Make Your Intentions

We're halfway through January.  I'm sure many of you have made New Year's resolutions such as dieting, exercising, giving up smoking, being better with finances, etc.  Many of you are probably doing well in keeping those resolutions up to this point, but I'm sure there's an equal number of you who have already given up on them.  Am I right?

Perhaps it's time for a new tradition--New Year's intentions.  Stop and think about it.  According to Lexico, which is powered by Oxford (the same people who give you the Oxford English Dictionary), intention is defined as a "thing intended; an aim or plan."  Compare that with resolution, which is defined as a "firm decision to do or not to do something."  Doesn't an intention sound more appealing than a resolution to you?

Personally, I think it's more realistic to set up an intention.  Let's face it, if you're resolving to do something, like dieting, you're going to feel like a failure if you don't stick to it.  An intention is kinder.  You intend to improve, but if you fall short, that's okay.  Just get up and try again without beating yourself up.

So make some New Year's intentions, like going to the library more often.  If you don't fulfill your intentions one day, tomorrow is another day.  Do the best you can to keep your plans.  And if you do make it to the library, you might also want to make an intention to stop by the desk and say hello to your friendly neighborhood perch librarian.

Wishing you many good intentions from the perch.