Intentions for Change

Ellen C. Wells

As I write this we are in our second full week of 2016. How are the resolutions going? Mine aren’t. I’ve lived enough years on this Earth to know resolutions don’t work. Instead I’ve come to embrace intentions.

Intentions? Isn’t that the non-committed person’s way out of actually doing something? “Well, I intended to do XYZ but it just didn’t work out because, well ...” I argue no, that’s not the case. Setting intentions lends some beneficial wiggle room to every phase of whatever the challenge may be.

For example, one of my intentions for this year is to eat a more balanced diet and follow the principles of Ayurvedic eating. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian practice of using food to heal and balance the systems of the body. It’s simple, really: If your diet gets knocked out of balance, you are more prone to illness. There are certain no-nos: No coffee, no white refined sugars or flour, no alcohol, nothing from the nightshade family and limited meat and dairy. Eating seasonally is suggested, too—not just seasonal vegetables but also limited cold and dry foods in winter when your body needs warmth and moisture.

I’m not going to lie—all those “nos” and limited items can be hard! Sure, I have a cup of coffee in the mornings but not before I have a cup of the recommended warm water with lemon and a bit of ginger root. My daily morning yogurt and fruit has been replaced with steel-cut oats, and my cold salads for lunch have been replaced by soups and stews. Alcohol and sugar are limited to weekends, and I pretty much follow the Ayurvedic eating recommendations the other five days a week.

Change can be difficult. I’m easing into it, taking what works for me and putting aside—for now—what doesn’t work. It doesn’t mean I won’t come back to those “I’m not gonna do it” recommendations when I’m ready.

Something we tend to forget on January 1 is that change is only successful when a person, family, business, community or society is ready for it. You may have resolved to change your store’s operations for 2016, but are you ready for it? Did you go all-in, plan a complete overhaul of policies and procedures, or have you set up a long-term strategy, a step-by-step process of tackling and conquering? Have you resolved? Or have you intended? And is the change something you want to do, something you are committed to or something you feel obligated to put on the to-do list?

I’m no expert in making changes, that’s for sure. But if you are looking for a few bits of advice on how to be successful with new changes—or how to pick up those dropped 2016 resolutions—here are a few recommendations:

Intend to start. Change has to be something you want to see happen.

Small bites. It’s not the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest here. Work on small wins that will lead to victory.

Don’t go it alone. Change is new territory for you. Folks who have already made changes are more than happy to share what it takes to see you succeed.

It ain’t always pretty. Setbacks happen. Learn from them and adjust.

No two are alike. Your success might not look like someone else’s success. Let your strategies, your processes and accomplishments suit you.

Attitude of gratitude. Take time to celebrate milestones along the way. It makes a nice launching pad for the next step in the process.

And most of all, understand that we all slip. Luckily, tomorrow is another day to try. GP