January 14th is International Quitters Day. The day of each new year when a lot of people who have set a new years resolution give it up. And not for lack of trying to keep them, but there’s a big issue with how we set resolutions that prevent us from really being able to keep them. So let’s take a look at how you can quit Quitters Day.

What is a resolution?

We’ve all made resolutions, but do you know what one a resolution actually is?

resolution [pronounced: rɛzəˈl(j)uːʃn]
noun: a firm decision to do or not to do something.
“she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more”

Ok. Seems pretty straightforward right? You just make your mind up and you’re done. Right?

Right?

Well, let’s just say there’s a reason that International Quitters Day exists.

Ok, so what am I missing?

Setting the resolution doesn’t make it happen. There’s a lot more that needs to happen behind the scenes. There are some fundamental flaws that many people make when setting their resolutions though.

1. You set a resolution that you cannot succeed at.
   “I want to be able to deadlift 100kg in 2023.”
   Such a hefty goal and also lacks information about how you will get to it, do you even go to the gym?
2. You create a resolution that you cannot actually do.
   “I want to learn how to snowboard in 2023.” But you don’t live in a country that gets snow and you don’t have the means to be able to travel to one that does.
   This one is difficult to achievable if you can’t access the facilities to be able to do the end goal.
3. You don’t have the time for your resolution.
   “I’m going to spend 4 hours per day writing my new novel.”
   Do you have 4 hours available to do the writing while still achieving the items needed to keep your life going? No? Probably not going to be an achievable resolution.
4. You aren’t really interested in being successful at the resolution.
   “I want to be able to wake up early every day and do a yoga session and meditate like my favourite influencer.”
   Are you a person who can wake up early or a night owl? Is yoga and meditation what you really want to get into, or are you just wanting to do it because the influence you follow does it?

So, what should I do instead?

Resolutions are a little like the genie’s wish – you need to be careful when you set it that you know what you are asking for. They should also be something that you are deeply interested in doing and actually able to achieve (time, money, availability, energy, etc).

It’s a lot to consider right?

Maybe a resolution isn’t the correct thing to be aiming at.

Maybe you need something with a plan built into it…

I present to you, a possible replacement. The Intention.

intention [pronounced ɪnˈtɛnʃn]

noun – a thing intended; an aim or plan.
“she was full of good intentions”

Let’s look at our 4 issues from above and how these could be re-written as intentions.

1. Resolution: “I want to be able to deadlift 100kg in 2023.”
   Intention: “I will go to the gym 48 weeks out of the next 52 weeks for a minimum of 30 minutes each week.”
   Achievable, has a plan built in and gives you room to both not have the energy or to do more if you do.
2. Resolution: “I want to learn how to snowboard in 2023.”
   Intention: “I want to save $10 per week to my travel funds so I can learn how to snowboard on the NZ snow fields”.
   The intention here helps you get to the snowfields to be able to learn how to snowboard. It has a plan built in and it has room for you to both be successful and also fail on a week if that’s what happens..
3. Resolution: “I’m going to spend 4 hours per day writing my new novel.”
   Intention: “I will add a minimum of 5 new sentences to my novel each week.”
   Achievable, yes. Flexible in how you can do it, yes. Gives you the ability to do more or less, yes. Are you starting to see the pattern here?
4. Resolution: “I want to be able to wake up early every day and do a yoga session and meditate like my favourite influencer.”
   Intention: “I want to add some self care into my life each day, even if it is only a 1 minute meditation or stretching one muscle before bed each day.”
   I’m sure you can see how this one is achievable and able to be worked into a life style much easier.

Do I need to wait until 2024 to do this?

Nope!

The best part about intentions is that you can start anytime. Infact, if you have already been let down by your resolution, maybe today is your day.

I set many intentions throughout my year. For different parts of my life and different things I’d like to achieve.

I have an intention for my dance classes – to provide classes that allow for the dancers to explore how strong their bodies are and provide them the technique and skills to be able to move as they would like to.

An intention as a performer – to make every performance one that makes the audience feel something amazing within themselves.

And as a person – to try to take 5 minutes each day to achieve something important for myself.

All you need to do to get started is… do it. Start with one intention. Try it on, find the right intention for you to start with and then build after that.

Is your intention for 2023 to get dancing? Come and join an APB Dance class no matter where you are, we have something for you.