Stop focusing on the negative!

I had a moment a couple of days ago... feeling fat and bloated, I jumped on the scales after dinner and saw the damage, about a kilogram up from my lowest weight. My immediate thought was "What a fattie!" - seriously? Even at that weight, I was still almost seventeen kilograms less than my largest weight! I had to laugh... getting uptight about a little bloating (which has obvious origins) and losing sight of the big picture. I made sure I drank some more water and headed to bed shaking my head.

In discussion with a certain lady blogger, I got to thinking. Surely what matters most is trying to be true to our intentions. My intention to get down to goal weight is supported by my actions - most of the time. When it's not, I just need to make some action plans to get it on track. I use the word intention as opposed to goal for a reason. Goal seems concrete, unmoving, almost bloody-minded in the pursuit of what you want. Intention seems to imply that you are going to work your hardest to do the best you can while living a life that is still enjoyable. Semantics? Maybe. It sits a heck of a lot better with me.

My days are full at the moment. I write this while supervising a whole class of students, working to create autobiographical sketches of their own lives. Reflection and examination, searching for clues of how we can move forward from our pasts to better futures. For me, making action plans, to-do lists and fueling my body in the best way I can to move forward and live my life with the intentions and design that work best for me and my family.

What do you think? Goals or intentions?

2 comments:

  1. umm both?

    goals are more like the end result. whereas intentions are the daily life choices getting us there. both are valid in their own right. goals are meaningless without intentions. but so are intentions without a goal.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do get where you are coming from, Asian Pear! I think it's good to have ultimate goals in sight but live day to day with your intentions :)

    ReplyDelete