Written by: Aisha Saintiche, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Can you imagine that we are in a new year! I would say where has the time gone, but the truth is, there isn’t anyone on planet Earth who hasn’t been living or just surviving, but hopefully thriving through what has been deemed unprecedented times. From lockdowns to curfews, to masking, social distancing and every other outcome of this pandemic, for many of us, a new year is a fresh start, an opportunity to begin again. And so, as is customary with every new year, we sit back, grab a pen and paper or your phone for a voice note and begin what is almost synonymous with a new year – the ‘resolution’.
Now according to Webster’s dictionary, a ‘resolution’ is defined as a “firm decision to do or not do something.” Seems simple. Whether you have already identified your list of desired achievements or are in the process of creating that list, creating a resolution seems like a guaranteed way to accomplish the things you want to attain on the ‘to do’ list. So then why do we struggle to do them on a consistent and permanent basis? Why do these items not become the way we do business or live life, but rather are only in effect for a period?
The truth is – the resolution is not what you’re seeking or needing to achieve that milestone. What is required is the intention to commit to your physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual growth.
Let me give you an example. While I don’t have exact statistics to back up this statement, it seems safe to say that working out or beginning some form of physical activity is at least top 5 resolutions made for a new year. Many of us hype ourselves up, get new workout gear, even scope out the gym and its class schedule to see what classes we may be interested in taking and how we can accommodate our schedule to make it to the gym at least 3 times/week. The Monday comes and we are ready to go! We get to the gym, hit that cardio machine for a solid 30-minute workout, do some weights, get in an active stretch and if time permits, we may even hit the sauna as a reward for starting off on such a great note. For the next 4-5 weeks we find ourselves in this pattern (with the occasional slip or two) but for the most part, we are on target. As life continues so do the demands. Whether it be meetings, after-school activities or sports, caregiving, school, a second job, or just about everything else we couldn’t plan for in advance, we slowly start to shift away from the resolution, the commitment we made to ourselves at the top of the year.
Now it’s not because we don’t want or desire to. Nor is it (for the most part) that we are ill-prepared. But more because our intentions are misdirected. You see, when we find ourselves making a resolution, we often make these decisions based on what we need to do as opposed to what we want or get to do.
Engaging in physical activity is absolutely something we need to do for general health and wellness but are you creating a rigorous (and maybe even unrealistic) schedule because you must achieve a particular outcome within a particular timeline, for a particular event or are you wanting to explore the benefits of physical activity as another means of physical and mental wellness. Do you see the difference? If my intention, and this goes beyond the example of the gym, is to hit a specific target or achieve a particular outcome, it will more than likely be achieved. Human nature dictates that our desire for intrinsic or extrinsic reward assists with goal setting – but the real question to ask has we changed our mindset or the way we live so that what we achieve goes beyond the one identified goal.
Now don’t get me wrong – I love a list (like really love a list). And certainly, personal growth and development do require some thought around the general direction we would like to move towards (if not we would all be the princess or cat, we said we would be when we were 3!) but making an actual commitment to yourself and being intentional about you may be the greatest gift you can give to yourself.
By committing to yourself you are consciously and subconsciously telling yourself that your only intention is to do right by yourself. By committing to yourself, you are announcing to those around you that you are a priority. By committing to yourself your list of ‘to dos’ becomes building blocks to a more elevated version of yourself. By committing to yourself your intentions become about self-love, self-care, self-awareness, self-discovery, self-actualization…are you seeing the pattern!
If a resolution is a firm commitment to do something, then make that something be you! If you didn’t hit the gym 3 times this week, but instead nourished your body with good foods, got good sleep, read that book that’s been sitting on your nightstand for 7 months or connected with a friend whom you’ve missed for some time, are you prepared to tell me that you aren’t taking positive steps towards your health and wellness? Well, are you!
Look…if you love a resolution and you are someone who sticks to them – that is AMAZING! As I always say…my words merely reflect MY opinion based on my experiences. But if you are fatigued by failed resolutions a month into a new year… just consider this as an option. Committing to yourself costs nothing, doesn’t lock you into a contract nor does it send reminders on what hasn’t been accomplished.
Committing to yourself is simply reminding you that YOU matter.
I would love to hear what intentions you’re setting for yourself this year? or how you’re making room for yourself on your ‘to do’ list? Join me on Instagram @metomoi.health and send me a message.
Aisha Saintiche, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Aisha Saintiche is a certified Health Coach and the founder and owner of MetoMoi Health. With over fifteen years of experience in Mental Health, Accessibility and Diversity and Inclusion, Aisha has used her experience as a strategic advisor and health coach to understand the complexity and intersectionality of the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual barriers that keep people from achieving their optimized health and wellness.
Aisha also holds a Masters in Public Policy Administration and Law, as well as a certification in Change Management, Advanced Crisis Intervention and Counselling and Health Coaching. She is also an Integral Master for the Canadian Olympic Committee of Canada, and most recently she became a Published Author.
Always seeking opportunities to bring about change, she is also an active member and Board of Director for the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT) and the Board Chair for Afiwi Groove School.
