Intentions Not Resolutions Are A Kinder Way to Begin the Year
How I Live My Intentions on Real-Life Days
The early days of January often arrives quietly.
After the fullness of December — celebrations, rich foods, late nights, emotions, stress, and joy all mixed together — many of us tend to notice the same things: feeling a little heavier, more inflamed, tired, foggy, or simply “off”.
And here’s something I want to say clearly, right from the start:
Your body isn’t punishing you.
It’s protecting you.
That’s why as we kick off a new year, I'm sharing thoughts about intentions, instead of resolutions. Resolutions tend to push. Intentions support.
An intention isn’t about fixing ourselves.
It’s about choosing a direction — one that respects where we are right now. But that naturally leads to the next question:
What does living with intention actually look like on real-life days like:
Busy days - Emotional days - Stressful days - Imperfect days, and perhaps on those too rare Perfect days?
That’s where I want to share something personal — a way I’ve learned to stay in a positive relationship with my health.
A Different Way of Looking at Our Personal Choices
As some of you know, I like patterns, I like connections, and yes, I like numbers and simple math. My brain naturally looks for ways to understand direction without judgment.
What I realized early on is this:
When I do something supportive for my body — even something small — it doesn’t just “cancel out” another choice. It actually moves me forward.
I call this The Double Positive.
Let me explain ...
The Double Positive (Simple Math, No Guilt)
Think of your day like this:
- 0 = neutral baseline
- A “fun” or less supportive choice might move you to –1
- A nourishing or intentional choice moves you to +1
Life happens
Stress happens
Automatic choices happen
So choosing the fun food first? Totally human.
But here’s the key:
Awareness gives us the power to choose again.
When you pause and choose something supportive — say, having vegetables with your meal instead of only fries — you don’t just erase the –1.
You move back toward +1.
I call it a double positive because choosing something supportive not only adds a positive — it often prevents another negative from happening. The distance between the two matters.
That’s the double positive:
- you didn’t stay stuck in the negative
- and you actively chose something that supports your body
Direction really does matter!
A Simple Visual (You Can Picture This)
+1 ↑ Nourishing choice
0 Neutral
-1 ↓ Automatic / stress-based choice
-
The goal is not to never dip below zero.
The goal is knowing you can always move back toward balance.
This is not about perfection.
It’s about returning.
Direction matters more than perfection. This is the double positive in action.
Why This Matters (Especially in January)
When people believe they’ve “messed up,” something important happens:
- stress increases
- guilt rises
- the nervous system tightens
- and the day often gets abandoned altogether
However, when we see choices as directional instead of moral, the body feels safer, and when the body feels safer:
- inflammation softens
- hormones communicate more clearly
- cravings settle
- digestion steadies
- energy begins to return — gradually, naturally
This is why I don’t believe in all-or-nothing thinking. And it’s why the double positive works.
It’s Not Just About Food
Food is just the easiest example — but this applies everywhere:
- going to bed a little earlier after a late night
- choosing a gentle walk instead of nothing
- committing to one yoga class per week for three months
- taking your herbs consistently
- pausing to breathe instead of pushing through stress
None of these need to be extreme to matter. Each one is a way of saying: “I’m choosing to come back toward balance.” That’s an intention in action.
A Relationship, Not a Rulebook
This way of thinking isn’t a strategy.
It’s a relationship.
It allows you to:
- respond instead of react
- support instead of punish
- stay connected instead of giving up
Some days, my only intention is this:
“I’m going for the double positive today.”
That one sentence keeps me grounded, kind, and consistent.
A Gentle January Reminder
January doesn’t need to fix the year.
It simply sets the tone.
Intentions don’t demand change — they invite it. And when we choose direction over pressure, the body listens.