This Year I am Going to Set an Intention, Not a Resolution

As I write this, it is the end of the year, it’s the end of the day, and soon will be the end of a decade. By the time you read this, it’s the start of a new year, a new day, and a new decade. By now, you may have been inundated with memes, posts, and commentary about Goals for 2020.

It can be exhausting.

Living with a chronic illness like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can make setting goals feel futile. Fear of not meeting a goal can leave you feeling like it’s not worth it. Disappointment, when one fails to meet a goal, is physically and emotionally taxing. So, many of us throw our hands up and ask why we should even bother.

Setting small goals with Crohn's disease

I’m a big proponent for setting small achievable goals. Let’s call them micro-goals. These little goals may lead to a bigger thing, eventually. The act of completing something, no matter the size, is a confidence builder.

Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with resolutions.

In my opinion, a resolution is a goal. It is something you plan to actively work on throughout the year. Like I mentioned above, it feels big and can be daunting for someone living with a chronic illness.

A common New Year’s resolution, for example, is to lose weight. During the first two to three months of the year, you’ll see the gyms packed. Eventually, the crowds will fade away.

What is an intention?

An intention is different from a goal.

Intrigued?

An intention is something you participate in daily life and it lives within you. And a resolution is just the fulfillment of a goal.

Not completing something I set out to do is a chronic fear of mine and an anxiety trigger. Perhaps that is why I’m not a fan of resolutions or setting unrealistic goals?

Unfortunately, 2019 was filled with a lot more downs than ups for my family. This includes my mother’s cancer diagnosis. I’ve struggled to find joy in most days like when I was told I’m in deep remission. And no, I’m not depressed. It’s just each day has included a component of bad news or carryover from the previous day’s bad news.

Think of a snowball rolling down a snowy, debris-filled hill. It continues to grow as it barrels toward its destination. This year has felt a lot like that.

Finding joy

So, I’ve set out to create an intention to find some joy in each day. This doesn’t mean that every day will be good. I already know there are a lot of hard and potentially god-awful days ahead for our family. But for at least 10 minutes during each day, I will choose to find joy and revel within it.

I suppose you can say that this year my resolution is to not have a resolution, and my intention is to enjoy that immensely.

Living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can get heavy. Do you make resolutions or intentions for the new year?