Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : December 28, 2023 9:01 AM IST
What are your 2024 goals? (Photo: Freepik)
Every year, on the eve of New Year, people make resolutions and then feel guilty when they are not able to follow through. The intention is to set goals and achieve them before the year ends, such as losing weight, joining a gym, travelling to a specific country, eating certain kinds of foods, having a clean diet, etc. Why do resolutions fail?
Nutritionist Bhakti Arora Kapoor explains that she intends to list out 'intentions' instead of 'resolutions'. "The difference between a resolution and an intention might seem frivolous, but when you look more closely, far more separates them than simply an entry in a thesaurus," she says. According to her, resolutions are stiff, like "boxes to be checked, with only one method for doing so".
"Resolutions look like a to-do list. You either complete a resolution or you don't," says the nutritionist, adding that while resolutions are focused on 'doing', intentions are flexible. "Intentions represent my hopes, values, and who I want to be a year from now. Intentions look like a map with many paths that lead to the goal destination. Intentions are focused on my being."
View this post on Instagram
As the year 2023 comes to an end, Kapoor says there are a lot of intentions that can be set for 2024 that will not come at a huge cost mentally, emotionally, physically, financially or spiritually.
Many people burn a hole in their pocket when they pay for expensive gym memberships, looking to achieve a certain kind of body that is in fad; or shell out money to have a dietary overhaul, only to discontinue it. All of this can lead to unnecessary guilt. Instead of making resolutions that you may find difficult, set achievable goals.
The nutritionist suggests the following:
All of these are simple, doable things that require little-to-no efforts.
"Set time limits on your phone to reduce mindless scrolling. Leave your phone out of your bedroom. Buy an alarm clock if need be. Aim to quit screen time 2 hours before bed. Find your people. Start a meditation practice. Do it for 5-10 minutes every day. It can be transformative. Start reading, and set a realistic goal of reading 'x' number of books 2024. It can help improve cognitive function, mood and vocabulary.
"Start a morning gratitude practice. List three things every morning that you are grateful for: from your body, to family and even food. Let yourself off the self-improvement hook and accept who you are, heading into 2024. Imagine how powerful it would be for your well-being to be kind to yourself in the new year," the nutritionist concludes.
