happen and then it’s lost and forgotten by Valentine’s Day.

Phillip Moffit’s article on Intention is just the thing. He makes a distinction between setting an Intention and setting a Goal. A Goal is all about the end result, and as we know from yoga, getting focused on outcomes is a downer because it’s tough to control. Life happens and if it doesn’t meet our expectations we’re bummed out. And then we make nasty conclusions - we’re lacking some necessary life skill or we’re less of a person.

Phillip says that what we want to do is set an Intention. He says that Intentions are all about how we want to be and that’s more within our control. How I want to *be* is something I can do in the moment, at any moment. Setting an Intention lets the future take care of itself and gets us focused on a much more basic level.

So for example - do I want to lose five pounds or do I want to be a mindful eater?

He also talks about noticing what kind of Intentions we’re setting. It’s kind of like - are you using your powers for good or evil? Are your Intentions feeding your heart or your ego? It’s interesting stuff, check it out, and happy “Intention Setting” for the New Year.